
This is the type of book that gives you a tangible feeling of pain, making you feel empty like there's no more space left for you to process the emotions you are currently feeling. You can pull it out, hold it in your hand. How It Feels to Float is a beautifully crafted story of finding hope and love when both appear to be gone forever.A heart is a mystery and not a mystery. This is a frank story of mental illness, loss and sexual identity, and Fox responsibly concludes her story with information and support services for readers facing similar issues. In order to connect with her father, she will have to do the hard work of confronting her PTSD and unresolved grief. As she connects with a new boy at school named Jasper (whose sexual orientation is also undefined) and an older female mentor, Biz’s narration occasionally turns from prose to poetry. In this lyrical story, we follow Biz as she sets out to find her lost father. As she finds herself alone, Biz may start to understand what it’s like for her father to float, “to watch and not be seen.” Worst of all, her father disappears one night while she’s at the beach. And when rumors about her sexuality start to spread around school, the Posse officially shuns her. She discovers that she may be attracted to Grace, but her sexual orientation is still a conundrum. But Biz also feels at home among her self-described “Posse” of classmates and with her best friend, Grace.ĭuring Biz’s junior year, her life starts to unravel. Biz, as she’s called by friends and family, finds comfort in his ghostly presence and indulges in his stories about her childhood and his love for her mother. In Australian author Helena Fox’s debut, How It Feels to Float, 17-year-old Elizabeth’s father still appears to her 10 years after his death.
