3.5 rounded up
- slow pacing in beginning
- harley was a little hard to like
- LOVED vas and the side characters
- good character development

review to come!

TW/CW: depression, racism, emotional manipulation, suicidal ideation

I think all of us have read plenty of books about characters running away to pursue their dreams and leaving everything they knew behind. But very few discuss the consequences–the people they leave behind and the emotional wounds that they may open up. Harley in the Sky is one such book, and man, it was just as heart-wrenching as Akemi Dawn Bowman’s other novels. All at once tender, heavy, and messy, it grapples with all sorts of hefty emotions and handles them all with aplomb.

Harley was, by all means, a very unlikeable character. She has a plethora of issues that she leaves undealt with when she takes off in search of her circus dreams, but you can’t help but root for her. I will say that I related to her on one plane: that of her mixed-race identity. Both of Harley’s parents are biracial, and as a result, she feels as though she doesn’t fit in anywhere. As a mixed-race person myself, Bowman handled her identity in a way that really resonated with me. And despite how tangled of a character Harley is, she displays some significant growth over the course of the novel, and by the end, she begins to reconcile with everything that she’s done and everything she’s left behind.

The rest of the characters also shone! There was such a unique and diverse cast, and the circuses that Bowman created felt like ones that might travel cross-country in the real world. Each character was refreshingly distinct, all with unique backstories and personalities. I especially loved Vas–yeah, yeah, I’m a sucker for the brooding British guys who play instruments, but he was such a well-fleshed-out character, both standing on his own and as a love interest for Harley.

As with all of Akemi Dawn Bowman’s novels, Harley in the Sky deals with some heavy topics. I won’t lie–it was a hard book to read at times, but Bowman handles all of these topics, from undiagnosed mental illness to toxic relationships, with incredible skill. All of her books stir up such profound emotion in me, and this one was no exception.

All in all, a novel that was all at once tender and heartbreaking that will leave a permanent mark on your heart. 4 stars!

Harley Milano has always dreamed of being a trapeze artist, with parents who run a famous circus in LA she spent her life growing up watching the trapeze artists and hoping she could someday be one of them. But her parents have other ideas, they want her to go to regular college and find a stable career away from the circus. When Harley refuses going to college they get into a big fight that sends Harley running away to a traveling circus where she uses the sheet music she stole from her Dad to gain entry. With every new city and new experience Harley learns more about herself and the family she ran away from.

This book felt like a lot at first, there's a lot happening. Harley struggles with her heritage, her mental health and her family in addition to everything that goes on at the circus. But the more you read and get a clear image of Harley before we meet her the more her heritage, her mental health and her family all come together. It took me a while but I did enjoy it. I think it's a good book to recommend to those who don't like school and dream of running away to the circus. It's a great mental health book, perfect for readers who enjoy coming of age stories with a side of romance.

Review: Akemi Dawn Bowman is known for writing deep, heart wrenching novels and “Harley in the Sky” is actually a change of pace for her. While it is not fully a light, fluffy story (otherwise it wouldn’t be a novel) this is more a coming of age story of a young woman on the mark of adulthood who decides to take charge of her life and handles the consequences of a very adult decision. Harley was not an complete innocent naive flower at the beginning of the novel, she was ready to be her true self, but her parents were holding her back. She grapples with the decision to leave and I actually rooted for her to leave, because sometimes leaving home is what we need to grow.

What I loved best about Harley is that while she sometimes wasn’t completely honest with herself, she did know what she wanted for her life and was willing to take a risk to achieve it. Betraying her parents, while wasn’t the best decision, I could understand it as her decision didn’t lead her down a path that ruined her life, but gave her an opportunity to grow, to see if she could follow her dream, and ultimately make her own up to her mistakes. I feel like Harley’s story is one that needs to be told as well. We read many stories of teens coming of age through harsh trials, but many folks come of age through simple decisions that allow us to become adults. Harley learns to rely on herself while at the same time comes to appreciate the support systems she had at home. Many folks experience this type of “coming of age” and I really enjoyed “Harley in the Sky” for this reason.

There were also many fun moments of the story as Bowman really captures the magic of the circus and the romance is sweet as well. This was a great read and I recommend you order it from your local indie bookstore as soon as you can.

I enjoyed this ya book. It had a good story and kept me interested. I feel like it glossed over what is a very serious mental health issue by having Harley control, what is described as possibly bi polar or serious depression, by just thinking positively, without any outside help. But I don’t know enough about that to say for sure.
Overall, a cute story.

DNF - got about 6% thru and gave up :/

As a 16 year old who would die to have my college paid for its kinda hard to relate to a main character who just refuses to grab the opportunities given to her. The argument with her parents literally had time on the side of the parents! Go to college girl!

Maybe the book gets better later on but I just didn’t want to sit through her ungratefulness lmao

3.75 stars

read on my blog

**I received an ARC as a part of the street team and from Netgalley. These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**

An artist performing on a trapeze — the strength, and the movements, and the story, and the sparkle — it’s the very heart of the circus.
I want to be that heart.

I’ve really enjoyed this author’s past books and I was so excited to join the street team! It’s been so fun so far. I’ll admit, it did take me a bit to get into this book, but I ended up really liking the second half! Harley in the Sky is a story of complex family relationships and following your dreams.

Harley desperately wants to be a trapeze artist in her parents’ circus, but they continually refuse and instead want her to go to college. Eventually she gets fed up and runs away to apprentice at a rival, travelling circus called Maison du Mystere. There, she’s still iced out but she eventually finds a few friends.

Running away to join Maison du Mystere was the easiest decision I’ve ever made.

I really liked the dynamics of the characters. Harley forms a bond with the violinist and composer named Vas, and they become closer over time. Her friends at the circus were also so supportive and welcoming when Harley felt isolated.

Obviously her relationship with her parents is strained. It’s made very clear that they still care about her and I liked that we got to see both sides. Harley desperately wants to follow her dreams, but her parents want her future to be secure. They want her to be happy in the long-run, even if she’s miserable now, and Harley refuses to accept this as her future. It was important for her to realize that her parents are allowed to worry about her, even if they disagree.

Throughout all of this, she is also struggling with her mental health. It’s later said that she has depression (not professionally diagnosed), and it’s implied that her mom also has depression. Harley has to learn to control her impulses and manage her moods, particularly the comedown after her happiness.

The romance was hot honestly. The tension between Harley and Vas was so thick, you could cut it with a knife. I liked seeing their relationship develop, and I really liked seeing more of Vas’s personality once he grew more comfortable with Harley.

It’s a world of color and emotion and constant change.

Overall, Harley in the Sky was an enjoyable read with a lovable characters, a great ship, and an important discussion on complex family relationships. I definitely recommend it if you liked the author’s other books or if you want to read a book about passion!

This book was really good surprisingly