Stronger at the Seams: A Young Adult Coming of Age Novel About Disabilities, Chronic Illness, and Learning to Advocate for Yourself

2025 Crystal Kite Honor Winner for Midsouth Region

Twyla is far from fine. With her varsity field hockey career on the line, her friendships in shambles, and a medical diagnosis that is far from the truth, Twyla simply wants to be heard. Stronger at the Seams is a powerful coming-of-age story about disabilities, chronic illness, and learning to advocate for yourself.

Twyla enters high school sure of three things: Her best friends will always be there for her, the next four years will be amazing, and her mom was right when she said there’s a reason behind everything. Then, during a field hockey game, she gets extremely nauseous and struggles with concentration. What should have been a great year starts spiraling. Despite a diagnosis of mild digestive issue, Twyla doesn’t feel right. She’s exhausted, sick more often than not, and struggling to keep up at school — but every doctor says she’s “fine.” As her world starts to unravel, Twyla realizes that the hardest part isn’t being sick… it’s being ignored.

Between mounting medical appointments, shifting friendships, her varsity hockey career in shambles, and family tensions she doesn’t fully understand, Twyla must learn how to speak up — even when it feels uncomfortable, scary, or impossible. As questions about her health collide with long-buried family secrets, Twyla begins to discover that finding her voice may be the key to holding herself together.

Stronger at the Seams is a powerful young adult coming-of-age novel about:

• Advocating for yourself when no one else will
• Living with chronic illness and invisible struggles
• Navigating friendships, school, and family pressure
• Learning that strength doesn’t always look the way we expect

Perfect for readers who love emotionally rich stories like Wonder and The Fault in Our Stars, this Crystal Kite Honor–winning novel offers a compassionate, hopeful look at resilience, self-discovery, and what it means to be truly heard.