"The Wind Will Catch You" by Michelle Theall is not the thriller I thought it was going to be. Instead, this is a very poignant family drama. It tells the memoirs of two siblings, Sky and Ben, left orphaned as children. The book this reminds me of the most is Demon Copperfield.

The setting is primarily Texas in 2007 and then 2019. Sky and Ben are put into the foster system. Since Ben is almost 16, they can't place him. He has to live in the home for juvenile delinquents. He is very angry to be separated from his sister. Sky gets adopted by very wealthy Catholic parents. This doesn't make her life easy at all, though.

In this book, there is death, poverty, drugs, the foster care system, incarceration, violence, pregnancy, car, accidents, and more. And there is love. It is a moving and worthwhile journey.

The 10 hr. long audiobook is narrated by Lauren Ezzo. She did well with Sky's parts, but I wish there was a male narrator for the parts by Ben. This narrator really didn't do any voices.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 3/5
Unputdownability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
Narration - 3/5
Cover - 4/5
Overall - 32/8 = 4 stars

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Michelle Theall for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Sky and her brother Ben lived by themselves, without parental supervision for 2 years before the school figured things out. At that point they were separated. This book is their story. This is a work of fiction, but I easily knew this could and had happened before to someone. I loved this novel and all the raw feelings it gave me.

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an audio copy of this book for an honest review.

Beautifully written. This is an emotional and heartbreaking novel about foster care. The author did a wonderful job in the telling of this story and the narrator was very good. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narration by Lauren Ezzo. I found the story engaging. However, having listened to the Author's Note at the end, I have to say that I would have a lot more respect for Michelle Theall's attempt to shine a light on issues within the care system if she hadn't featured a caseworker who enters into an inappropriate (and unethical) relationship and touted it as a happy ending for the vulnerable young person involved. This tarnished the reading experience somewhat for me.

This was a good audiobook the narrator was excellent and I broke my heart a little. This was my second book about foster care and it was just as painful. Well written and I recommend this audiobook.
Thanks Dreamscape Media via NetGalley .

Every once in a while, I get a gem of a book that truly takes my breath away and forces me to exam the privileges I have had throughout my life. The Wind Will Catch You offers such a gritty and stark look at a reality so different from most that it will make you feel uncomfortable as you read it. In sentiment, this novel is similar to All the Ugly and Beautiful Things, conveying a much deeper message of the fractured foster care and juvenile detention systems and the need for compassionate change.

The book description provides a protagonist that is a “typical college student”, but I feel this is incredibly far from the truth. Sky Fielder is on a path of destruction. She is addicted to opioids and constantly searching for a quick high indicative of someone disguising much deeper emotional issues. I had a hard time feeling a connection to Sky in the beginning and was completely turned off by her behavior, but it is so important to her character development later. It is not until Sky’s near-death experience that the reader is let in on the veracity of her despair and need for connection.

As more of Sky’s story is revealed, we are also queued into the possibility that a man in a hospital a few states over might be her brother that she was separated from at a young age. Sky had been told that her brother Ben was killed in an accident they were both in and disregards this possibility at first. As she comes to accept the very real likelihood of this man being her brother, we begin to get his story. This is where the true brilliance of the novel lies.

The system has failed Ben in every possible way. His experience is bleak, without hope or consideration. The foster care and justice systems have completely deserted him. He is incarcerated from a young teen through adulthood and left to find the only protection offered, membership in a gang. As he comes to terms with his circumstances there is a level of acceptance from him that is absolutely devastating. As he attempts to outrun his past, the story becomes a poignant example of the impossibility of escaping a societal predetermined path.

This was such a hard book to read from an emotional standpoint. Sky's life was anything but easy. Even when she was living in a mansion with everything at her disposal, she wasn't happy because she couldn't be herself. This is the epitome of the story where nothing goes right and all the bad luck continues to present itself over and over again.

Sky and her brother, Ben are separated when social services finds out their parents are dead. From there, things are never quite right. One bad thing after another continues to happen and the good things never seem to fully work out.

The book is told in both past and present time periods. Through this plot mechanism, you get the history and background you need to better understand them.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audio version of this book was really quite good. I enjoyed the narration and felt as if I was a part of the storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley copies of both the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to review them both and the opinions contained within are my own.

