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Birds That Couldn't Fly
At twenty-five, Zoë Thomas knows the difference between good sex and bad. Love, however, is another story.
Raised by a mother who accepted the bare minimum from men and made settling seem like a woman’s fate, Zoë knows exactly what kind of life she doesn't want. But when her long-term boyfriend—the only man who's ever made her feel truly desired—walks away because of her closeness with her best friend, Isaias, Zoë is left reeling. Then her mother is diagnosed with stage-three cancer, forcing Zoë into the role of caregiver for the woman she's spent years keeping at arm's length.
As chemotherapy and newfound tenderness draw mother and daughter closer, Isaias is there through it all—patient, steady, and without expectation—calling her “my heart” and making it dangerously easy to imagine something beyond friendship. But loneliness has a way of sending her back to familiar arms. When her ex resurfaces with I miss you texts and a body she still knows by heart, Zoë slips into old patterns just as Isaias starts dating someone new. With her mother's condition worsening and Isaias drifting out of reach, Zoë must confront the possibility that she's inherited more than her mother's cheekbones.
If she keeps settling for pieces of love, she’ll lose the man who showed her she was worthy of more.
Raised by a mother who accepted the bare minimum from men and made settling seem like a woman’s fate, Zoë knows exactly what kind of life she doesn't want. But when her long-term boyfriend—the only man who's ever made her feel truly desired—walks away because of her closeness with her best friend, Isaias, Zoë is left reeling. Then her mother is diagnosed with stage-three cancer, forcing Zoë into the role of caregiver for the woman she's spent years keeping at arm's length.
As chemotherapy and newfound tenderness draw mother and daughter closer, Isaias is there through it all—patient, steady, and without expectation—calling her “my heart” and making it dangerously easy to imagine something beyond friendship. But loneliness has a way of sending her back to familiar arms. When her ex resurfaces with I miss you texts and a body she still knows by heart, Zoë slips into old patterns just as Isaias starts dating someone new. With her mother's condition worsening and Isaias drifting out of reach, Zoë must confront the possibility that she's inherited more than her mother's cheekbones.
If she keeps settling for pieces of love, she’ll lose the man who showed her she was worthy of more.
- GenresRomanceContemporary
501 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book was funny, messy, heartfelt and full of so many feels! It really was chaotic in the best way possible. I love how it explored so many kinds of love….family love, romance, friendships in a messy yet heart felt way. It truly felt like I was on a rollercoaster between the drama that came with the family-friendly dynamics and the many emotional moments.
Thanks to Scott Press and NetGalley for the ARC!
Thanks to Scott Press and NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I cannot put a word to how much this book made me feel. Like this book got me squealing, kicking my feet, on the brink of tears, laughing out loud, staring into space, screaming "well yessss" and feeling so much JOY.
Zoe is 25 and trying to figure out her place in life. With her job not giving her fulfillment as it used to, and her mum's relationships with men irritating her, she feels like she is in a bad place, and not achieving any of the goals she set for herself. It doesn't help that her bum boyfriend throws this all in her face and proceeds to break up with her, literally hinting that their relationship was just arguments and sex??!?!? (I haaaated this guy if it wasnt obvious)
I found the moments where Zoe and her mum sat down with eachother to speak about her moms journal entries the strongest in this book. Sometimes, we need to sit with our guardians/parents to ask them about their youth, to pick from their well of wisdom to understand why they ae the way they are today and how we can learn from their past stories. I found the journal entry about how her marriage drained the life out of her the most intriguing, especially with how glamorized the idea of being married is on social media. They spoke friendship, relationship with God and with parents too. A quote that stayed with me was this one:
"Stay far away from them fair-weather friends too, who only wanna soak in the sun but cannot get drenched in the rain with you"
The romance subplots were everything to me😭💗 Like Zoe and Zay beeeeen in a relationship if you ask me likee. know they said they were besties but I wasn't buying it plssss its giving verse 2 of Supermodel by SZA lmaooo And Zoe's parents like ik its friendship but IM NOT BUYING IT they have to had gotten back togetherrrr (for my own sanity lolll)
