The Sky Blues

The Sky Blues

  • Downloads:3151
  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2021-04-09 01:31:26
  • Update Date:2025-09-07
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Robbie Couch
  • ISBN:1534477853
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

Sky’s small town turns absolutely claustrophobic when his secret promposal plans get leaked to the entire school in this witty, heartfelt, and ultimately hopeful debut novel for fans of What if it’s Us? and I Wish You All the Best

Sky Baker may be openly gay, but in his small, insular town, making sure he was invisible has always been easier than being himself。 Determined not to let anything ruin his senior year, Sky decides to make a splash at his high school’s annual beach bum party by asking his crush, Ali, to prom—and he has thirty days to do it。

What better way to start living loud and proud than by pulling off the gayest promposal Rock Ledge, Michigan, has ever seen?

Then, Sky’s plans are leaked by an anonymous hacker in a deeply homophobic e-blast that quickly goes viral。 He’s fully prepared to drop out and skip town altogether—until his classmates give him a reason to fight back by turning his thirty-day promposal countdown into a school-wide hunt to expose the e-blast perpetrator。

But what happens at the end of the thirty days? Will Sky get to keep his hard-won visibility? Or will his small-town blues stop him from being his true self?

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Reviews

Matthew Mccounagh

This is a very fun and light read! Truly enjoyable! This is how a debut novel should be done!

tillie hellman

gfghhdhhgfh this was so good!!!! it was just so well written and i loved all of the characters and there were some hilarious lines。 just cute!! sweet!! perfect!!

Courtney Moss

*I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review。 I love a well-written YA “love yourself” book and that’s exactly what The Sky Blues is。 Sky is openly gay but that doesn’t mean that his small town is the most accepting。 When Sky decides to live his Senior year to the fullest, he plans the ultimate Promposal to ask his crush, Ali, to the Prom。 When Sky’s plans are exposed, along with some gross homophobic vitriol, Sky is crushed and wants to go back to hi *I received an e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review。 I love a well-written YA “love yourself” book and that’s exactly what The Sky Blues is。 Sky is openly gay but that doesn’t mean that his small town is the most accepting。 When Sky decides to live his Senior year to the fullest, he plans the ultimate Promposal to ask his crush, Ali, to the Prom。 When Sky’s plans are exposed, along with some gross homophobic vitriol, Sky is crushed and wants to go back to his nearly invisible life。 But his friends rally around him and fight to expose the author of the homophobic message。 Funny and smart, this will make a great collection to my high school library。 。。。more

Juliana♡

This was so sweet!!!

Aaron

This story was a cute contemporary。 I loved the ending, the voice, and the characters。 But wasn’t happy with all the Harry Potter references and the homophobia。

Jenn

Sky keeps his head down。 It works better for him, given the way his mother has reacted to his coming out。 But then his private life is put on display in the worst way ever。 How can he deal with the rest of the school year?SPOILER: like a boss, that's how。This is a fantastic, bright, cheerful novel。 With so many YA books focusing on evil cliques and horrible cheerleaders and violent football players, it's lovely to read one where actually, everyone's pretty ok。 Sure, some are rude, but mostly bec Sky keeps his head down。 It works better for him, given the way his mother has reacted to his coming out。 But then his private life is put on display in the worst way ever。 How can he deal with the rest of the school year?SPOILER: like a boss, that's how。This is a fantastic, bright, cheerful novel。 With so many YA books focusing on evil cliques and horrible cheerleaders and violent football players, it's lovely to read one where actually, everyone's pretty ok。 Sure, some are rude, but mostly because they don't know better; there's one really nasty one, but his storyline wraps up nicely; most people are nice, kind, tolerant, just like in real life。The pace is great and I loved the descriptions。 Sky is a great character and so much stronger than many heroes。 I wish I had more to say about this book; it deserves so much praise, but without spoiling it (worse than I have) there's not much I can say other than read it。 You won't regret it。 I'm really glad I read it。 。。。more

