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45 pages 1 hour read

Helena Fox

How It Feels To Float

Helena FoxFiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2019

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Book Brief

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Helena Fox

How It Feels To Float

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2019
Book Details
Pages

384

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Australia • Contemporary

Publication Year

2019

Audience

YA

Recommended Reading Age

14-18 years

Lexile Level

HL630L

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Super Short Summary

Helena Fox's debut novel How It Feels to Float follows 16-year-old Biz, who struggles with grief, mental illness, and her sexual identity after losing her father at a young age. She navigates high school relationships, deepening her connection with new and old friends, while exploring photography and uncovering family secrets. The story delicately balances moments of despair and hope, ultimately leading Biz toward healing and self-discovery. This book contains profanity, descriptions of suicide, mental illness, and anti-LGBTQ+ language and behavior.

Melancholic

Emotional

Mysterious

Contemplative

Bittersweet

Reviews & Readership

4.2

19,761 ratings

67%

Loved it

23%

Mixed feelings

10%

Not a fan

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Review Roundup

How It Feels To Float by Helena Fox is praised for its poignant exploration of mental health, grief, and identity. Readers appreciate the lyrical prose and deep emotional resonance. Some critics find the pacing uneven and the narrative occasionally hard to follow. Overall, it is a deeply moving debut that sensitively addresses complex themes.

Who should read this

Who Should Read How It Feels To Float?

How It Feels To Float by Helena Fox is ideal for readers who appreciate profound contemporary YA fiction with themes of mental health and grief. Fans of Nina LaCour's We Are Okay or Adam Silvera's More Happy Than Not will find it particularly compelling.

4.2

19,761 ratings

67%

Loved it

23%

Mixed feelings

10%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

384

Format

Novel • Fiction

Setting

Australia • Contemporary

Publication Year

2019

Audience

YA

Recommended Reading Age

14-18 years

Lexile Level

HL630L

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