A review by katkinney
The Thing with Feathers by McCall Hoyle

5.0

I was so impressed with what a professional and sensitive job MCall Hoyle did in portraying a teen with epilepsy while keeping in mind that this was only one aspect of her life and she had all the other typical high school anxieties... does that cute boy like me... will people make fun of me if I am authentically myself? And it was really great that one theme running centrally throughout the book was that everyone, or nearly every character, had some sort of issue they were struggling with. Emilie at the start truly felt isolated, and that with the death of her father and the medical issue she faced, she had been dealt a hand worse than the rest, that all the other students surrounding her lived shallow and empty lives. It was rewarding to watch her character grow and realize that there was more to everyone around her than she had originally assumed.

I particularly loved the relationship between Emilie and Hitch, and also between Emilie and her mother. The second was flawed, and very painful to read at times, but so realistically portrayed. This novel was simply a delight to read.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author.