The Sky is Mine

This is a very cut and straight forward story. It\’s about a girl and her mother surviving abuse and coming out the other side. Finding you voice and standing up for yourself. The story was okay but the way it was written was a bit choppy. It was sometimes hard to tell who was speaking. The book was missing some depth to it. I couldn\’t connect with any of the characters or visualize any scenario. It was missing atmosphere. Nonetheless i was a very quick read with important message.

As is custom in my reviews, I want to address the writing first. Especially since it took some getting used to on my part. One of my first notes when reading this book consisted of me pointing out that the sentences are sometimes very long. It made Izzy\’s voice a rambling mess in my head. The thing is, though, that I got used to it, I got used to Izzy and it stopped bothering me before reaching the halfway point of the story. So, yes, it took some getting used to, but it also shows how Izzy – our main character – has her own, unique voice. Then.. What to talk about next.. I\’m honestly having a very hard time writing this review because this book contains so, so much and was such a heart-wrenching and hard read. It\’s hard to put into words how The Sky Is Mine made me feel. Yes, I had to stop reading often. Very often. But that wasn\’t a bad thing at all. Some of you know, others will now know how rape is a part of my past. I am a survivor so reading books about rape culture is tough for me, always. But I love seeing it represented in books and I love how it makes me feel like I turned out okay. How I reclaimed myself. How I moved past it as much as I possibly could. But that\’s not the only hard thing that\’s mentioned. On the contrary. I mentioned it all in my triggers at the top of this review, so I won\’t be repeating it all. The one thing I do want to highlight is the abuse. Not only physical, but also mental. Not only by others, but also by a person living with Izzy. It\’s like the hard subjects, the harder parts of life are everywhere in this book and.. I truly love it for that. Although the focus isn\’t on Grace, Izzy\’s best friend, I did appreciate her person. Apart from her, and her girlfriend, being queer, she also has a bigger part in this story. Yes, at first you might not like her. I know I didn\’t. But we also see her growth throughout the story and by the end of it, I ended up loving her. Although not at much as Izzy. Then there\’s Izzy\’s mom. Without spoiling anything, let\’s just say the admiration is here. I feel like I see too little of strong parents, of growing parents in books. Most of the time they\’re just there – sort of. Not in The Sky Is Mine though. 5/5 I guess all I have to say is.. I loved every word of this book. It\’s a tough read to get through, but it\’s one that\’s needed in this world. It\’s one needed to realize you can overcome things when they don\’t seem like it at all. The Sky Is Mine tore my heart straight out, smashed it to pieces, had me crying and had me feeling relieved and happy at the end of it. Definitely an emotional roller coaster ride worth taking.

Everyone seems to think Izzy is fine, but shes not. Izzy and her mothers life with Daniel had a fairytale beginning. The fairytale fractured a long time ago but Izzys mother cant/wont protect them. And I get that shes scared, cos me too. But Ive been here before, watching her literally throw away some problem she cant handle. Then theres Jacob from college, whos blackmailing her by threatening to send photos from that night to everyone. Izzy used to rely heavily on her best friend, Grace, for support but now that Grace is in love shes not as available as she used to be. Even when they are spending time together Grace is preoccupied by being in love with being in love. Theres so much pressure building up inside Izzy and she feels alone. If I thought it would make any difference, I would scream. Its been weeks since I finished reading this book but this is the first time Ive actually been able to attempt anything approximating a review. This book was really well written and relatable. Some of its content hit very close to home for me, as if someone told it my address, so alongside my yeah, me toos came emotions. So many emotions. I thought time and some emotional distance would help me write a well thought out, intellectual review, but it didnt work that way so Im afraid were all stuck with my feelings. Not that you can love anything about the impacts of trauma but I did love the way I felt validated as I read. Whenever Izzy described the shame she felt or her self doubt or flashbacks or any other number of experiences that Ive felt in the core of my being I wanted to somehow surgically remove those things from her. I knew what she was feeling and I knew her thoughts, often before she explained them to me. But it doesnt leave you. Even when your head tries to silence it, its still there. I loved the concept of the Jar of Sunshine, even though its beauty was marred by its origin story. Unfortunately, even it was realistic; the ways we cope with trauma are inextricably linked with painful memories. Even if we find something that gives us strength, courage or a glimmer of hope in the midst of unbearable circumstances, that wonderful thing still reminds us of what its helping us to overcome. This is a difficult read but an important one. If you have experienced abuse please be safe while reading this book. What he did is not who you are, Izzy. It doesnt define you. Content warnings are included in my Goodreads review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Rock the Boat, an imprint of Oneworld Publications, for the opportunity to read this book.

This was an amazing book. When I finished reading it, I was left feeling as though Id gone on every type of rollercoaster possible, without ever stepping into an amusement park. My emotions were all over the place, but all I could comprehend was how much I loved this book. I wish I could reread over and over again then once or twice again, some more. My heart shattered, it then healed, only to break again. The complexity in which Amy Beashel writes her characters, is unlike anything Id seen before. The characters were imperfect, but real, and thats how you can relate to them and understand what theyre going through. Im so impressed and just truly recommend this book to all. There are no adequate words to truly appreciate this book in its fullness.

The writing is so beautiful, I fell in love with this book right away. Deals with some huge themes, but all through the lens of a teenager, digesting them at her own pace. Feels very realistic, is never patronising or condescending and explores finding your own voice amid the many pressures and influences during adolescence. A stunning debut. Can\’t wait to see what else this author writes.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member