A deeply emotional, tragically sad story. and yet beautiful story. Children living under terrible circumstances are separated via the terribly broken, underfunded and often uncaring foster care system. We meet Sky, the younger of the siblings when she is trying to get through college, aging out of the foster care system, though she was adopted and then not accepted by her adoptive parents for being who she is and has spent the entirety of her life missing her beloved brother Ben, who died years earlier. Until she receives a phone call that he is in the hospital and they need her to come and make decisions. To say she is shocked is an understatement. With the help of her case worker, Laura she untangles the mystery of what happened all while trying to figure out who she is, how to move forward and live her best life given her history. She’s a smart young woman who just wants to be happy having lived a sad, neglected, abusive childhood at the hands of the drug addict parents. foster care system and biased and bigoted adoptive parents who just cannot accept that she is gay. Sadly, in their eyes, love is not love if it doesn’t fit their limited religious doctrine. It’s an impactful read that does have a beautiful ending, but leaves you with so much to think about.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! This audio book kept my interest and I was invested in the characters. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone but it does have some heavy content; foster care situations, LGBTQ relationships, and parents with opioid addiction. A story about two siblings who end up separated after their parents disappeared. The story follows the sister mostly, as she navigates life with new parents and struggles with her own demons. Then one day out of the blue, a doctor calls and says she’s with the brother she thought died years before. What happens will warm your heart and make you feel for these two siblings.

I ran out of time to read this since I didn't download it, but was streaming instead but I liked it and have found it available as an audiobook on Hoopla. Once I have finished the book I can update my review. So far Sky is a likeable character and the intrigue about whether her brother is alive or why someone else would have been mistaken for him had me searching this one out from other sources. Interesting plot off to a good start.

Sky, orphaned as a child, has been struggling to make a life for herself, despite spending time in a broken foster care system and eventually going out on her own. She’s thrown for a loop when she gets notification that her brother, who died years before, is comatose and being hospitalized after an accident.
Their story is told through flashbacks, revealing each sibling’s arduous journey of life as a ward of the state. Pretty solid story.
Thanks to #netgalley and #alcovepress for this #arc in exchange for an honest review.

I found this to be an absolutely beautiful novel. If you're a fan of books like "Where the Crawdads Sing," "Tell the Wolves I'm Home," etc., you'll definitely appreciate it.

It follows the story of MC Sky, who was separated from her brother at a young age and grew up in the foster care system before being adopted by an extremely wealthy couple.

She is damaged and traumatized from the events in her past, untrusting of authority, and constantly making self-destructive decisions. The story is told in both present day and reflections of the past, as Sky's story unfolds. It's beautiful, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and achingly poignant.

It's a coming-of-age story about family, heartbreak, losing and then rebuilding trust, disappointment, and people's never-ending ability to surprise you. I really enjoyed it from beginning to end and never once felt like I was having to drag my way through it. It was perfectly paced and wonderfully narrated.

The narrator did an excellent job with the voices. I never wondered who was speaking, as each voice was distinct and instantly recognizable as whatever character she was voicing. The audio was clear and crisp, and there were no mistakes in the production or editing stages.

Typically, I listen to most books at sped-up speeds. However, I devoured this one at normal 1x speed and never felt bored or like I needed to speed things up. An excellent book all-around.

The Wind Will Catch You by Michelle Theall

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for the audiobook to review.

Narration by Lauren Ezzo was done perfectly. I enjoyed listening to her tell this beautifully written debut coming-of-age story of two siblings, Ben and Sky. Their home life was challenging, to say the least, and due to unfortunate circumstances, they are put into the foster care system.
The story is told in the past and present times. Moving through various foster families you see the many flaws in the broken system. Things take a twist when Sky thinks her brother is dead and receives a call from a doctor that Ben is in the ICU.

Touches upon, addiction, courage, innocence, resilience, sexuality, family and secrets being revealed.

Looking forward to more books by Michelle Theall

5 BIG ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ STARS

I received this audiobook ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and author, and was really blown away by it. The narrator was fabulous throughout this lovely, dramatic, painful novel about two children who try to live on their own and then within the foster system once their parents die. The story is so smart and well done. It unpeels it’s layers in beautiful and often painful ways, and it’s so hard to put down. Read about Star and her brother, and fall in love with Star.

Read this beautiful, sad, and fabulous story On audiobook or however you can get it into your hands. I also love the way that this brilliant author dealt so humanely with the LGBQT characters and their coming out, and many many ups and downs.
This goes into one of my favorites for 2023.

Since the publishing date is in just a couple of days, I wrote this quickly so I could post it on here and on Goodreads. I wanted to rate this stellar and powerful novel immediately to get the word out!

Michelle Theall's eye-opening, gritty, emotional, powerful, and beautifully rendered debut, THE WIND WILL CATCH YOU— is a poignant, heartbreaking coming-of-age story of social injustice and those caught up in the broken American foster care system. From tragedy, forgiveness, family, love, hope, redemption, and resilience, these characters will touch your heart and linger long after the book ends.

A young woman searches for the truth about her childhood, and what she finds forever alters her beliefs about home, identity, and family.

AUDIOBOOK: The audiobook was epic! A stellar award-winning performance by a favorite narrator, Lauren Ezzo— will have you hanging on her every word.

"We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear." —Nelson Mandela

Set in Texas past and present.

