How It Feels To Float

Two mental health professionals feature in the novel: Bridgit, Biz’s clinical psychologist, and Max, Biz’s psychiatrist. In what ways do these individuals help and/or harm Biz?

Read The Bell Jar and compare and contrast Esther Greenwood and Biz. In what ways are the characters and their situations similar? In what ways are they different?

Jasper offers Biz important lessons on how to handle life at its most difficult moments. How does Jasper help Biz reach a healthier state of mind? How does his recitation of “Buffalo Bill’s” impact Biz?

At first, Biz’s mother acts as a barrier when Biz wants to find out more about her father. Why, in your opinion, doesn’t she want Biz to know more about Stephen? In what ways does Biz’s mother express her own grief over Stephen’s death?

How does the novel juxtapose The Posse’s actions against Biz and Grace, respectively? Why does the group call themselves “The Posse,” and what qualities does that term imply?

What challenges does Biz experience in having positive self-esteem? Which people and activities in the novel validate her sense of self-worth, and which detract from it?

Research the contemporary political and socio-cultural movements to remove books that discuss sexual identity from school libraries. Based on your findings, might How It Feels to Float be banned in some schools? If so, why? Use the Author Notes at the end of the novel as part of your discussion.

On pages 342-349, Biz shares memories of three traumatic experiences from her childhood. What do these three experiences share? Why does confronting these difficult memories signal Biz’s movement toward mental health?