Harley in the Sky

By: Akemi Dawn Bowman

Narrated by: Ali Ahn

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 critically acclaimed 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.

©2020 Akemi Dawn Bowman (P)2020 Recorded Books

Not really sure how I feel about this story

Ok, so I barely got past the first quarter of the story because of how much I hated Harley. She was selfish, mean, thoughtless, dramatic, hurtful and through almost the entire book she is trying to justify her bad decisions and that it’s not her fault if people get hurt as a result of her actions. I stuck with the story because I kept hoping for transformation. I’m to sure that Harley changed but she did come to realize that her actions were wrong. I did enjoy the circus elements of the story.

This story contains a moderate amount of language and a fairly graphic almost sex scene. Harley struggles with intense mood swings and depression.

Not what I was expecting

I was so excited about this book, but it fell short. I was not impressed with this book.