{my thoughts} – This book is about a young girl named Iris that has chronic asthma. She is a special girl who has had her entire past hidden from her in order to ensure her safety.

This book is slightly different then what I normally read and it has an interesting take on birds and humans and how they can intertwine with one another.

Iris is this sweet girl that is opinionated, lost, confused and unsure about who she is suppose to be. She hears this voice and it appears to guide her, but she isn’t always sure if she should listen to it or not. It reminds me of when my conscience is telling me to do one thing but I am thinking I should do something completely different. It’s hard to solely make a choice based on what your heart thinks is right in comparison to what your gut is telling you is right. This voice is like her heart telling her what to do while her gut says another. The voice is later explained in the book.

Iris is left doubting everything she has come to believe as her reality. Later she is left questioning who she is and who she can and cannot trust. It’s a remarkably well written book and I enjoyed it very much. I cannot wait until I get to read the next one in the series.

{reason for reading} – I won this book in a book raffle on a blog I follow. ( )

I was given a free copy of this book for an honest opinion in return.

Honestly? I was confused and left in a state of bewilderment. It had so much different information and so many characters to take in all at once that I had to keep going back and forth in chapters to try to remember who was who.

Iris is a young asthmatic who doesnt remember much of her past. Her nights are filled with dreams that start to feel real.

There are lies, deceit and trickery as well as her finding out so much more about her life than she had ever dreamed possible. By the end of the book, I was just really happy that it was a short read. ( )

Owlet (Society of Feathers, #1) Owlet drew me in with its mysterious synopsis and gorgeous cover. As a reader of paranormal fiction, I'm always looking for something fresh to add to my bookshelf. I was instantly enchanted with the idea of a girl whose past slowly comes back to her in dreams. Iris has a voice that speaks to her, that tells her the truth and keeps her on the right path. Where does it come from, and why does she have such vivid dreams? I hoped to find out.
 
Sadly though, I really didn't. Which brought me to the first problem I had with Michaels' story. It is true that Iris is shrouded in mystery. The issue is that none of what makes her life so mysterious is fully revealed. There are little teasers, pieces of information that are cut off at the last second. I had no problem with this at the beginning of the book. However the further I read, the more I realized I was still just as lost as before. I won't spoil anything, but quite honestly I'm not sure I could if I wanted to.
 
Owlet reads like a much younger novel than the age group it was aimed at. Iris and her fellow characters are not really given the in-depth personalities that they deserve. In fact, for the majority of the book I felt like Iris was portrayed as a lot younger than her sixteen years of age. She is very impulsive, overreacts often, and has a rather simple thought process. When the romance started to move in, it felt forced to me. I truly think it was because I was still picturing her as so young.
 
Now before you start to believe I didn't enjoy Owlet, let me assure you that there were things I loved. For one, the idea that Iris' soul was so special. Again, no spoilers, but it truly is amazing how Emma Michaels has created a whole new breed of paranormal entity. I also really loved the setting. I could picture myself wandering the island with Iris and Falcon, and it was a definite treat. I can see the beauty in Emma Michaels' writing, I just think it needs to dive a bit deeper.
 
That being said, I'm looking forward to the next book. It is my hope that I'll finally have my questions answered, and maybe even learn more about Iris and Falcon as individuals. I'd recommend this book to those of you out there who enjoy a paranormal read. While it isn't perfect yet, it has definite series potential. ( )

For the past eight years, Iris has lived with a secret. She has amnesia but has absolutely no idea how the condition might have happened. She has never told a living soul about her lost memories - or the nightly dreams of falling white feathers and of flying to a mysterious snow-covered island - but after suffering an asthma attack one night she is forced to tell someone everything.

When she finally tells her father, and her caretaker and friend, Diana, about her situation, Iris discovers that her dreams of a strange house on a snowy island may actually be a memory resurfacing. Yet the more she learns about the past the more Iris realizes that the life she has been living is a lie. As the facade her father has built for both of them starts to crumble around her, Iris must decide which means more to her; the truth or her life.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The story was fast-paced and well-developed, and I really enjoyed getting to know each of these characters. In my opinion, this was quite an interesting premise for a series, and I'm intrigued to know how The Society of Feathers Series will develop in subsequent books.

I give Owlet an A+! and despite having two other books by Ms. Michaels on my TBR pile - I think - Owlet is the first of Ms. Michaels works that I've actually read. I am so glad that I did; as I enjoyed this story immensely. ( )

I really liked the concept of Owlet. It's possibly the first YA book I've read in recent memory, in which the main character was physically flawed, unable to kick arses at the drop of a hat or have the iron will of a hardened soldier. I enjoyed the idea that you can be weepy, physically weak, confused and yet still strong in heart. It was refreshing to say the least!

As was the concept of the Stryx. You learn about them throughout the book, and explaining it here would spoil the story line so I'll just say, the idea is rather magical and if I was going to be 'paranormal' being, I'd be happy to be a Stryx.

Unfortunately, however good the concept was, the writing let it down. It was rushed to the point of underdevelopment. I couldn't grasp the characters as they sped away from me, I felt like if it slowed down for five seconds to allow me to feel something for them, the reading experience would've been much more enjoyable. Apart from Iris, the characters felt paper thin, which annoyed me, because I thought the author had the ability to give them life if she had taken the time... And slowed down! The plot became a scramble in the last half, I think it played second fiddle to trying to introduce the major players and it felt a bit out of control.

The construction of conversation was weak enough that sometimes I had to read things several times to understand what was being said. Since a good proportion of the novel was based around characters in conversation, I felt stalled, jarred and slightly impatient with trying to understand what I was being told, rather than shown. It was like watching a movie without the aid of the image to give it concept and meaning.

I do think the series has the potential to be great, if it takes the time to let the reader in. So I'll read the next installment with hope! ( )