Twyla is entering high school as a star athlete, good student, and with solid friendships. Her mom passed away a couple of years ago, but left Twyla with lots of good memories. Suddenly Twyla starts having health issues that interfere with everything–sports, school and her friends. When her doctor and father refuse to listen to her health concerns, she starts doing her own investigating, however nothing prepares her for the results of her tests.
This was an excellent, raw, emotional journey through Twyla’s issues, and while it is fictional, it is all based on the author’s real-life experiences. 4.5 stars, highly recommended.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Anyone with a chronic illness is probably unlucky enough to have experienced misdiagnosis, medical gaslighting, and just downright not being taken seriously.

This book shows the frustration and desperation we experience, the isolation when friends don't know what to do and you start to feel pushed out. I also appreciate that the author is writing from her own experiences also.

As a whole, I enjoyed this book and how it depicted struggling to figure out one's medical diagnosis. The book is written from a young teen's perspective. However, sometimes it felt a little too much like being in a teenaged girl's head. I got a little annoyed with how she treated her family and felt like she knew more than her dad.

Overall, a good book. I listened to the audio and enjoyed the narrator.

--I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.--

5 stars

This book absolutely wrecked me. I didn’t expect to cry, but here we are. As someone who’s been misdiagnosed, Twyla’s story hit way too close to home. Her frustration and fight felt so real, and I was rooting for her the entire time.

It’s emotional, raw, and so well done. If you’ve ever felt dismissed or unheard, this one will stick with you. Highly recommend.

4.5 stars
I received an advanced copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this book, and it brought about immense emotions and self-reflection for me. I found it extremely empowering that Twyla never gave up on fighting for herself, no matter how many people told her to. I think this would be a great book for middle and high school students to read in order to promote self-advocacy. There are so many key takeaways from this book, but by far, the biggest is that nobody- no doctor, no friend, no parent- will ever know your body or your pain the way you do. The only thing about this book that I found confusing was the character Angela. I feel there were a lot of loose ends there that were not tied up.

WOW, I didn't expect this book to hit so close to home for me but it was like reliving many aspects of my own medical diagnosis and struggle trying to get doctors to listen to me when I repeatedly told them their opinions were wrong and there was something else going on.

Twyla is just entering the first year of high school looking forward to a great experience with her best friends. However, right away she starts to get seriously ill and nothing the doctors suggest seems to help. Like so many, Twyla is forced to fight to be heard and continually self-advocate.

Not only is the disability rep in this book AMAZING, but there is also a heartwarming sibling relationship, shared family grief over the loss of Twyla's mother and a father who is still mired in his own loss, struggling to be fully present for his children.

Good on audio with an important author's note included at the end that details just how personal a story this was to write. I cannot recommend this book enough and to avoid spoilers I will refrain from revealing what Twyla's actual condition was but know she does get a diagnosis and there is a happily for now ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review! This will be a standout book for me this year and one I won't soon forget. I can't wait to read what this new to me author writes next!

Stronger at the Seams is about Twyla (what a stunning name!) who believes everything happens for a reason. But then she starts having severe health issues and no one seems to listen to her concerns, she and starts questioning everything.

This was a tough book to read. Or listen, I listened to the audiobook, which I personally didn't like very much. While listening, I kept forgetting Twyla was supposed to be starting high school and was, in fact, not on a 5th grade. And well, now that I am on the topic of things I didn't like; maybe it's just that I am not from the USA (which I am pretty sure the author is from but don't quote me on that) but the things Twyla was learning in school only enforced my mental image of her being a lot younger. For the record, I am Finnish and learned the same biology things in mandatory biology class in 8th grade (or 7th or 9th, it's been a while since I was that age, okay).

Now, let me circle back to this book being a very hard read. My little sister was the sick kid. It's not my place so I'm not going to talk much about her but no doctor believed her. We still don't know exactly what happened and how she got better. And then I was the sick kid too. It's been 15 years and I am an adult but I am still the sick kid. My issue is my wrists and fingers, some days I can't hold a spoon to eat on my own. I have been told by a variety of doctors that it's this or that or no it's that one to just being blamed for making it all up. So, this book brought a lot of that trauma back.