An amazing book with an amazing story to tell, do take care as there are mentions of cancer diagnosis, treatments, and loss of a loved one🤍
Zoe is 25 and trying to figure out her place in life. With her job not giving her fulfillment as it used to, and her mum's relationships with men irritating her, she feels like she is in a bad place, and not achieving any of the goals she set for herself. It doesn't help that her bum boyfriend throws this all in her face and proceeds to break up with her, literally hinting that their relationship was just arguments and sex??!?!? (I haaaated this guy if it wasnt obvious)
I found the moments where Zoe and her mum sat down with eachother to speak about her moms journal entries the strongest in this book. Sometimes, we need to sit with our guardians/parents to ask them about their youth, to pick from their well of wisdom to understand why they ae the way they are today and how we can learn from their past stories. I found the journal entry about how her marriage drained the life out of her the most intriguing, especially with how glamorized the idea of being married is on social media. They spoke friendship, relationship with God and with parents too. A quote that stayed with me was this one:
"Stay far away from them fair-weather friends too, who only wanna soak in the sun but cannot get drenched in the rain with you"
The romance subplots were everything to me😭💗 Like Zoe and Zay beeeeen in a relationship if you ask me likee. know they said they were besties but I wasn't buying it plssss its giving verse 2 of Supermodel by SZA lmaooo And Zoe's parents like ik its friendship but IM NOT BUYING IT they have to had gotten back togetherrrr (for my own sanity lolll)
An amazing book with an amazing story to tell, do take care as there are mentions of cancer diagnosis, treatments, and loss of a loved one🤍
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
REVIEW OF ADVANCED COPY RECEIVED BY NETGALLEY
This book is about Zoë and two of the most important loves in her life: her mom and her childhood best friend, Zay. Her mom’s cancer diagnosis forces her to put their petty disagreements on hold. The author navigates Zoë through mending a mother-daughter relationship that was teetering on ruin as Zoë became an adult and her mom tried to reclaim her identity as a woman and not just a mother.
The beginning almost lost me. There was so much detail about Zoë’s introduction to sex and her disappointing experiences, but barely any explanation of what made KeVon different, physically or emotionally. I knew intimate things about her, but I didn’t feel connected to her yet.
But her writing grew on me with every chapter. I started understanding how she reveals the character’s life in pieces through dialogue and conflict instead of handing us all her background at once. The flow got better as more emotional depth was revealed. It made me want to keep reading to learn more about her.
I really came to appreciate this style. The narration isn’t long, flowery, or redundant. Each word feels like it has meaning. Her dialogue isn’t surface-level, back-and-forth ping-pong dialogue. It’s clever, dynamic, and actually moves the plot.
Her unique use of personification stood out to me:
“Outside the windows, the sun slowly skates over the city, dragging the afternoon with it. It reminds me of the booty-shorted women I’ve seen bent low on old quad skates, hands gripping their shins while baggy T-shirt wearing men grip their memory-foam hips.”
I love those lines. So different! She takes the sun skating across the city and connects it to this vivid image of actual skaters. And “memory-foam hips”? Such an original description. Her personification, metaphors, and similes are short and visually rich without dragging the description out.
By the end, though, I was left wanting more story. Sometimes she jumped from one major event to another, and something important could almost slip past you. When Zoë’s dad started coming around, for example, the author barely mentioned it at first and left clues in the dialogue. I appreciated the gradual revelations, but some major developments needed more time on the page.
The romance between Zay and Zoë was cute, but we needed more. More of them. And this book has the potential for a spin-off about Zoë’s parents because the way her dad showed up for her mom was amazing. I would definitely read their story.
Some people may be offended by how Zoë and her friend group call each other hoes, but my 22-year-old daughter does the same thing. It felt authentic to how some young women speak.
I do think there should be a trigger warning. There was a really sad part of the story that hit hard. Overall, I’m glad I kept reading, and I will definitely read more of this author’s work.
