Read my 4-star review of Down in the Belly of the Whale by Kelley Kay Bowles

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2204611684

Down in the Belly of the Whale is an engaging story about one girl's strange abilities and the struggles she faces while feeling like an outsider. I really enjoyed this novel and even read it in just one sitting.

Harper is a teenager and (like a lot of other girls her age) feels completely out of place. Apart from the fact that she does not feel too comfortable in her own body, she has the strange ability of sensing whenever someone around her is about to get sick. However, when two of the people she loves the most suddenly are threatened, Harper did not see it coming, and is thus even more afraid of the possible consequences...

I really really liked this little story. The characters are relatable and especially Harper seems to be a quite though teen. I found myself laughing out loud at times due to her way of wording things while at the same time she is brave and more than ready to help the people she loves. But also the other characters, e.g. her friend Cora and especially her Uncle Peter (aka. Uncle Pasta) are really lovable.

The writing style is engaging and makes you want to stick to the story and read it from cover to cover (and as the novel is quite short this is also absolutely doable). The only thing I could criticize is that the beginning felt a bit rushed - I would have preferred the novel to be a bit longer to give the reader the change of getting a bit more into it before the main events start off. However, this didn't bother me too much.

All in all, a 3.5 star rating and a book I will definitely recommend to friends and my students.

While I felt the ending was a trifle rushed/glossed over, this was an engaging YA story. The themes of abuse, illness/loss, and first romances blended nicely with humor and the main character’s quirks.

I received this ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. So thank you netgalley and publishers.
This is a story is about : Harper Southwood she is a teenage girl who can sense when people will get sick. She can’t predict her best friend’s depression or her mother’s impending health crisis. Being helpful is all Harper ever wanted, but she feels helpless in the face of this adversity. Now, she’s got a chance to summon her courage and use her brain to fight for justice. Harper must learn that compassion and internal strength are her real gifts, her true superpower. The back cover is as follows : My name is Harper, and I'm almost sixteen. Along with the typical teenagery turmoil, I have this bizarre ability to know when you're gonna get sick. But so what? My supernatural sense won't help you avoid that nasty flu bug—because if I feel it, you've already got it. It doesn't help me heal my best and only friend, Cora—she’s filled with so much fear and anguish. It doesn't help my mom, because there's something big and bad already inside her, and I haven't felt a thing. This isn't a gift; it's a curse.

This book was a lot different then I thought it would be. I loved that it dealt with mental health issues and depression, it is all to common these days so it's nice to be able to relate to the book. I haven't found many books that talk about these issues so I thought it was a great touch to help bring awareness to the seriousness of mental health patients and depression. It seemed a little slow at times and the writing was a bit choppy at moments but other then that it was a nice, quick read. I give it a 3.5 star rating..