Harley in the Sky
Ratings1
Average rating4
Harley Milano has dreamed of being 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 soul that she could 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. But 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.
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Content Warning
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Really loved this story. It's a great contemporary YA that follows a girl who runs off to a circus to be a trapeze artist (a job I always wanted, but I could never do!). Despite the magic of the circus, the story also explores prominent themes about mental illness and stigma, identity (Harley is biracial), and trauma. The other members of the circus are explored in equal depth, like Vas, Dexi, Vivien, etc. The focus on the characters in Harley's circle of friends - while also not taking away from Harley as the MC - is something commendable that Bowman does. There's a lyrical way in which Bowman gets the reader to connect with Harley and the plot - something that brings about a poetic sense while also being exciting to read. The ending could've improved only in the sense that I wish Harley and her mother had planned to work together a bit more to get healthy (mentally). Overall, though, what an awesome read.