Jheelkamal Nayak

** The Sky Blues **#musereviews#muserecommendsAuthor : Robbie CouchPublisher : Simon & Schuster Books for young readersRelease Date : April 6th, 2021This book was such a joy。。 i loved the characters soooo much i just wanna scoop them up and drink them all up。。Ofcourse its not all unicorns and rainbow (uhmm actually。。 a lot of rainbows, pun intended) Its a hardhitting contemporary/romance novel that deals with homophobia and racism in its core, but also majorly focuses on hope and found family an ** The Sky Blues **#musereviews#muserecommendsAuthor : Robbie CouchPublisher : Simon & Schuster Books for young readersRelease Date : April 6th, 2021This book was such a joy。。 i loved the characters soooo much i just wanna scoop them up and drink them all up。。Ofcourse its not all unicorns and rainbow (uhmm actually。。 a lot of rainbows, pun intended) Its a hardhitting contemporary/romance novel that deals with homophobia and racism in its core, but also majorly focuses on hope and found family and friendship。。 this book is full of pop culture references, full on cuteness and have the best side characters ever。。 " I must have have accidentally wandered into an alternative universe where Booksmart or To All the Boys I've loved before is my new reality " I may have started this book for the beautiful cover and the funny quips, but i kept on reading for- for Bree : The girl who puts 'Best' in the Best Friend to whole new level。 She is nerdy, organised and will give her piece of mind without any qualms if u hurt her friends or family。- for Marshall : The Best Friend numero duo, whos more level headed but also romantic to the core。 He will always have your back and will also dish you needed。- for Ali : The Brown Kid who is also popular and nerdy, major crusher of hearts。- for Teddy : Ohh my gawd, he is such a marshmallow。。 - for Winter : Shes like the modern fairy god mother, has a lot of experience and stands up for whats right and also has your back- for Charlie : the Father figure who is tough and also soft- for Franklin, Thelma, Louise and Bob - the beautiful and adorable furry heads who literally steal the show。。 From a simple rom-com to a deeply meaningful and hopeful story, his book just stole my effing heart。  。。。more

Kristel (hungryandhappy)

4。5

Her Bookish Obsession

REVIEW:rep: gay mc, mlm li, Black sc, Iraqi sc, trans sc, autistic sc, gay scstw: homophobia, racism, f-slur, past car accident, past death of a parent, vomitingSky is a Senior in a small-town high school in Michigan。 He’s been out for a while now but his bible-thumping mother disowned him, his older brother never talks to him, and he lives in the basement of his best friend’s house。 He daydreams of taking his friend Ali to the prom and keeps his ‘gayness’ low key for his friends。 But a bully ha REVIEW:rep: gay mc, mlm li, Black sc, Iraqi sc, trans sc, autistic sc, gay scstw: homophobia, racism, f-slur, past car accident, past death of a parent, vomitingSky is a Senior in a small-town high school in Michigan。 He’s been out for a while now but his bible-thumping mother disowned him, his older brother never talks to him, and he lives in the basement of his best friend’s house。 He daydreams of taking his friend Ali to the prom and keeps his ‘gayness’ low key for his friends。 But a bully has his sights set on him and is about to make Sky’s life very difficult in a small-town high school。 At the same time, he is given the opportunity to learn more about his father, who died when he was very young。 I think what made it even more beautiful were the number of adults in the novel who weren’t just decorative but actually served as support systems for Sky the whole time。 The romance storyline is adorable, but the friendships made the whole thing have a warm glow。 This was a kind story in the face of a hard time and I loved every minute。The main character, Sky, could not be more awkward if he tried and it is so enjoyable and endearing。 He is also incredibly oblivious at times。 He is strong and determined so no matter how many times he struggles, he always perseveres。 I honestly think he would make such a great role model。 I love him with all of my heart。 I loved the positivity and diversity。 I have to admit, in the first few chapters I was scared that the MC’s only personality trait would be his sexual orientation, but I was wrong。 Sky is a lot more than that and each situation brings something new to his character。 like any YA rom-com, there were parts that hurt so much to read。 The plot is engaging, and I found the mysteries in Sky’s story interesting。 I didn’t really put the book down for long once I started it and I found it thoroughly entertaining。 It contains a lot of humor, snappy dialogue, and some lovely, flustered teens。 A wonderful read。 This book certainly does not shy away from stronger topics and themes。 There are moving descriptions of grief and anxiety, situations with hostile family members, and the eternal terror of being bullied for being who you are。Some parts made me want to just hug the characters and cry with them。 But, they were also beautifully done and were completely necessary to the story。 Every bit of the sadness was worth it in the end。 But more importantly, this book was also really heartwarming and uplifting! Parts of it made me feel like I could take on the world。 One of the most prominent aspects of this book was friendship and acceptance。 Sky and his friends are all so strong and genuinely good people。 They aren’t afraid to fight for themselves and others。 We could all stand to be a bit like them, I think。 As Sky’s world grows bigger, there are always people who aren’t supportive but there are a lot of people who are。 Robbie Couch does a fantastic job of balancing everything in this novel。I cannot wait to own this book and have it on my shelf。 This is a great and very important one。This is one that when I get a copy, I will lend out to whoever needs to read it。 Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book and to TurnThePageTours for having me be part of your team once again! I always enjoy working with you guys and your tours always run smoothly with brilliant results! Looking forward to future tours for more amazing books!INTERVIEW:1。 What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?Oh boy。 Great question。 When I’m in a creative rut, sometimes I’ll put on an audiobook by one of my faves or flip to a great chapter in one of my go-to books。 Just spending a few minutes absorbing a great storyteller’s narrative will often spark an idea or get my creative juices flowing again。 I do it quite a bit! 2。 Where did you get your information or ideas for your book?I get my ideas everywhere! Truly。 I highly recommend anyone interested in writing fiction to get in the habit of jotting down notes throughout your day whenever a compelling idea pops into your consciousness。 I am constantly adding lines in my phone’s notes app when I see something absurd or interesting or wild or hilarious out in the real world。 It could be a tiny character trait or the premise of a whole new story。 But either way, I document the thought before I forget it and then transfer those notes into a Google doc every so often。 It’s great to reference after weeks or months go by。 I’m constantly pulling new inspiration from old notes! 3。 What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing this book?Copyeditors。 They rock。 I mean, I knew they rocked before writing The Sky Blues, but it wasn’t until the copy folks at Simon & Schuster got out a red pen and noted all my typos, misspelled words, and total grammar flubs that I realized how lucky I was to have them。 Seriously。 If you know a copyeditor, go hug them。 Right now! GIVEAWAY:Up for grabs we have ONE (1) physical copy and ONE (1) digital copy of The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch! This giveaway will be open from April 5th to April 12th at 11:59 PM CST。 The digital copy will be available to INTL only, and the physical copy will be available to US only。 To enter, click the link below!RAFFLECOPTER LINK: http://www。rafflecopter。com/rafl/disp。。。? 。。。more

