Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman (PDF)

Description

“Earnest, poetic.” —Booklist “Raw, engaging.” —Kirkus Reviews The Greatest Showman meets This Is Us by way of Sarah Dessen in this heart-wrenching, hopeful contemporary novel about a multiracial teen who risks it all to follow her dreams by joining the circus, from the award-winning author of Starfish.Harley Milano has dreamed of becoming a trapeze artist for as long as she can remember. With parents who run a famous circus in Las Vegas, she spends almost every night in the big top watching their lead aerialist perform, wishing with all her heart and soul that she would be up there herself one day. After a huge fight with her parents, who continue to insist she go to school instead, Harley leaves home, betrays her family, and joins the rival traveling circus Maison du Mystère. There, she is thrust into a world that is both brutal and beautiful, where she learns the value of hard work, passion, and collaboration. At the same time, Harley must come to terms with the truth of her family and her past—and reckon with the sacrifices she made and the people she hurt in order to follow her dreams. From award-winning author Akemi Dawn Bowman comes a luminous, unforgettable examination of love, loyalty, and the hard choices we must make to find where we truly belong.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Harley never thought she’d have to run away to the circus. Not when her parents already run a successful one in Las Vegas. After years of dreaming of becoming an aerialist and performing on the static trapeze, Harley hopes her parents will finally see her how serious she is and let her begin training professionally after high school.Instead they double down on their demand that Harley focus on college first and then consider the circus–even though Harley knows she is in her prime as a performer right now, something that may not be true after four years in school studying something she has no interest in learning.After her latest fight with her parents goes too far, Harley feels like she only has one choice: join a rival traveling circus.Life on the road isn’t what Harley expected. The performers at Maison du Mystère don’t trust her, the trapeze artist who is supposed to mentor Harley actively hates her, and worst of all Harley has to live with the guilt over what she did to her parents so that she could snatch this opportunity. Harley has never felt like she fit into her family–never enough of any one thing to truly share biracial parents’ and her grandparents’ histories–and now she’s afraid she may not be enough for the circus either.As she struggles to carve out a place for herself at the Maison du Mystère and proof to herself and her parents that she has what it takes, Harley will have to decide if the sacrifices–and the choices–that she’s made to get to this point are worth it in Harley in the Sky (2020) by Akemi Dawn Bowman.Harley in the Sky tackles a lot but it’s all handled exceptionally well and works to create a well-rounded, character-driven story. While trying to earn a spot in the circus Harley grapples with her identity as the child of two biracial parents and what that means for her own cultural identity (or her lack thereof when she feels she is not quite enough of any one thing to truly claim it). She also tries to explain the coping mechanisms she has created for herself to deal with depression and mania and the stigma her own parents carry toward discussing mental illness. (Harley remains undiagnosed in the novel because, as she tells other characters, the way she moves through the world is normal to her and not something she needs help handling right now.)Harley is a smart, passionate narrator. She understands her world through her physicality–something Bowman captures beautifully–and she isn’t afraid to go after what she wants even if she sometimes goes too far chasing those dreams. But she is also constantly learning and growing and, perhaps most importantly, she is always trying to do better–something that can never be undervalued in a novel or in real life.Harley in the Sky is an ode to the beauty and the work of circus life as seen through the eyes of someone who loves every aspect of it. Come for the circus setting, stay for the sweet romance and thoughtful conversations on friendship, intersectionality, and work. Highly recommended.Possible Pairings: Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert, What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen, Caraval by Stephanie Garber, The Circus by Olivia Levez, Tweet Cute by Emma Lord, Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, Gabi, A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero, This Time Will Be Different by Misa Sugiura, American Girls by Alison Umminger

⭐What a captivating story about a young adult who is trying to find her role in the world and her family. When Harley is lured in by a rival travelling circus, she has to decide how far she is willing to go and be a part of something new. While the story is mainly focused on Harley and her relationships with her family; there is a little romance too. I loved Akemi Dawn Bowman’s writing from the descriptions and details to the hidden life messages. Popo might also be one of my favorite characters in this story!

⭐Disclaimer: I received this book in a Once Upon a Book Club box! Thanks! All opinions are my own.Book: Harley in the SkyAuthor: Akemi Dawn BowmanBook Series: StandaloneRating: 4.5/5Diversity: Main character is a quarter Chinese and a quarter JapaneseRecommended For…: contemporary lovers, circus, running away from homePublication Date: March 10, 2020Genre: YA ContemporaryRecommended Age: 15+ (running away, mental health, slight violence, TW mention of sexual violence, depression, suicidal thoughts TW)Publisher: Ink RoadPages: 410Synopsis: Harley Milano has dreamed of being a trapeze artist for as long as she can remember. With parents who run a famous circus in Las Vegas, she spends almost every night in the big top watching their lead aerialist perform, wishing with all her soul that she could be up there herself one day.After a huge fight with her parents, who continue to insist she go to school instead, Harley leaves home, betrays her family and joins the rival traveling circus Maison du Mystère. There, she is thrust into a world that is both brutal and beautiful, where she learns the value of hard work, passion and collaboration. But at the same time, Harley must come to terms with the truth of her family and her past—and reckon with the sacrifices she made and the people she hurt in order to follow her dreams.Review: I really loved this story! I thought the plot was intriguing and while it was a spin on the old “fed-up teen runs away from home” the author managed to make it something new in my opinion. The character development of Harley alone was amazing and I loved how the author woved in details about Harley’s mental health. I also liked all the other characters developments, including the mother and how we explore her mental health in this story as well. The book was also well paced and extremely well written.However, I do feel like the author could have done better at the end. While I think that everyone’s mental health is their own personal exploration, I think that Harley and her mother need outside help from a therapist to help them develop skills and tools to help them reach equilibrium with their mental wellbeing.Verdict: A well done novel!

⭐This is the first of Akemi’s books that I have read, and it will not be the last. Akemi has such a beautiful and lyrical way with her prose that I couldn’t help but be swept along into the magic and the heart of the circus. How Alemi handles mental health and depression is stunning. I suffer with a lot myself, and I felt seen and represented in this story. Thank you Akemi, for your story, your words and your incredible talent. This book suckerpunched me in the heart and I loved every minute of it.

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