This book is about Zoë and two of the most important loves in her life: her mom and her childhood best friend, Zay. Her mom’s cancer diagnosis forces her to put their petty disagreements on hold. The author navigates Zoë through mending a mother-daughter relationship that was teetering on ruin as Zoë became an adult and her mom tried to reclaim her identity as a woman and not just a mother.
The beginning almost lost me. There was so much detail about Zoë’s introduction to sex and her disappointing experiences, but barely any explanation of what made KeVon different, physically or emotionally. I knew intimate things about her, but I didn’t feel connected to her yet.
But her writing grew on me with every chapter. I started understanding how she reveals the character’s life in pieces through dialogue and conflict instead of handing us all her background at once. The flow got better as more emotional depth was revealed. It made me want to keep reading to learn more about her.
I really came to appreciate this style. The narration isn’t long, flowery, or redundant. Each word feels like it has meaning. Her dialogue isn’t surface-level, back-and-forth ping-pong dialogue. It’s clever, dynamic, and actually moves the plot.
Her unique use of personification stood out to me:
“Outside the windows, the sun slowly skates over the city, dragging the afternoon with it. It reminds me of the booty-shorted women I’ve seen bent low on old quad skates, hands gripping their shins while baggy T-shirt wearing men grip their memory-foam hips.”
I love those lines. So different! She takes the sun skating across the city and connects it to this vivid image of actual skaters. And “memory-foam hips”? Such an original description. Her personification, metaphors, and similes are short and visually rich without dragging the description out.
By the end, though, I was left wanting more story. Sometimes she jumped from one major event to another, and something important could almost slip past you. When Zoë’s dad started coming around, for example, the author barely mentioned it at first and left clues in the dialogue. I appreciated the gradual revelations, but some major developments needed more time on the page.
The romance between Zay and Zoë was cute, but we needed more. More of them. And this book has the potential for a spin-off about Zoë’s parents because the way her dad showed up for her mom was amazing. I would definitely read their story.
Some people may be offended by how Zoë and her friend group call each other hoes, but my 22-year-old daughter does the same thing. It felt authentic to how some young women speak.
I do think there should be a trigger warning. There was a really sad part of the story that hit hard. Overall, I’m glad I kept reading, and I will definitely read more of this author’s work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC
This is my first read by this author, and I didn’t really know what I was stepping into, but it turned out to be a really interesting story. I thinks is a story about love...the real, messy parts of love , not just romantic love, but all the different forms it takes over the years.
We start with Zoë and her mother, and right away you see how her mother’s relationships shaped the way Zoë learned to love. Her mom was a single mother who went through some rough situations, and Zoë witnessed all of it. And because of that, you can see how she ended up making some questionable choices of her own when it came to love and who she gave her heart to.
Then her mother gets sick, and it’s like someone puts a big mirror in front of Zoë and says, “Okay, what kind of love actually matters? What kind of love do you want to carry forward?” It’s not about tragedy; it’s about clarity. It’s about seeing your parent as a whole person and letting that change how you approach things.
And I also really enjoyed Zoë’s friendship group. That’s another form of love the book explores, and honestly, it’s one she needed just as much. The support, the patience, the steady presence sometimes that’s the love that keeps you upright when everything else feels shaky.
And of course, there’s the realization that the love you truly need might be standing right in front of you. Sometimes we overlook it, sometimes we pass it by, sometimes we’re not ready for it yet but it’s there, waiting for us to choose better.
Overall, this is a story about love in all its forms: the love that raises you, the love that confuses you, the love that challenges you, and the love that helps you grow. If you’re looking for something a little different, something that feels real and layered, I think this one will resonate.
This is my first read by this author, and I didn’t really know what I was stepping into, but it turned out to be a really interesting story. I thinks is a story about love...the real, messy parts of love , not just romantic love, but all the different forms it takes over the years.
