This was a beautiful story about self advocacy, friendship, and the battles of being a teenager.
Twyla knows there is something wrong with her, she is having various symptoms such as nausea and headaches, but everyone is brushing her worries off by telling her she has common complaints. Twylas mum passed away years before and her dad is struggling with grief while raising his children and he doesn't take twylas complaints seriously and just goes by what the doctors are saying, so twyla takes it upon herself to try and get too the bottom of what is wrong with her. However, while she is doing this her friendship with her closest friends is under strain and twyla feels utterly alone. Eventually things come to a head and twyla finds out what is wrong with her and also why her friends have been so distant.
This story shows you how hard life can be, regardless of your age, when you feel like no one is there for you and you are fighting a battle alone. But it also shows you that no matter what anyone says go with your gut and fight for what you believe in.

Thank you Netgalley and Blink for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Stronger at the Seams" by Shannon Stocker is a heart-wrenching contemporary YA novel that focuses on themes of self-advocacy and friendship.

Twyla, the 14-year-old protagonist, enters high school with optimism, but her life takes a sharp turn when she begins experiencing severe health issues. Despite her concerns, doctors dismiss her symptoms, leaving Twyla feeling isolated and frustrated. As she grapples with her illness, she also confronts the lingering grief of her mother's death, seeking solace and answers in her past.

Stocker's storytelling skillfully navigates Twyla's journey as she fights for validation and understanding. Twyla felt like an authentic young teenager with both her inner monologue and her actions. While sometimes she acted immaturely, she was just responding to the explosions of emotions like confusion and grief that were swirling inside of her. I feel like many young readers may relate to Twyla, especially if they have ever dealt with illnesses and feeling like they weren’t being heard by the adults around them. The exploration of Twyla's search for answers, both in her own health and her mother's history, adds layers of depth to the story, highlighting the complexities of grief and the importance of self-advocacy. I was cheering Twyla on throughout as she continued to try to seek answers for herself. While she acted in typical teenager fashion by not relying on the adults in her life and not communicating properly, you could see Twyla grow and mature as a character. I do wish that there had been some more communication from the dad who just seemed to be shutting down around Twyla, unwilling to acknowledge his grief and his daughter’s.

While there were a couple of pacing issues in the middle with some plot points progressing rather slowly, its emotional resonance remains strong, drawing you into Twyla's struggle. The reveal of the true cause of Twyla’s symptoms was absolutely shocking to me; I was not expecting that specific cause and all the events that followed the reveal. My emotions were overflowing, especially with the inclusion of Twyla’s new friend. The portrayal of Twyla's resilience is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. I absolutely loved Twyla’s journey of self-discovery, and the ending of the book made me tear up.

Overall, "Stronger at the Seams" is a gorgeous book that I think will especially affect younger readers who wish to explore the theme of self-discovery through a beautiful and emotional book.

Stronger at the Seams is a story of a young high school girl that is grieving the death of her mother while she is struggling with her health declining. The main character struggles with anyone listening to her while she fights for answers. The book lags a bit in the middle but is so heart wrenching.

Twyla has been getting random nausea spells and while playing field hockey she thinks she’s the reason they keep losing. While at a sleepover, Twy gets sick and when she goes to the ER, the doctor thinks it’s constipation. She begins to feel better but gets sick again. Twy is frustrated and wishes her dad would listen to her. When Twy does research for her vomiting and nausea she thinks she’s inherited some medical problem from her parents. When Twy gets sick again and passes out at a hockey game she finds out she had had a seizure. When she goes to the hospital, what does she find out is the problem?

The book is about Twyla who entering high school, have friends, and is in the field hockey team. Twyla suffers from an illness in which the doctors think it was something else. Her mother passed away years ago and Twyla believed that her mother has health issues around her death. Twyla did some research and other things to know about what’s going on with her. The book shows about a mysterious illness can appear. Also, learning more about other health issues like when Twyla search for symptoms of her health and look into her mother’s.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and do a review.