"Daphne" by Will Boast was an interesting and compelling novel. The story of a young woman striving to live a fulfilling and balanced life, while battling her affliction by a rare, disabling condition, which is exasperated by emotions. A complicated and heartfelt tale. Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was a well-written take on a character with a disability. We see the struggles, the moments of inspiration, and the quirky moments that come with the territory. Really enjoyable!

I love how this book is based on the Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo. The author has created an interesting story about a woman with a debilitating condition which is triggered by strong emotions, such as passion, stress and fear. Her condition hinders every aspect of her life. Daphne finds herself involved with a man who loves her through it all, and helps her to also love herself.

Based on the myth of Daphne and Apollo, this is such an interesting story about a woman with a debilitating condition that is triggered by strong emotions such as passion or fear. It interferes with every aspect of her life - almost delving into soap opera territory - but it's strength is rooted in her relationship with a man who loves her through it all, and more importantly helps her to love herself.

I was intrigued by the premise because it seemed to be a retelling of the Greek myth. However, I found it hard to get into. Even though, it is a short book, the pacing was really slow. The characters are very shallow and have no depth. The only thing I liked about it was it’s setting. Still, fans of literary fiction will devour this novel!

Inspired by the myth of Daphne and Apollo, Will Boast created this novel about a woman with a rare (but real) condition who suffers paralysis when she experiences deep emotions.

At the risk of sounding insensitive, I expected to feel emotion when reading this book, but just really could not connect with the characters; therefore, the book fell flat for me. I think that part of the issue may have been that the author was trying to cover a lot of ground in the book. In addition to having this debilitating condition, Daphne also has a controversial job and there's a mystery surrounding her father's death. The book began to feel like a soap opera with all of the drama.

2 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and W. W. Norton and Company for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Fascinating. If you, like me, don't remember the myth, don't worry about it. Boast has created a memorable character in Daphne, a woman coping with more than living with cataplexy. She's put her life into small boxes, as one would if any emotion can leave one on the ground. No driving, no news, no lots of things. I almost gave up on this when we learned what Daphne does for a living- 17% through on the kindle- but that would have been a huge mistake. Ollie, who Daphne meets in a bar, shakes things up and she begins to live. I loved the characters- not only Daphne but also the members of her group, her coworkers, her mom, and her best (only) friend. San Francisco is also a character- Boast uses it effectively. There are wonderful details, such as the description of Daphne's apartment. Daphne's effort to avoid emotion leads to crisis in a way she did not expect and her way forward is, well, read it for yourself. This one has lingered in my mind. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Beautiful writing and a unique story make this a real winner.

Since reading Will Boast's Daphne, I will never be able to use the phrase "overcome by emotion" again.

Boast's Daphne, quite literally, becomes overcome by emotion. She has a rare and debilitating condition that affects her ability to function when experiencing any kind of emotion. Her body response to emotions varies; the more powerful the emotion, the more crippling the response. Mild annoyances, discomfort or even joy cause her jaw to slack and for her to mumble her words. Big emotions, like fear, surprise and ecstasy cause paralysis. It's incurable. The medication carries its own set of problems. And, although they didn't have a name for it then, her father who died when she was five (SPOILER) had it too.

What must it be like to have to shield yourself from emotions? Is it even possible? How can you experience love, compassion, and joy when building diffusing your emotions is a matter of survival?

Daphne's struggle becomes all that much more real when the lovable, kind-hearted and persistent Ollie comes into her life. Much like the Apollo/Daphne inspiration, Ollie won't take "no" for an answer. Thus, Daphne finds herself further and further from the well-structured and tightly controlled life she built to insulate herself from the feelings that ultimately cause her such embarrassment, pain, and helplessness. Daphne and Ollie's relationship was intriguing and had more depth and insights than the other plot lines.

Boast takes us on Daphne's journey as she struggles with learning to give and receive love, establish boundaries with her reckless best friend, deal with the realities of her father's life and death, and accept her mother's new love interest. Boast's debut novel is a quick read and thought-provoking discussion book.

A book that took me out of my comfort zone. It is more than revisiting the myth of Daphne and Apollo, it is the story of how you can live against all odds. You can love and feel, even if it hurts, you can be alive.
I also think that Daphne condition is a good symbol of the state in which we can sometimes put ourselves nowadays, how emotions can sometimes be too much, and we don't know how to deal with them. We do not freeze physically, but mentally.
Overall, very interesting and unique book!

This pleasant drama features a witty protagonist with an invisible disability that affects every moment of the day. Readers will enjoy the Daphne's path as she navigates her friendships, career, and family - and even moves forward.

This debut novel from Will Boast is not the be missed! Based loosely on the story of Daphne and Apollo, this story centers on the life of Daphne, a young woman who suffers from a rare condition that causes paralysis when she encounters strong and deep emotions. She tries to live life normally (as best she can). Then enter Ollie who pushes her outside her comfort zone. I loved this book and recommend it highly.

When thirteen-year-old Daphne was reading The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy she was overcome with the wild passion of teenage imagination; first a buzzing sensation lit her body and then she dropped the book and was unable to move.

It happened, too, with sudden noises, fear, or strong emotions. She hid her affliction as best she could, for Dr. Bell's infinite tests brought no cure, only an unwelcome explanation: an autoimmune disorder had attacked part of her brain.

Daphne became an expert in tightly controlling her life--no unexpected jolts allowed, no passion--just routine, and her mantra and calming images to ward off the attacks that left her immobile and vulnerable.

Until into her life came a man, sweet and kind and patient. But can Daphne allow him into her life? 

I read this short novel in a day. The inspiration is the myth of Daphne, a nymph pursed by Apollo who was saved from his lust when the river god turned her into the Laurel tree.


Apollo and Daphne by Bernini
Daphne grapples with numerous challenges along with her disability. Her father died when she was only five. Her mother has finally met a man and is ready to move on with her life. Daphne feels responsibility to her support group members, her childhood best friend who takes big risks for business contacts, and to her staff at her job in a lab which uses dogs as test subjects studies in longevity. She tries to keep boundaries up and yet she would also like to free the dogs. 

When life seems to much to bear, she considers her options. Should she, like her support group friend, end it all? Return home, vanquished, admitting she failed at having a life of her own? Or accept that no one is perfect?

Daphne by Will Boast is a beautifully written book that caught me by surprise. I understood Daphne's weariness at being 'different', having grown up with a mother with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis; Mom once asked me if I had been ashamed of her. For all the pain and isolation of Daphne's life, the disappointment that no one can ever really understand her reality, she is resilient. 

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.