We start with Zoë and her mother, and right away you see how her mother’s relationships shaped the way Zoë learned to love. Her mom was a single mother who went through some rough situations, and Zoë witnessed all of it. And because of that, you can see how she ended up making some questionable choices of her own when it came to love and who she gave her heart to.
Then her mother gets sick, and it’s like someone puts a big mirror in front of Zoë and says, “Okay, what kind of love actually matters? What kind of love do you want to carry forward?” It’s not about tragedy; it’s about clarity. It’s about seeing your parent as a whole person and letting that change how you approach things.
And I also really enjoyed Zoë’s friendship group. That’s another form of love the book explores, and honestly, it’s one she needed just as much. The support, the patience, the steady presence sometimes that’s the love that keeps you upright when everything else feels shaky.
And of course, there’s the realization that the love you truly need might be standing right in front of you. Sometimes we overlook it, sometimes we pass it by, sometimes we’re not ready for it yet but it’s there, waiting for us to choose better.
Overall, this is a story about love in all its forms: the love that raises you, the love that confuses you, the love that challenges you, and the love that helps you grow. If you’re looking for something a little different, something that feels real and layered, I think this one will resonate.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Birds That Couldn't Fly by Casi Scott is a beautifully written, layered story about learning to recognize love and the patterns that can keep us from accepting it.
At twenty-five, Zoë is still figuring out life, relationships, and what she truly wants. When her mother is diagnosed with cancer, their complicated relationship begins to shift, forcing Zoë to reconsider the love she grew up with and the love already surrounding her.
What stood out most to me was the exploration of generational patterns. Zoë doesn’t want to repeat her mother’s choices, just as her mother didn’t want to repeat the choices of the woman who raised her. Yet wanting something different and knowing how to choose it are two very different things. That felt especially realistic.
I also appreciated the love within Zoë’s friend group and the steady presence of Isaias. There were moments when I wanted her to recognize what was right in front of her, but that made her journey feel believable. Sometimes familiar relationships are easier to return to than healthier love is to accept.
This is a story about love in all its forms: the love that raises you, the love that confuses you, the love that challenges you, and the love that helps you grow. I really enjoyed Casi Scott’s writing and would read more from her.
Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
At twenty-five, Zoë is still figuring out life, relationships, and what she truly wants. When her mother is diagnosed with cancer, their complicated relationship begins to shift, forcing Zoë to reconsider the love she grew up with and the love already surrounding her.
What stood out most to me was the exploration of generational patterns. Zoë doesn’t want to repeat her mother’s choices, just as her mother didn’t want to repeat the choices of the woman who raised her. Yet wanting something different and knowing how to choose it are two very different things. That felt especially realistic.
I also appreciated the love within Zoë’s friend group and the steady presence of Isaias. There were moments when I wanted her to recognize what was right in front of her, but that made her journey feel believable. Sometimes familiar relationships are easier to return to than healthier love is to accept.
This is a story about love in all its forms: the love that raises you, the love that confuses you, the love that challenges you, and the love that helps you grow. I really enjoyed Casi Scott’s writing and would read more from her.
Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Right off the bat, this book completely draws you in with a beautiful cover and distinct title that manages to be wonderfully vague without giving too much away. As I got further into the story, I found that it was about much more than love. Through Zoë, the novel explores family, generational patterns, and how difficult it can be to break away from the things you've grown up seeing as normal. She's trying to figure out what she wants for herself while dealing with habits and relationship patterns she's seen her mother accept.
The writing feels natural, raw, and honest. It doesn't try to make the heavy moments sound pretty or sugarcoat what the characters are going through. Instead, it lets the emotions speak for themselves, which makes the characters and their conversations feel more real and relatable.
At times, the story felt a little heavy, especially with all the past hurt, family expectations, and unhealthy relationship patterns. Some of the reflection made the pacing feel a bit slow, but I also think it helped make the characters feel more real. Their struggles felt personal and relatable, which made it easier to understand why they acted the way they did.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys character-driven stories about complicated relationships and personal growth.