Beatriz

This book even though I feel was marketed as a romcom is definitely way more than that, yeah it does revolve about how the plans for how Sky was going to ask a guy for prom were made public, it is more about how that act was an act of hate and homophobia and how he dealt with it and the people who supported him along the way, and a little bit about the people who didn’t。The thing I love the most about YA and queer YA specially, is that even when the book is dealing with some heavy issues and in This book even though I feel was marketed as a romcom is definitely way more than that, yeah it does revolve about how the plans for how Sky was going to ask a guy for prom were made public, it is more about how that act was an act of hate and homophobia and how he dealt with it and the people who supported him along the way, and a little bit about the people who didn’t。The thing I love the most about YA and queer YA specially, is that even when the book is dealing with some heavy issues and in this case he does feel hopeless and without purpose for bit, there’s still this hope, this joy, this love, maybe not from the adults that are supposed to but from the family you found along the way。Yes, this book is about romance but above all is about family, love and friends, and acceptanceI listened to the audiobook and it was amazing, sometimes i have a hard time liking guys doing female voices and here he did an amazing job。 。。。more

Allia

Read the entire book in one sitting!! Couldn't put it down。 I wish I had this book when I was a teen struggling with my sexuality。 Can't wait to recommend it to the students I teach who come to me with their own struggles。 Read the entire book in one sitting!! Couldn't put it down。 I wish I had this book when I was a teen struggling with my sexuality。 Can't wait to recommend it to the students I teach who come to me with their own struggles。 。。。more

Joey Comes

“The Sky Blues” by Robbie CouchREVIEW (5 STARS):This beautiful, personal, heartfelt tale of being a small-town gay with a big heart is exactly the kind of book I wish I had when I was in high school。 “The Sky Blues” is a warm, authentic, and refreshing story that is sure to hit home for a lot of LGBTQ+ people; whether we’re currently in high school or graduated ten to twenty years ago, whether we’re still living in the small, somewhat narrow-minded town we grew up in or living our best lives in “The Sky Blues” by Robbie CouchREVIEW (5 STARS):This beautiful, personal, heartfelt tale of being a small-town gay with a big heart is exactly the kind of book I wish I had when I was in high school。 “The Sky Blues” is a warm, authentic, and refreshing story that is sure to hit home for a lot of LGBTQ+ people; whether we’re currently in high school or graduated ten to twenty years ago, whether we’re still living in the small, somewhat narrow-minded town we grew up in or living our best lives in a big city, whether we were blessed enough to have supportive family members growing up or are loved and supported through the wonderful dynamic of a found family, we can all find something to resonate with through telling of Sky’s journey。 From a diverse and inclusive cast of characters, both young and old, and the many incredible pop culture references, and the captivating young voice of Sky’s narrative, to the vulnerability expertly displayed and explained in a masterful way throughout, this book is a true gem, one that is certain to go down in YA history。 Please read this; if not for you, do it for the kid inside you, who desperately needed this literature。 It has its own way of healing old wounds, and your soul will be thankful for it。- J。L。 Comes 。。。more

ahaana ☽

Read the full review on my blog!Overall, The Sky Blues is a hard-hitting contemporary novel that deals with themes present in today's society such as homophobia, racism, and just bullying as a whole。 After both sobbing and completing tissue boxes whole, as well as laughing until I got hiccups, I can (from experience) tell you that this book is a wild ride (in the best way possible)。 Seeing found family, and great, loving, supporting friendships was one of the best parts of this book。 But what re Read the full review on my blog!Overall, The Sky Blues is a hard-hitting contemporary novel that deals with themes present in today's society such as homophobia, racism, and just bullying as a whole。 After both sobbing and completing tissue boxes whole, as well as laughing until I got hiccups, I can (from experience) tell you that this book is a wild ride (in the best way possible)。 Seeing found family, and great, loving, supporting friendships was one of the best parts of this book。 But what really stole the show for me was the natural diversity。 Through this novel, so many marginalised voices are uplifted, and it shows us how being from a specific ethnic minority can impact your identity, and your actions。 It also shows us how deeply ingrained racism is in our society, and how a person of color, a queer person, or a disabled person just doesn't have the same freedom and safety as a straight, white, fit one。 The Sky Blues tackled so many real-life issues high-schoolers face, such as misgendering, and basic shaming because of the minority they come from without looking back。 TL;DR - go read this right now because it's perfect thank you; also brb i need to go re-read it again because it gave me ALL the feels!!! 。。。more

leo(neil)

