Review by Amber Elias, 15

How It Feels to Float By Helena Fox

Biz just wants to be a normal teen girl, doing normal teen girl things. But how can she? When her dad who died 10 years ago visits her constantly and talks to her about how life was before she lost him? How is Biz supposed to be normal when her social life is torn to shreds during a petty argument between toxic school friends? How is Biz expected to be your average teenage girl when the pictures talk to her and when everything in her life seems to be crumbling to pieces? Maybe everything would be better if she found her dad; if she stayed floating. Forever.

How it Feels to Float is an incredibly deep and intense novel that delves into the workings of mental illness and the effect it has on young adults. Every detail about this book, down to the no chapter formatting, does an incredible job at simulating feelings of anxiety, depression, and countless other mental issues that people face on the regular. Modern media lacks proper representation for mental health and has done an awful job at portraying mental illness correctly and respectfully. Fox manages to create an engaging and relatable story that evokes deep and meaningful emotion. This novel is an absolute must read for everyone.

5 stars.


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Catalog Number: YA FOX,H

362 pages