The writing feels natural, raw, and honest. It doesn't try to make the heavy moments sound pretty or sugarcoat what the characters are going through. Instead, it lets the emotions speak for themselves, which makes the characters and their conversations feel more real and relatable.
At times, the story felt a little heavy, especially with all the past hurt, family expectations, and unhealthy relationship patterns. Some of the reflection made the pacing feel a bit slow, but I also think it helped make the characters feel more real. Their struggles felt personal and relatable, which made it easier to understand why they acted the way they did.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys character-driven stories about complicated relationships and personal growth.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a Young adult story about finding yourself and realizing you deserve to be loved . I appreciate Casi Scott writing and keeping the culture and language so close to real life . The writing style flowed and kept me interested.
Zoe navigates life after breakup, her Mom’s cancer diagnosis and trying to figure out her passion in life . She bumps heads with her Mom a lot yet still is there for her . I loved the true friendships amongst her friends and how they support each other .
Personally, I only have one peeve . I will be showing my age but I cannot stand the “N” word used freely among young people. This is a personal thing . Yes , I know it has different meaning for others . I can’t get past it . It will always be a word of ill entent to me .
This is a love story ;love of friendships and love of self.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC !
Zoe navigates life after breakup, her Mom’s cancer diagnosis and trying to figure out her passion in life . She bumps heads with her Mom a lot yet still is there for her . I loved the true friendships amongst her friends and how they support each other .
Personally, I only have one peeve . I will be showing my age but I cannot stand the “N” word used freely among young people. This is a personal thing . Yes , I know it has different meaning for others . I can’t get past it . It will always be a word of ill entent to me .
This is a love story ;love of friendships and love of self.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC !
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Birds That Couldn't Fly by Casi Scott is a very engaging, fast paced emotional story of Zoë, a young woman raised by a mother who was not the greatest in her relationships, leaving Zoë with ideas of what she will be on the lookout for instead. Two men are involved with her in various ways, and their treatment form one sise of the beating heart of this novel - the other is her mother being diagnosed with cancer, seeing the daughter becoming the one who must now care for her mother.
There is a lot to enjoy here, and Zoë is very well drawn on the page - it is easy to engage with her emotional predicaments and her problems - and Casi Scott finds a way to say quite a lot about love in this work. I enjoyed spending time with these characters and Casi Scott is certainly a name to watch.
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC.
There is a lot to enjoy here, and Zoë is very well drawn on the page - it is easy to engage with her emotional predicaments and her problems - and Casi Scott finds a way to say quite a lot about love in this work. I enjoyed spending time with these characters and Casi Scott is certainly a name to watch.
Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
this was such a beautifully written story. zoë, the protagonist, was so perfectly imperfect that as much as i didn’t like some of her actions, i couldn’t be too mad because her imperfection was on point for her character. it was so lovely to follow her relationships with her mom, jasmeen, and of course, zay.
seeing zoë’s growth from doing too much for men that don’t see her for who she is, to recognizing her worth and going where that worth is appreciated was everything!! my only gripe is that
thank you to scott press and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
seeing zoë’s growth from doing too much for men that don’t see her for who she is, to recognizing her worth and going where that worth is appreciated was everything!! my only gripe is that
thank you to scott press and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was such an emotional, heartfelt story about love, family, friendship, and learning not to settle for less than you deserve.
Zoë’s journey felt messy and real, and while some of her choices definitely had me frustrated at times, I appreciated how much growth she went through. I especially loved the relationship between Zoë and her mom and watching them slowly find their way back to each other.
And Isaias… I absolutely loved the tenderness and patience he brought to Zoë’s life. Their relationship had so many little moments that made me smile.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Casi Scott’s books!
Zoë’s journey felt messy and real, and while some of her choices definitely had me frustrated at times, I appreciated how much growth she went through. I especially loved the relationship between Zoë and her mom and watching them slowly find their way back to each other.
And Isaias… I absolutely loved the tenderness and patience he brought to Zoë’s life. Their relationship had so many little moments that made me smile.
Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Casi Scott’s books!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews