STRONGER AT THE SEAMS

A competitive athlete battles grief over her mother’s death as well as mysterious, increasingly unbearable health issues.

After a week of stomach upsets that strike randomly, 14-year-old Twyla Vogel feels nauseated before her field hockey game. At first, she doesn’t want to admit to her pain for fear of being pulled from the summer tournament, but her symptoms worsen. Soon, she begins experiencing headaches, vision issues, and lack of appetite, and the doctor diagnoses her with constipation. Twyla is convinced that he’s wrong, however. Her science class at school is covering genetics, and Twyla wonders whether her mother’s death several years ago might be related to her current health issues. She finds her mother’s autopsy report, which provides surprising news. Meanwhile, Twyla’s two best friends are avoiding her, and she doesn’t know why. Tender scenes between Twyla and her curious, talkative younger brother provide much-needed relief from the tension and drama of her health concerns and friend issues. Mama Rose, her friend’s mom, and Ms. Givens, her coach, neighbor, and AP Biology teacher, are supportive bonus adults in Twyla’s life who add realism and hope in the face of the realities of dealing with complicated health problems, but frustrating, easily resolved communication issues between Twyla and her father hinder the pacing. Disappointingly, a couple of fatphobic comments about characters’ body sizes aren’t unpacked. Most main characters read white.

An unevenly executed medical drama.