READ THE WHOLE POST & JOIN THE GIVEAWAY! my thoughts:The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch is one of my most anticipated books this year。 i remember posting about it on twitter because i have not seen a single post about the book on my timeline。 i also remember messaging the publisher for an ARC, just to find out they couldn’t release an advanced readers copy to my area。 at first, i didn’t understand why。 like, i was just asking for a digital copy, which means shipping wasn’t an issue。 of course, i r READ THE WHOLE POST & JOIN THE GIVEAWAY! my thoughts:The Sky Blues by Robbie Couch is one of my most anticipated books this year。 i remember posting about it on twitter because i have not seen a single post about the book on my timeline。 i also remember messaging the publisher for an ARC, just to find out they couldn’t release an advanced readers copy to my area。 at first, i didn’t understand why。 like, i was just asking for a digital copy, which means shipping wasn’t an issue。 of course, i realized i had a lot to learn about publishing。 turns out, some publishers can’t provide ARCs, physical or digital, to some areas around the globe because of legal reasons。 luckily, Turn the Page Tours organized a blog tour, and imagine the happiness i felt when they stated the tour to be international! my heart beating in a joyous rhythm and my soul singing in cheer! therefore, thank you Turn the Page Tours for this opportunity!reading the first few chapters of the book, i was in it for the romance and the humor。 but, as i dove deeper and deeper, the book became more meaningful, tugging on my heartstrings, making me think how beautiful a friendship is。 sky was gay, and some people in rock ledge didn’t like that。 thus, he found himself in his best friend’s house, where they devised a promposal。 sky was going to ask his crush to go to prom with him, of course things didn’t go the way they plotted。one of the great things about this book was the completely unexpected content。 yes, i admit, i thought the plot was going to be cliché just by reading the synopsis, and yes some of it was。 little did i know i rode on a train destined to many surprising locations。 i also want to commend the author for the representations in the book。 one of them i thought was a great plot twist。 however, i want to highlight the triggering parts: stereotyping (calling someone a terrorist because of their race), bullying, death of a parent, homophobia, and the most heartbreaking part (being disowned for being gay)。 no matter how many times i read about homophobia, the anger really bubbles inside me。 like, the audacity of people shaming other people for embracing who they truly are。 homophobia will never be overrated in fiction, the damage it inflicts on people may be permanent, which can lead to more heartbreaking aftermaths。 there was also a part that links to the BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT, which i believe as timely and relevant to the current situation of the world。 and though the book had many great parts, the beautiful portrayal of friendship struck me the most。speaking of friendship, giving the spotlight to bree and marshall。 starting with bree, who never left sky no matter what。 i loved that her family welcomed sky with all their hearts, never minding one bit that he was gay。 i also found myself giggling at bree’s parents teasing sky about his crush。 then there was marshall, who added to the humor just by being himself。 his goofiness found its way to my heart, and although cis, also accepted sky。 and of course, talking about friendship would not be complete without mentioning the friends of sky’s late father。 through them, sky was able to know his father via their memories and experiences, which added a many flavors to the story。 there was also a mystery subplot, which at first i thought was kind of dragging and unnecessary, but then it became a great device for developing sky’s character。 of course, the romantic aspect should not be forgotten。 it was cute as hell and my most favorite cup of tea。from a simple sprout of romantic-comedy, the story grew into this ginormous consequential tree, which the world needs to see。 a tree cultivated by Robbie Couch’s notable voice and effective writing。READ THE WHOLE POST & JOIN THE GIVEAWAY! 。。。more