I think it felt just a bit too personal for me to not compare every aspect of it into my own life. For example, where Twyla wanted to go to school and hang out with her friends - I didn't want to do that at all. When I was at my worst I had to beg my mom to let me stay home and I actively avoided the few friends I had because I just had no interest or energy to see them.

Perhaps it's because of that, I felt Twyla's anger like it was my own. I was reading a book but I was also reliving some of the worst moments of my own life. I think I should have put this one down but I just needed to know what happens to Twyla. So that's more on me than it's on the book itself. I think it was very well written and will be a very touching and eye-opening read to many other people.

I don't really know how to finish this review. I think I will carry part of Twyla with me for quite some time.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It is a story about a 14-year-old girl Twyla, who has lost her mom in an accident...
And now, time to grab your tissues.
She lives with her dad and a younger brother, battling many insecurities, as all teenagers do. Questioning everything and trying to find answers, even her little brother, who is practically a walking encyclopedia couldn't give her an answer to the biggest puzzle "What is wrong with her?".
After all, everything happens for a reason, or is it?

At the beginning of the book, I was slightly disappointed that it was about "teenager's stuff" and the girl's drama and the hockey, I have it all in real life, plenty. Hockey runs, washing/drying goalie kit, endless what to pack for lunch, she said -he said... But, the story is written so beautifully as if every word is carefully selected, so I kept reading. It's interesting to see the world from the passenger's seat for once.

The story managed to squeeze my heart too many times,
Interestingly, until Angela arrived in the story, I constantly had a feeling that there was a third sibling. I can't explain why.
I adore how the younger brother is portrayed in the story, he is a bouncy ray of sunshine. And Twyla is very kind to him, yes sometimes she is annoyed at him, but it was still just a gentle push.

I would recommend this book to everyone and not only to young readers. After reading this book you begin to count your blessings and notice things you didn't see before.

Twyla's discovery.
It hit hard. I never know what to say in this situation. I believe she has friends, her dad, brother, Angela, and coach. They all were playing their roles, like a team, stronger together.
THANK YOU to the author Shannon Stocker for creating such a beautiful book out of a heartbreaking story and sharing it with the world.
I wish I could just heal your daughter, and make it all good. But we al know it's not possible, but at least may this review be another seam to make you all stronger.

Olga

Beautifully told story of a hard subject for the teen audience - as a parent of a child with an auto-immune disease I was certainly drawn in by the medical mystery of the main character. I loved the author’s note. Listening experience was fantastic!

I got this as an audio arc on Netgalley and it has since come out. This is such a beautiful book, so beautifully narrated by a seasoned narrator. It broke my heart and stitched it back together. As a disabled person I hope more doctors trust people when they say something is wrong. People know their bodies.

"Stronger at the Seams" by Shannon Stocker is a teen and young adult fictional drama novel. It is about Twylight, aka Twyla, a girl about to enter high school. She is on the field hockey team. During practice, she keeps getting nauseous and then spacing out.

Her mother passed away a few years ago. She has a younger brother called Wolfy, who clearly has ADHD based on his behavior of never sitting still and always constantly talking and obsessing about weird science facts. They have a loving father who is still mourning the loss of his wife.

Twyla has two close female friends who start to ghost her as she gets more sick. She has a long-time male friend who starts to like her romantically.

Twyla keeps having symptoms, and doctors tell her it's just constipation and to take Miralax daily. (FYI, Miralax isn't nearly as bad as they make it sound, especially mixed into a hot drink or juice. I've had to take it a lot for my own health issues.) More importantly, it doesn't stop her symptoms. She knows something is really wrong with her, but neither the doctors nor her father are listening to her.

Eventually, they do get an accurate diagnosis. The rest is skipped until the epilogue. The story is more about her trying to figure out what's wrong.

The author's note at the end is important and poignant.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 3/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 3/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Narration - 4/5 by Kate Rudd
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 29/8 = 3 4/8
Rounded up to 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Blink Audiobooks, and Shannon Stocker for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Longer review to follow. So glad I didn’t miss this one!

updated ...
Stronger at the Seams is a young adult novel. The young female protagonist is in high school and plays field hockey. She has been getting bouts of nausea. Seems kind of random, comes and goes. Her school friends seem to be giving her the cold shoulder. There is an absolutely awesome younger brother who loves obscure facts and a dad (with some dad jokes).

