RELEASED: 6/2/2020
PUBLISHER: Rock the Boat
GENRE: Young Adult, ContemporaryIzzy feels invisible. Trapped under the weight of expectation and censored by shame.
Her mum Steph and best friend Grace have always been there to save her. But with one under the control of her stepfather and the other caught in the throes of new love, Izzy is falling between the cracks.
As threats to her safety grow, Izzy wants to scream. But first she must find her voice.
And if the sky is the limit, then the sky is hers.
[This book contains material which some readers may find distressing, including discussions of rape, coercive behaviour, domestic violence and abuse.]
I heard about this book quite a long time ago and loved the sound of it! However, when I went to pick it up I realised that it had themes of domestic violence which is an automatic no for me usually. That said, I knew there must’ve been a reason that I requested a copy of The Sky is Mine in the first place so I decided to give it a go, and I’m so so glad that I did!
It’s been a loooong time since I read a book in one sitting, and this was surprisingly one of those books! I simply couldn’t put it down; I just had to know what happened as I turned every page and I was completely hooked. I’ve read books that cover similar themes before, and I’ve kept reading despite feeling incredibly uncomfortably purely because I wanted to know that everything worked out okay. With The Sky is Mine, I kept reading because I wanted to know how everything worked out, of course, but I also cared about the characters and felt that, although it was an accurate portrayal, it didn’t leave me feeling awful as I read it. There were some lighter moments and that made all the difference which is what I loved about The Sky is Mine; despite having some pretty heavy themes, it didn’t feel like a heavy book to read and the topics were handled sensitively and very well. I did like the fact that it was focused on coercive control too; whilst that’ll hit home with a lot of readers, it, again, was handled in a way that made it informative and realistic without being horrid to read about.
I don’t want you to go away thinking that this is solely a book focused on domestic violence, however; there are themes of friendship, romance and just the general difficulties of being a teenager! Izzy was such a good main character; she was very realistic and relatable, and many of the difficulties she faces throughout the book are the kinds of emotions and feelings that so many young people face.
The Sky is Mine is a brilliant example of what makes for a deep yet enjoyable UKYA read, and I’m very excited to see what Amy writes next!
snailycanflyy 