Present Austin, Texas 2019: We meet college student Sky Fielder. She barely is getting by in a halfway house, living on SNAP and drugs. She has a lovely, caring caseworker, Laura (23), a few years older than her—a few years into her job with social services.

While they meet at a local donut shop, Sky receives a phone call from a doctor at a hospital in Arizona that her brother Ben is in a coma and needs her attention with decisions due to his medical care. Sky thinks it is some scam because her brother died after a car accident years ago.

Past: 2007: Sky tells Laura about their past. Sky and Ben had lived on their own in a mobile home for years (after their parents died and were buried in their backyard) when Sky was 5, without telling the authorities until the officials got involved and social services.

The event was highly traumatic for both siblings when they were separated and taken into the foster system. Later, Ben tried to find Sky, and there was an accident. She did not think Ben lived or survived.

Their lives were heartbreaking, caught up in a lousy system. Sky was later adopted by a wealthy, controlling family, and Ben's tragic life in juvenile incarceration, prison, gangs, and his desperate search for his baby sister. Later, the events would unfold that have haunted Sky, thinking it was her fault.

Laura encourages Sky to reach out to the doctor in Arizona to determine if this is indeed her brother.

From Ben's journals, we learn what happened to him and his ongoing love for his sister. Do we always carry a piece of our past? The author beautifully infuses the past and present for an emotional, heartrending story of survival with a fabulous Epilogue!

Topics: Drug addiction, adoption, teen pregnancy, gangs, trauma, juvenile incarceration, the foster system, social issues, caseworker, LGBTQ+, family, and more.

THE WIND WILL CATCH YOU is an immersive, gripping suspense debut novel of literary fiction about family and how the most random people can enter our lives with devastating and beautiful consequences. For fans of author Catherine Ryan Hyde! (another favorite).

COMPELLING, beautifully conceived, executed, and incredibly touching. You will empathize with Sky and Ben as they struggle to survive coming out on the other side.

An author to watch! Michelle Theall has been added to my favorite author list, and I look forward to seeing what is coming next.

ADOPTION/FOSTER CARE: The author and her wife adopted their son from the foster system. She mentions the foster care and child welfare systems as one of the most significant failings in America. Even though the novel is fiction, she reiterates the horrifically accurate accounts of the lack of communication and resources between all parties and departments. These children desperately need love, consistency, shelter, food, and safety. She also provides ways to help within your local community.

Highly recommend!

Special thanks to Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to an ALC via NetGalley for an honest opinion. I also purchased the e-book.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Sept 19, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
Sept 2023 Must-Read Books

The Wind Will Catch You is a beautifully gut-wrenching story of siblings coming of age in the foster care system. Their perseverance throughout the years, the obstacles and road blocks they encounter, and how in the end, love and family is all that matters.

I became engrossed in the stories of Skye and Ben while listening to this. The emotion portrayed by the narrator was captivating. This is a story that will stay with me for a while.

Sadly, while fiction, I know there is so much truth in these words. Our foster system needs a serious overhaul.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this early release in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pub date: 19 Sep 2023

Wow. This was not the book I was expecting from the blurb. It grabbed me tight, transported me in time and place, and kept me there right til the end. It will stay with me now.

I cry a lot when reading books, and I didn't shed a single tear while listening to the audio of this one. The tears came after the book had finished, and I sat back and contemplated the world, the things people go through, the injustices of the world.

I didn't want the story to end. I thinks that's why the epilogue ending seemed to wrap things up a little too neatly for me. I wanted some of the ends still a bit loose, perhaps in the hope we might return to continue this journey.

The Wind Will Catch You by Michelle Theall is well written, character driven novel that will break your heart into pieces. The story grabs you right away and keeps you coming back for more right through the end. There was one relationship I felt was inappropriate and gave me a negative feeling throughout and I felt the book would have been better without it, but besides that it was a great read!

Wow!! What a book! Absolutely loved this one! The gut wrenching story of Skye and Ben and how they seemed to persevere through it all!
These characters were so likeable, and believable, I literally felt like I knew them. The book continually played out like a movie in my mind, with the story being so intimate and descriptive.
The story being told from both Skye and Bens view points with their raw emotions explained in each made for such a story there’s no way you couldn’t be come attached to it!
While it was a remarkable good book, it was also a very sad one, although fiction it could be any one persons foster care story, or life’s story’s! This story moved me and will stay with me a long time, I finished a few hours ago and continued to think about it!

Thanks for the chance to listen to this, netgalley. The fantastic narrator added so much to the story as well,

I am a sucker for a happy ending so this book made me happy! I liked this book so much more than I thought I would...I usually end up hating literary fiction. But there was enough mystery and suspense to keep my cold heart happy! I love that she Sky found her brother and made up with her mother in the end! This was my 1st book by Michelle Theall but will most certainly not be my last!

#TheWindWillCatchYou
#NetGalley