Review: Dreams of Flight and Feathers
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 17, 2013
Imagine being confined to your home: no school, no work, no play. Imagine never being allowed to play or run like a normal kid. Now imagine having to keep all your emotions in check as a teenager so that you won't have to end up intubated because you can't breathe. This is the life that Iris (Izzy) has had to lead because of her sever asthma. She lives in a secluded area with only her father and her caretaker Diana where she is homeschooled and watched 24/7. The only time she is free is when she dreams. She dreams of an island that is blanketed in feathers like snow. In her dreams she flys to this island, to a house with a red door, but is not allowed to enter. In her latest dream, becoming so distraught that she is being shut out of a place she knows she belongs, she begs the house to let her in, but once again she is pulled away from her dream. Izzy wakes up intubated in her father's study because she worked herself up so much in her dream that she had an attack while she was sleeping. I can't imagine how Izzy feels waking up to not being able to talk, to move in fear of damaging her airway. I would be afraid of going to sleep. At least when she is awake they can just give her the inhaler. But to Izzy, this is normal, a life of always fearing for her next breath.When Izzy's father tells her he is sending her away to an island, the island, the one in her dreams, life become surreal for Izzy. She wasn't just having vivid dreams, she was remembering things her memory has blocked from her consiousness. She doesn't remember anything until she arrives on the island, and then real memories start to form. She lived on the island with her family when her mother was still alive. She has connections to people, a boy in particular -Falcom- that she knows instantly. In fact, there are things all over the island that hold secrets that are just waiting to be revealed. Izzy has been living a lie her whole life. Her father has been keeping her hidden, not only because of her asthma, but because she is being hunted. And the biggest secret of all is that Izzy isn't exactly human...she is an Owlet, a part of The Society of Feathers.Ms. Michaels has created a beautiful yet haunting world where nothing is ever as it seems. Owlet's words are emotional and exciting. The story is written beautifully and the world Ms. Michaels has woven is intricate, magical and enthralling. I instanly felt for Izzy and became attatched to her character. She is fragile, but she still fights despite everything and everyone that is in her way. I can't wait to see how Izzy learns to control and live in her new world. She is on her way to becoming independent and stronger than she ever had to be before. I can't wait for book two, Eyrie because this is only the beginning of andventure and is only the tip of the iceburg of secrets and legends.On a personal note, Owlet really resonated with me, because like Iris I have asthma. It kept me indoors and from doing so much in my life for fear of not being able to breathe. I knew I had to read this book when I saw that what Izzy's plight was. Thank you to Emma Michaels for writing a book that gives people insight into the lives of those who are always fighting to breathe.FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.Breathe In BooKs