Reading_ Tam_ Ishly

"I must have accidentally wandered into an alternate universe where Booksmart or To All the Boys I've Loved Before is my new reality。"Interesting and fun from page one, this was a cliché young adult filled with teen drama throughout。 And that level of crushing gets too intense and hilarious at times。Well, that's what first few chapters would make you feel。But I can see from where all the insecurity and blabbing came from, trying to mask all the pain and insecurity with humour。The story turns pre "I must have accidentally wandered into an alternate universe where Booksmart or To All the Boys I've Loved Before is my new reality。"Interesting and fun from page one, this was a cliché young adult filled with teen drama throughout。 And that level of crushing gets too intense and hilarious at times。Well, that's what first few chapters would make you feel。But I can see from where all the insecurity and blabbing came from, trying to mask all the pain and insecurity with humour。The story turns pretty serious soon and that's where the plot lies。 And the story goes way, way back。 And then expect tons of school teen drama!And what happened to the lifecrushing crush? You bet。I really like the writing。 It's plain fun and full of humour。 And so young adult。 One star less for the lack of proper representation of the adults and it's like there are only strict teachers, either strict parents or silly, eye-sparkling OTP shipping parents or "crazy" "homophobic" parents。And I still cannot deal with the abandonment part。 Like it's nothing。Seriously, I needed a proper closure to the ending! Hey, give me that last scene dialogues between SB and C。 Damn, why is it not there?!I appreciate the multicultural representation, LGBTQIAP representation, also for handling handlinghomophobia and racism sensibly。The best parts are the friends, especially Sky Baker's bestie Bree; the chemistry between the characters (forget the adults, bleh!), and the monologues。 For once, cute cover worked。 Yes, I got this one for the cover。 。。。more

Dalton Steinert

Overall I enjoyed this。My issue with this (and many YA contemporaries) is that they rely way too heavily on pop culture references that it takes me out of the story。 Also, these characters are seniors in high school and none of them curse (they use “eff” in lieu of fuck)。 I can sense a spin-off book in the making and I hope the author does it。 I’m very curious。

DK

*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review*Sky is ready for senior year to be over but before he says goodbye to high school he plans to make a statement and stand up against homophobic bullies by asking his crush, Ali Rashid, to prom。 However, when Sky's plans and a photo of him and Ali are sent to the entire class in a hate-filled email blast, it sends Sky into a spiral。 Just when things feel totally hopeless, Sky's friends and classmates are there to help pick him back *I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review*Sky is ready for senior year to be over but before he says goodbye to high school he plans to make a statement and stand up against homophobic bullies by asking his crush, Ali Rashid, to prom。 However, when Sky's plans and a photo of him and Ali are sent to the entire class in a hate-filled email blast, it sends Sky into a spiral。 Just when things feel totally hopeless, Sky's friends and classmates are there to help pick him back up, rallying around him and joining him in his search to find out who was responsible for the email。From the very beginning I loved Sky! He's a kid that has gone through many intensely difficult experiences, from losing his father at an early age to being kicked out of his home by his homophobic mother。 Despite these hardships, and growing up in a less than inclusive small town, Sky has remained true to himself。 When the book first starts, Sky feels like an outsider, even in his close-knit friend group, and feels especially isolated as the only out queer kid at school。 Yet as the story progresses, he learns how his friends also feel othered, like his best friend Marshal who is Black or like Ali, his crush, whose family is from Iraq。 I appreciated that Sky is able to look beyond his own issues and learn from his friends and be more open with them。 While this book does revolve around Sky's crushes, at the heart it's about the importance of friendship and found family。 I especially loved the relationships that Sky has with the adults in his life -- his best friend Bree's parents who took him in, his yearbook teacher, and Charlie, his late father's best friend。 It was wonderful to read these adults being protective and supportive while also sharing their experiences and hard earned advice。My only real critique is that the end of the story felt a bit rushed and I would have liked a couple more chapters to get into some of the relationships that developed towards the end of the novel。 Some parts were really hard to read (like the stuff with Sky's homophobic family) but every time Sky experiences what he refers to as the "boulder of gay gloom" he always has people there to help him get through it。 Overall, it was a fast read that kept me fully engaged and left me feeling happy and hopeful! 。。。more

