The Thing with Feathers

July 1, 2017

Gr 8 Up-Sixteen-year-old Emilie Day is epileptic, and her best friend is a seizure dog. Her mother and therapist think it's a good idea for Emilie to get out of her comfort zone (and pajamas) and start socializing with her peers, and so they force her to attend public school. Emilie is less than thrilled and has negotiated a 90-day trial period. On her first day of high school, her guide is the most popular boy in school, basketball star Chatham York. Once Emilie starts her classes, it becomes clear that she is very smart, and Chatham asks her to tutor him in English. Soon the protagonist begins to enjoy her time at school and develops a crush on Chatham. She's making friends but keeps them at a distance because she doesn't want to tell them about her epilepsy. Emilie's deception catches up to her, and she has to decide whether to hide or move forward. Hitch, Emilie's seizure dog, is trained to alert her if she's going to have a seizure and break her fall if she blacks out. Yet Emilie goes to school and appointments and hangs out with friends without Hitch. How is she allowed to attend school without him? While the book often relies on familiar tropes (she's secretly pretty and smart! The popular boy likes her! She makes peace with everything!), this title may find an audience. VERDICT A secondary purchase for larger systems.-Faythe Arredondo, Tulare County Library, CA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2017
A teenager with epilepsy who has recently lost her father to cancer overcomes the depression induced by grief and illness as she acclimates to attending public school for the first time in several years and finds a boyfriend.Home-schooled and reluctant to engage with strangers, Emilie spends her spare time reading, cuddling with her therapy dog, Hitch, and playing board games with Cindy, her 8-year-old neighbor. Forced to begin classes at the local high school, Emilie is determined to remain aloof. A smart, creative girl named Ayla and a hot (and very nice) boy named Chatham befriend her, making it hard to stay distant and self-contained. Conflicts with her mother, who is just beginning to date, and concern about the potential embarrassment of having a seizure at school further complicate Emilie's life. Miserable and self-absorbed, Emilie is exceedingly articulate. Indeed, her first-person narration sometimes sounds older than her years, particularly when describing her crush. Extended metaphors abound, most involving water. That's logical given the Outer Banks setting and Emilie's fears, but they slow the flow of the plot and contribute to the not entirely believable tone. Emilie seems to be white, and so does her world, aside from the occasional student of color. Smoothly written and packed with (perhaps too many) challenging issues, Hoyle's debut may feel a bit glib and predictable to some readers; others will swoon over the dreamy Chatham and root for Emilie to come out of her shell. (Romance. 14-16)

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