TW/CW: murder, frightening situations, torture
All of her books stir up such profound emotion in me, and this one was no exception.Īll in all, a novel that was all at once tender and heartbreaking that will leave a permanent mark on your heart. 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. 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.Īs with all of Akemi Dawn Bowman’s novels, Harley in the Sky deals with some heavy topics. Each character was refreshingly distinct, all with unique backstories and personalities. 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. 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. As a mixed-race person myself, Bowman handled her identity in a way that really resonated with me. Both of Harley’s parents are biracial, and as a result, she feels as though she doesn’t fit in anywhere. I will say that I related to her on one plane: that of her mixed-race identity.
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. Harley was, by all means, a very unlikeable character. All at once tender, heavy, and messy, it grapples with all sorts of hefty emotions and handles them all with aplomb. Harley in the Sky is one such book, and man, it was just as heart-wrenching as Akemi Dawn Bowman’s other novels. But very few discuss the consequences–the people they leave behind and the emotional wounds that they may open up. I think all of us have read plenty of books about characters running away to pursue their dreams and leaving everything they knew behind. TW/CW: depression, racism, emotional manipulation, suicidal ideation
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