Celia McMahon

RTC

Liza | The Inharmonious Heroine

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)Sky Baker is a 17-year-old – soon to be 18 – openly gay student in his small town of Rock Ledge, Michigan, who is both dreading and anticipating the end of high school。 Dreading, because as soon as school is done both his best friends will be moving away for college while he’s stuck in Rock Ledge, and anticipating, because once he’s graduated he’ll finally be able to get away from the homophobic bullies at his school。 At least his constant daydreaming about asking My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)Sky Baker is a 17-year-old – soon to be 18 – openly gay student in his small town of Rock Ledge, Michigan, who is both dreading and anticipating the end of high school。 Dreading, because as soon as school is done both his best friends will be moving away for college while he’s stuck in Rock Ledge, and anticipating, because once he’s graduated he’ll finally be able to get away from the homophobic bullies at his school。 At least his constant daydreaming about asking his crush, Ali Rashid, to prom makes these final school days bearable。That is, until an anonymous hacker somehow leaks Sky’s plans for his promposal to Ali on their senior class’s weekly e-blast in a super homophobic (and racist) way。 Now everyone – including Ali himself – knows how Sky feels。 Sky is devastated, but soon realizes he’s not as alone in this fight as he first thought, and that friendship can be found in the most unlikely of places。 And while trying to track down the hacker, learns the much more important lesson about being true to yourself。 “You aren’t alone in this fight, Sky。 You’re never, ever alone in this fight。”This book was such a touching, fun, emotional read! I’ve said it before and I’ll probably say it again, but I think LGBTQ romance novels have it twice as hard。 They have to deliver the fluff and Happily Ever After that readers expect from a romance, but they also have to touch on some pretty tough topics, like homophobia, or their book won’t feel relatable。 It takes a deft hand to balance these two well, and is what I think makes The Sky Blues shine。The setting for this story takes place in small town, MAGA-hat-wearing, America。 Something we’re reminded of often while reading。 The protagonist, Sky, is not living his perfect, dream-worthy queer life。 He’s living something – unfortunately – much more realistic to what many LGBTQ youth know themselves。 He’s been kicked out of his mother’s for being gay, constantly fending off homophobic taunts from kids at school, and has no real gay adult figures to look up to。How Couch includes all this, plus all the other Coming-Of-Age feelings and concerns most teens go through, while keeping the story from being a total downer is a feat in and of itself。 The fact that this book also manages to be fun, positive and have an overall uplifting message too? Well, that makes it a story readers wont soon forget。This book made me cry, laugh, and then cry again。 The Sky Blues is an honest, hopeful and moving tale that will easily win your heart。 ❤️ “Years from now-when everyone else has forgotten about how they wore a Gay for Franch Fries shirt or planned that epic surprise promposal at the Senior Beach-Bum Party for me-I’ll still remember。 I’ll remember that people in this not-so-terrible town actually had my back。”Thank you to Turn the Page Tours and the publisher, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley。 All thoughts are my own。 。。。more

Amanda Shepard (Between-the-Shelves)

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! It's being marketed as a combination of What If It's Us and I Wish You All the Best, which honestly sounds like the perfect combination。 And I'm here to confirm that it is!Let's start with Sky。 What isn't to like about him? He struggles a lot with his image, being from small town Michigan。 He doesn't want to appear too gay。 But he's surrounded by some of the best friends and people。 Seriously。 Couch does such a grea Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! It's being marketed as a combination of What If It's Us and I Wish You All the Best, which honestly sounds like the perfect combination。 And I'm here to confirm that it is!Let's start with Sky。 What isn't to like about him? He struggles a lot with his image, being from small town Michigan。 He doesn't want to appear too gay。 But he's surrounded by some of the best friends and people。 Seriously。 Couch does such a great job with characterization in this entire book。 Outside of Sky, there are tons of secondary characters that are well fleshed out and great characters all around。 I love them all!And the emotions! Happiness, sadness, anger; there's everything in this book。 Couch truly takes us on an emotional journey right along with Sky。 Honestly, I did not want to put this book down。 Sky pulled me from the beginning and I just wanted the best for him。 This is one of those books that I think I want to have on my shelf because it just makes you feel good。 Plus that cover! It just looks amazing。I don't think there's anything bad to say about this book。 Maybe the writing isn't always up to par, but the emotions and the characters definitely balance that out。Couch's debut is definitely one you'll want to read over and over again。 。。。more

May

Waiting for that hold from the library yay

Eytan Kessler

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the digital ARC!Sky Baker deserves all of the hugs and much like Eric “Bitty” Bittle from the graphic novels Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu, should be protected at all costs (#TheSkyGuard?)。 While Robbie Couch has brought some deeply homophobic aspects into this book, there are so many feel good moments that Sky, and readers get to experience that help to remind us of the goodness in the people we choose to surround ourselves with。 Robbie made a diver Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the digital ARC!Sky Baker deserves all of the hugs and much like Eric “Bitty” Bittle from the graphic novels Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu, should be protected at all costs (#TheSkyGuard?)。 While Robbie Couch has brought some deeply homophobic aspects into this book, there are so many feel good moments that Sky, and readers get to experience that help to remind us of the goodness in the people we choose to surround ourselves with。 Robbie made a diverse cast of characters, both major and minor, all of whom are fleshed out and add deeper content to the story。 What started as a small group of friends turns into an amazing found family of friends。 Over the course of the story, we see Sky make mistakes, suffer from previous and new traumas, find answers to some of his questions about his life, open up to his friends, and learn that he can be tough。 Robbie has created a story that shows a full range of emotions that can happen to high schoolers, the euphoric highs and the very lows。 What really sold this for me, was the inclusion of characters like Charlie, Brian, and Ms Winter。 I can't say why because of spoilers, but these are characters who would be crucial in any young queer person’s life。 。。。more

Dana

The Sky Blues hit me right in the feels, in the very best way possible! I absolutely adored this book and really didn't want it to end。 It was such a positive and uplifting story。 I loved every minute!This story is like a warm hug。 It was exactly what I needed right now。 The friendships inside these pages are so beautiful, and the supportive adults in Sky's corner were so refreshing。 Each character played such an important roll in the books events。I definitely recommend this book!! Thank you so The Sky Blues hit me right in the feels, in the very best way possible! I absolutely adored this book and really didn't want it to end。 It was such a positive and uplifting story。 I loved every minute!This story is like a warm hug。 It was exactly what I needed right now。 The friendships inside these pages are so beautiful, and the supportive adults in Sky's corner were so refreshing。 Each character played such an important roll in the books events。I definitely recommend this book!! Thank you so much Simon and Schuster Canada for my gifted copy! 。。。more