This was a really great book and the audio version was extremely well done. Highly, highly recommended. And then the authors note blew me away. So don't miss this one. My heart and prayers go out to families in this situation.

5 stars. Absolutely.

Many thanks to the author/Shannon Stocker and her family, NetGalley and Blink Publishing for the opportunity to listen to the advance listen version of Stronger at the Seams in exchange for an honest review. Approx 8 hours. Publication date Oct 2024.

I adored this book. It was the perfect "sad girl" book, one of my favourite things to read. As a kid who has spent a lot of time in hospitals, I really appreciated how the story was written because it really captured the experience. It felt very real - the multiple doctors it took to figure it out, andI liked how all of the character relationships were built. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone, but especially people with chronic illnesses because this has amazing representation. A new favourite read.

I absolutely love these books and this author I can’t wait to see what is next. I am blessed to be able to read this as an arc. It is easily a new favorite.

I appreciate the opportunity Netgalley provided to listen and review this title. Overall I really liked Stronger at the Seams. It did feel like the plot was a tiny bit rushed, but overall it was a great read. Shannon Stocker did an excellent job portraying the emotional journey that her main character went through, from the anxiety to the anger, to the fear from what she was going through. It was also a very realistic view, in my opinion, as her main character is a teenager who had to deal with the unfairness of missing out on typical teen activities.

Overall, I really enjoyed this listen.

This was an engaging and moving middle grade/YA book. The narration was good. I loved the field hockey parts, how confident Twyla was in her athletics even when other things were uncertain. I can relate to that!

"We all have scars. And every scar has a story."
~
Stronger at the Seams follows Twyla as she starts high school, but also while she begins to experience some health difficulties that are worrying.
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One of the things that this book does really well is it has really realistic and engaging characters, which is important for me personally as a reader because if I don't like the characters I'm not going to be very invested in their story.
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I think the relationships between the characters were really well done, it had me very engaged with the story. So much so that at the time of writing this, I got access to the audiobook two days ago, and I'd finished it within 24 hours.
~
One of the important messages within this book is self advocacy. No one knows your body better than you, and if something doesn't feel right then speak up. Even if parents or medical professionals think they've found the cause, if you think there's more to it say something, seek a second opinion, request further testing.
•
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ALC copy of this book.

I've been looking forward to this book since I first heard about it and it exceeded my expectations. Shannon Stocker's masterful writing kept me up late into the night wanting to find out how Twyla would navigate her illness, her relationship with her friends, her sometimes endearing but also sure to get on anyone's nerves little brother. The incredible relationships between Twyla and her father, Twyla and the mother she's missing who died before the book begins, and the other important characters in the book are all woven together in such realistic ways that I felt like I knew them all when this beautiful book ended. I loved the science and genetics she was learning and how it served her trying to figure out her her illness.
The aspects of this book that are personal to author Shannon Stocker make it even more poignant and heartfelt. Highly recommend!

Stocker, Shannon. Stronger at the Seams. Blink, 2024, 9780310162351 $18.99. 288p. Grades 6-9

Description: Twyla is entering high school excited for the next four years, but when she starts to feel extremely nauseous and get chronic headaches her father takes her to the doctor. What is passed off as constipation only continues to get worse. Twyla doesn’t want to be benched from the field hockey field so she tries her best to hide her symptoms from her family and friends. Her symptoms continue to worsen, yet no one is listening to her, so she decided to take matters into her own hands and research her symptoms herself.

Thoughts: What a beautiful, yet heartbreaking read. Stocker did a phenomenal job bringing to light the difficult yet necessary nature of advocating for yourself and grieving a parent. This would be a phenomenal read for any student who may struggle to advocate for themselves and their needs.

Realistic Fiction

Tags: Chronic Illness, Field Hockey, Diverse Family Structure, Cancer, Brain Tumor, Coming of Age, Friendship, Family, Self Advocacy, Loss of a Parent

I absolutely LOVED this beautiful, heartfelt, and important book! Shannon's writing is exquisite. Children will feel seen and cared for.