How it Feels to Float

How It Feels to Float by Helena Fox
Helena Fox
Star Rating
★★★★
Reviewer's Rating
Jan 23, 2023

Elizabeth “Biz” Martin Grey seems to have everything in control. She has her mother,
she has the twins, Billie and Dart, she has Grace, and she has her father, who tells her stories
about her as a child. But, Biz knows that her father died when she was seven. Still, she seems to
have everything in perfect shape. That is, until she almost drowns in the ocean, and a new boy
named Jasper jumps in to save her. Biz is grateful, until she realizes that he ignores all the time
now. But she still has Grace, who seems to be drifting apart after attaining a new boyfriend.
When Biz almost gets raped at a beach party, she knows that she’s pulling apart at the seams.
After Grace throws rocks at her ex-boyfriend’s window, she and Biz are held at the police
station. And then Grace is sent away, not being able to contact Biz. At this news, Biz comes fully
apart, dropping out of school and maintaining a depressed state. Soon, she enrolls in a
photography course at the recommendation of her new psychiatrist, and meets Sylvia, an
eighty-three year old woman who greets her with open arms. The two become close friends, and
Biz realizes that Jasper, the new boy, is her grandson. Not long after, Biz and Jasper become
friends, and the two go on various trips to other places. While there, Biz takes various photos and
realizes that she can hear voices from her photographs. She soon gets the idea to find her father
through these photographs. She soon leaves to her father’s hometown, against her mother’s
wishes, desperate to find any sign of her father. How it Feels to Float is a story about grief that
was beautifully written.

I liked this book fairly well. It talked about topics such as grief, and how it effects other
people. For Biz, it was hard to move on and she would constantly hold on to her father’s
memory. For her mother, moving on wasn’t as difficult. This book touched depression and loss in
a way that wasn’t so direct. I liked this, as it was more realistic and didn’t flat out say “hey, by
the way, the main characters depression starts at page 212!!” It was more implied by Biz’s
thoughts, and the way she interacted with her family. The book also skimmed the surface of
anxiety and panic attacks, but it wasn’t the main focus except for maybe two or three pages. I
loved the characters in this book as they all had their character quirks, but I was a bit confused on
some of the characters’ traits. On one page, Jasper would be thriving in the sunlight, and the very
next sentence would say how tired he was and that he was losing motivation as well. Also, I wish
Jasper had more noticeable character development and realistic qualities. For example, his first
interaction with Biz went like this:
Biz: Let’s go on a walk!
Jasper: Are you mocking me because of my limp? >:(
Biz: *Is shocked, and she steps backwards, falling down two flights of stairs and
breaking her ankle on the railing*
Jasper: LOL, that’s karma for you. *gets on his motorcycle and drives off without a
backward glance*
Other than that, this book was really well written! Will definitely be glad to have this on my shelf.

 

Written by
Iqra N.

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