Elisa (The Overflowing Bookshelf)

In his debut novel, Robbie Couch brings a heartfelt story to life featuring a openly gay student stuck in the middle of small-town Michigan。 The Sky Blues is funny, hopeful, and tear-jerking and is sure to be a fan favorite when it’s released on April 6th。I literally binge-read this book over the span of a day and I adored every minute of it。 This book made me tear up, laugh, gasp, and feel all of the emotions! The messages of acceptance, friendship, and being true to yourself are wonderfully ex In his debut novel, Robbie Couch brings a heartfelt story to life featuring a openly gay student stuck in the middle of small-town Michigan。 The Sky Blues is funny, hopeful, and tear-jerking and is sure to be a fan favorite when it’s released on April 6th。I literally binge-read this book over the span of a day and I adored every minute of it。 This book made me tear up, laugh, gasp, and feel all of the emotions! The messages of acceptance, friendship, and being true to yourself are wonderfully expressed in the book。Sky’s distinct narration style on top of the engaging plot of the book will have you flipping page after page to see what will happen next! Filled with sarcastic, witty asides, and pop culture references, this book never has a dull moment!In addition to the humor laced throughout the book, there are some serious moments such as bullying, homophobia, racism, Islamophobia, and self-acceptance。 Sky not only has to deal with a school hacker, but also his own friendships and familial relationships that get caught in the crossfire。 However, Couch handles these topics wonderfully and all of them make the story even deeper。Any fans of YA contemporaries will fall in love with Sky and his friends and the antics and shenanigans they get up to。 It will have you yearning for the nostalgia of blissfully ignorant high school memories and what it feels like to have the world be your oyster as a teenager。 This book is just an overall enjoyable read and I can’t recommend it enough。 Go buy this book and feel all of the emotions like I did。 You won’t regret it!*I received an ARC via giveaway from Simon Teen。 。。。more

Daniel

The Sky Blues tells the story of Sky, who's one of the only gay students at his high school in northern Michigan, and his plans to ask his crush to prom。 When his plans get leaked, his already fragile world crumbles。 What ensues is a funny and heart-warming story about how Sky tries to salvage his senior year, reconcile with his religious mother, and learn more about his deceased father with the help of some great friends and supportive adults。First of all, I would die for Sky and all of his squ The Sky Blues tells the story of Sky, who's one of the only gay students at his high school in northern Michigan, and his plans to ask his crush to prom。 When his plans get leaked, his already fragile world crumbles。 What ensues is a funny and heart-warming story about how Sky tries to salvage his senior year, reconcile with his religious mother, and learn more about his deceased father with the help of some great friends and supportive adults。First of all, I would die for Sky and all of his squad。 Though they make mistakes, they love and support each other。 The book offers a realistic depiction of high school life, where the relationships between students and social groups feel true to life, as do the students' and faculty's reactions to Sky's catastrophe。 The author also does a great job balancing the comedy and drama in the story。 I loved reading Sky's emotional journey, as he learns to accept himself and continue fighting for what's right without losing sight of the good in his life。 My only complaint is that I feel like I really could've spent more time in this world, getting to know the characters more, especially Teddy and both Sky's father and mother。It's a really lovely book that touches on a lot of issues while treating them with respect, humor, and a lot of heart。 。。。more

