What a great sequel to The Space You Left Behind, this novel-in-verse C.C. finds out she has half sisters but she hasn’t told them she has cerebral palsy. One day C.C. notices Jasmine at the library and finds out she has CP too. The next day Jasmine introduces her to Lucas, who’s blind, and to Ysabel who only has one arm. They all go to the activity center for disabled youths, and it opens up a new world for C.C. She begins to learn how to play volleyball. Because she begins spending so much time with this new group of friends, Paige, her best friend, insists they meet up at the beach where she introduces her to Jack. Jack seems to like C.C. but she’s not into him. C.C. finally tells Paige she’s seeing someone, and Paige gets mad because she says she’s the last to know everything C.C. has been up to. Will they stay friends? C.C. goes to see Lucas and he asks her where’s she’s been. Will she tell him about Jack? Will she and Lucas continue to see each other?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to West 44 Books/Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

C.C is still trying to fill the spaces inside herself, still trying to find a way to accept her cerebral palsy. Her friend group seem to be doing fine without her, playing volleyball together the four of them, leaving no space for her. Then she meets Jasmine who introduces her to her disabled friends, they share with her an incredible group for disabled kids and she finally feels like she’s found where she belong.

I absolutely adored getting to go back into C.C’s world and seeing how she’s doing. I really loved ‘The Shape You Left Behind’ so was really excited that there was a sequel and it didn’t disappoint at all. It was honestly so incredible and I loved every second of it. I loved seeing the changes in C.C throughout the book, as she was learning to accept herself and allow herself to try new things, she still struggled but also found so much joy and happiness. I loved seeing her letting herself go and accept herself being willing to learn new skills, to be one with her disability instead of allowing it to be separate from herself.

I adored meeting her donor sisters, that was adorable that they all found each other and could find similarities between them all. I loved Lucas what an utter cutie he really loved C.C for who she was and they were utterly precious together. I really enjoyed meeting her new friends, though I was sad that she distanced from her older friend group, but it really did make sense for the storyline so it’s okay that it happened.

I’m so glad that’s there is another book in this world, getting to explore more of the world through C.C’s eyes and her learning new skills, making new friends and understanding who she really wants to be.

I just read The Shape of Wings and I loved it so much. What a joy to get to read more about C.C. and meet all of her new friends and witness more of her journey. So beautiful and emotionally resonant.

Thank you to NetGalley and West 44 Books for providing an ARC of this book. Opinions are my own.

I couldn't believe what I saw the other day—The Space You Left Behind has a SEQUEL? And it's about C.C.'s half siblings as well as her love interest? To be honest my expectation was up there since TSYLB is one of my favorite books. I've also enjoyed author's latest MG release, If You Find This Letter. And as usual, she did not disappoint.

This time C.C. catches up via Zoom with her sisters whom she can see herself in them, minus cerebral palsy. And C.C. doesn't tell them that she has it. It's not the only thing C.C. keeps in secret—she also doesn't tell Paige, her best friend, that she finds a new community for people like her. Jasmine who also has cerebral palsy, Ysabel who's an amputee, and Lucas who looks like Timothée Chalamet but cannot see how handsome he is because he's blind now fills C.C.'s days with joy, until she decides to ruin it all. Will C.C. be able to fix it?

There is no grand reveal or plot twist in The Shape of Wings, but here I learned more about cerebral palsy and C.C.'s struggle as a disabled teen to belong and navigate in the able-bodied world. I liked that everything that unfolds is depicted to be in C.C.'s control and it's her responsibility to overcome it. She tries, she fails, she learns, she powers through. All characters are lovely and the relationship between C.C. and Lucas is sweet, just a little bit too fast-paced for my liking (probably due to word count too). I don't know how and why but the writing style feels more direct, maybe to match the honesty theme? But the best part is C.C. relationship with her mother and grandmother. It was heartwarming to see their development from the first book and how C.C. eventually comes back to her closest persons.

TSOW is a perfect companion piece and I'm so glad to see C.C. grows as a person here. I hope Ona Gritz continues to write more YA HiLo novels like this.

Author Ona Gritz has delivered another honest and evocative novel-in-verse that's nearly impossible to put down. (I read it in two days, only because I read until 3 in the morning and had to go to sleep!)

The Shape of Wings explores the importance of leaning into one's disabled identity and the unmatched value of belonging to a community. C.C's able-bodied friends are great, and she loves them. But when she discovers a vibrant disabled community practically in her back yard, there's a gut-level connection there that she didn't even know she was missing.

Many parents of disabled children feel that deemphasizing their child's disability is uplifting and helpful to their wellbeing, when affirming their disability is likely healthier, and a mix of both - ideal. Hopefully this latest novel by Gritz will help disabled kids and their families realize the value of disability pride and connection with the disability community.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Poetry/Disability Diversity
Rating: 5/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Rosen Publishing Group, West 44 Books, and Ona Gritz for the opportunity to read The Shape of Wings in exchange for an honest review.

The Shape of Wings follows Cara's story, preceded by The Space You Left Behind. While in the first novel, the reader gets Cara's perspective of living with a more mild condition of cerebral palsy, as well as exploring Cara's family dynamic and past, this novel follows the seventeen-year-old-teen as she still seeks a form of belonging.

Cara has never really felt normal, not with the way she walks and some of the concepts she just cannot grasp. She also newly connects with her half sisters from across the states. She has excellent friends that never judge her, even though she still doesn't feel like she is in quite the right place. She is also afraid to talk about her condition with her sisters. One day, a girl named Jasmine walks into the library where Cara works. Noticing Jasmine's walk as someone who also has cerebral palsy, Cara instigates a new friendship.

Through Jasmine, Cara learns that there is a whole entertainment center designated for people with disabilities. Through Jasmine, she also meets Lucas, who is blind. Lucas helps push Cara to try things she didn't think she could enjoy with having cerebral palsy, like playing volleyball or swimming. Yet with this new group, she has really found her people, somewhat resenting her mother for not introducing her to more people like her at an earlier age. With feelings for Lucas and new friends who are more like her, she aims to keep her other friendships alive, but it may be challenging when she still feels there is a barrier between worlds.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. It's even better than the first one! I love the perspective character, and the various disabilities that the novel addresses. It is important for teens to see the perspective of someone different from themselves, and to understand that the differences are not really that different, when it comes to aspirations and desires. As the novel progressed, I continued to think about the title and what it might mean. I find that "the shape of wings" could be a metaphor for Cara's transcendence into her own self-importance. She feels judged for being different and that the people in her life don't quite understand her circumstance, but she is also afraid to correct them in their misconceptions. It is using her voice regarding her cerebral palsy and her relationships that ultimately gives her the wings to soar in her own life.

A phenomenal must-read for a young adult audience.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This story blew me away. The emotional journey of the main character as she navigates her identity was sincere and skillfully paced, in a way that Ona Gritz has proven time and time again to be a master of. The book had its lighthearted, fun moments, and its raw, emotional scenes that truly captivate and stir genuine emotions in the reader. It's a perfectly balanced experience. There are a couple of plot twists that are devastatingly impactful with the lyrical verse used in those moments. Ona Gritz is always an instant read for me. This book continues to showcase her immense talent as a storyteller!

"Shape of Wings" is an extremely well-written piece that has stayed with me long after finishing it. The ability to convey deep emotions through the plot was done perfectly by the author and resulted in believable and relatable characters. There were also some interesting and meaningful topics, such as growth, identity, and belonging, discussed in this piece of literature. It was that type of story that should be read slowly and enjoyed throughout the whole journey.