Changes

|genre=Teens

|summary=Deeply moving story of a boy caring for his mother, who has MS, and his brother, who has learning disabilities. How far would you go for the ones you love?

|buy=Yes

|borrow=Yes

Regardless, ''The Weight of a Thousand Feathers'' is a wonderful achievement. Brian Conaghan is a courageous writer, never afraid to ''really'' go there. The main focus of this book is Bobby's life as a young carer and the awful, wracking emotional toll this takes is clearly described. But it's not all about emotion - it's also about the nitty gritty of caring labour - the watching your mum have a pee because she can't balance on the toilet by herself, the food that can be managed and the food that can't, the lack of sleep. And it's also about the bad taste jokes between mother and son that make you, the reader, laugh through your tears. And somehow, this story fits in so much more - the rights and wrongs of assisted dying, a little brother with learning disabilities, a straight friend with a crush on a boy whose gay sexuality is awakening, a first love affair that goes wrong. It's a lot to juggle but Conaghan does it seamlessly. He even gives Bobby space for his poetry. And the scene in which Bobby tentatively reads one of his own poems to his mother broke my heart.

If you are a young carer or you know a young carer who needs help, here is an [https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/social-care-and-support/who-can-help-young-carers/ NHS page] with lots of advice and information.

{{amazontext|amazon=140887153X}}