may ✨

3,5/5Overall this book was cute。 I loved the positivity, the diversity。 I have to admit, in the first few chapters I was scared that the MC’s only personality trait would be his sexual orientation, but I was wrong。 Sky is a lot more than that and each situation brings something new to his character。 Many different characters are introduced, and I especially liked seeing supportive adults, who play an important part in the book’s events and aren’t just there to say yes or no to the kids。 Bree’s f 3,5/5Overall this book was cute。 I loved the positivity, the diversity。 I have to admit, in the first few chapters I was scared that the MC’s only personality trait would be his sexual orientation, but I was wrong。 Sky is a lot more than that and each situation brings something new to his character。 Many different characters are introduced, and I especially liked seeing supportive adults, who play an important part in the book’s events and aren’t just there to say yes or no to the kids。 Bree’s family, who happens to be Sky’s foster family, is lovely and so sooo supportive。 That part just felt really good and it was reassuring to know that Sky was in a safe environment! The general plot was cute and really enjoyable, I loved the initial idea of the "promposal" as well as Sky’s more personal quest of trying to find out who his father was。 In the end, I found the many subplots more interesting than the main prom/email story。 A few things made this story stand out, like the fact that there isn’t much romance, as this is more focused on Sky’s character development。 The novel isn’t about coming out either, since Sky’s already out to everyone in his life, which leaves more room to explore other storylines that are just as important as coming out。 Another theme that we often see in books that take place in high school is graduation and college applications。 While the novel deals a bit with the idea of life after high school, it really isn’t a central theme and doesn’t come with all the stressful application talk。 Like a few other things in this novel, I thought it was handled in a creative way that made The Sky Blues quite unique。As much as I loved the novel, there were things I didn’t enjoy that much。 The writing was okay。 I think it was fitting for a YA novel, but some group scenes felt a little weird。 The general portrayal of teenagers did feel a bit off sometimes, especially in the beginning of the book。 It gets better and better after that! As I wrote earlier, there are many side characters and a lot of diversity, which is amazing, but ultimately, we know so little about them and most of them don’t really have much of a personality。 I would’ve loved them to be more fleshed out… There really are so many side characters。。。Another thing that bothered me was the rushed ending。 I was still waiting for a few things to happen that didn’t, even though the story was sort of leading up to them, and I really thought they were lacking。 To be completely honest, this book was a bit underwhelming for me because of that。 Eventually, the last 10-15% brought a bit of the emotions I was hoping for earlier in the book。 I think there were so many good ideas, especially with the way the romance progresses in the book, and Sky’s quest on finding out more about his father。 Sadly, in my opinion, everything remained a bit superficial。 That being said, this is a solid young adult novel, and it totally fits the genre! I enjoyed it a lot despite its shortcomings。 I loved its small town vibe, its peaceful sense of quietness。 I think this book is a nice version of the found family trope that so many people like (me included!)。 It is very positive, probably a bit unrealistic but that’s why we read books… and feels like a warm hug。 I thought The Sky Blues was a really good book, that checked pretty much all the boxes needed to make it a great YA novel。 This is a book for LGBTQIA+ teenagers, it’s what it wants to be and it completely succeeds in doing its job! Content warnings: homophobia, racism, bullying, use of drugs and alcohol, intolerance based on religious beliefs, f-slur, r-slur, death of a parent (happened in the past), car accident (happened in the past), parental abandonment, vomiting。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC! 。。。more

Hannah Hudson

Okay。 Yes yes to this book。 Sky is a senior in high school with a huge crush on popular boy Ali。 After he undergoes some major school embarrassment and bullying, he finds that more people in his school unite and support his sexuality than he knew。 GREAT representation in this book。 I was so giddy about the love story (no spoilers on that)。 Sky discovers more about himself, about his father who passed when he was young, and how to overcome adversity when his mother kicks him out when he comes out Okay。 Yes yes to this book。 Sky is a senior in high school with a huge crush on popular boy Ali。 After he undergoes some major school embarrassment and bullying, he finds that more people in his school unite and support his sexuality than he knew。 GREAT representation in this book。 I was so giddy about the love story (no spoilers on that)。 Sky discovers more about himself, about his father who passed when he was young, and how to overcome adversity when his mother kicks him out when he comes out as gay。 I loved seeing Sky’s insecurities and I think that any teen will be able to relate with plots in this storyline。 Did I love this one? Yes, yes I did。 Should you read it? Yes, yes you should。 。。。more

James

You're going to want to add this to your TBR immediately。 Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing me with a digital arc。 Reading this gave me the feeling I had when reading Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda for the first time, it made me feel seen。 The Sky Blues is full of so much heart, warmth, and a beautifully diverse cast of characters, I was a bit sad when it was over。 You're going to want to add this to your TBR immediately。 Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for providing me with a digital arc。 Reading this gave me the feeling I had when reading Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda for the first time, it made me feel seen。 The Sky Blues is full of so much heart, warmth, and a beautifully diverse cast of characters, I was a bit sad when it was over。 。。。more

Kasee Bailey

For me, Robbie NAILED it with "The Sky Blues。"I love YA, but I think a lot of the recent YA books I've read haven't really given me that thing, that *spark* of realness that made me love YA in the first place。 But reading TSB, I immediately felt seventeen again。 Even though my high school experience was different from Sky's, I felt like I was there, like I was feeling the same things and experiencing the same things he was。 I was immersed in those moments, and it just felt so true to what those For me, Robbie NAILED it with "The Sky Blues。"I love YA, but I think a lot of the recent YA books I've read haven't really given me that thing, that *spark* of realness that made me love YA in the first place。 But reading TSB, I immediately felt seventeen again。 Even though my high school experience was different from Sky's, I felt like I was there, like I was feeling the same things and experiencing the same things he was。 I was immersed in those moments, and it just felt so true to what those years are really like。 Found family, stalking your crushes, figuring out your future -- it was just so relevant, real, and engaging。 I couldn't put it down。 It has beautifully real characters, and the plot is weaved really seamlessly together in ways that were satisfying but still surprising。 A must-read。(Also, as a yearbook nerd, this book truly made me feel seen。 Ha。)A big thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the e-ARC! 。。。more