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honeybear8's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Beehive Award nominee for 2020/2021. There wasn't really anything groundbreaking or super exciting about this one, but it did really make me teary at the end, so that definitely counts for something. It was more of a quiet story with some sweet moments.
therealbel's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this very much. A great generational read with some super highs and lows. I can’t wait to sell it at the shop in the Summer.
ameliariley4's review against another edition
3.0
this was such a slooooow book. i read it when i was younger (11/12) and enjoyed it a lot more than i did now. the writing is different than i remember. this book was a two star read but it got better and more interesting at the end. the characters confused me. there were just so many to remember. i enjoyed the ending but there wasn’t really a plot to this book. i wouldn’t really recommend to a teenager.
caitiep92's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
shaundell's review against another edition
3.0
Two stories told in two different time periods. Victoria in 1965 running away from home to the circus. Callie, her granddaughter, in modern day living with the circus.
rachelmariereads's review against another edition
3.0
I really wanted to love We Walked the Sky— and I did love parts of it. On the whole, I would recommend this book, but it is probably not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. This novel is a YA multigenerational story following Victoria and Callie, a grandmother and granddaughter, and their lives in relation to the VanDrexel Family Circus. Victoria’s story is historical fiction, while Callie’s is contemporary, taking place in the present.
I absolutely adored Victoria’s story. In the mid-1960’s she runs away from an abusive home-life to join the circus. There she discovers a confidence in herself she never knew, as she masters walking the tight-rope. She comes into her own and falls in love, wrapped up in 1960’s cultural references, and the glitz and glam of the traveling circus.
Callie’s story, I did not love. She and her mother have left the circus (unwillingly on Callie’s part) and settled in sunny Florida where Callie is forced to attend public high school, of all things. She is understandably angry at her mother, but also bratty and obnoxious at times. Her days at the high school are filled with “who will I sit with in the cafeteria” and “the popular girl is out to get me” tropes that felt overdone and irritating. The story does of course, eventually, focus on how Callie becomes a decent human being/friend/daughter. It also has a very satisfying ending.
The book is structured so that every other chapter takes place from a different perspective. The reader gets to see the journey of Victoria learning the circus life at the same time at Callie figures out how to be a regular girl. The similar lessons they learn along the way are impactful and special, and the book felt very fast-paced and interesting. Victoria’s story was perfect, I wouldn’t change a thing. I think generally this novel loses points because I don’t personally love YA contemporary, I find the characters hard to relate to and sometimes a bit cringey. Keep in mind that that’s my bias, and if you like YA contemporary as well as historical fiction, you’re definitely going to love this novel!
I absolutely adored Victoria’s story. In the mid-1960’s she runs away from an abusive home-life to join the circus. There she discovers a confidence in herself she never knew, as she masters walking the tight-rope. She comes into her own and falls in love, wrapped up in 1960’s cultural references, and the glitz and glam of the traveling circus.
Callie’s story, I did not love. She and her mother have left the circus (unwillingly on Callie’s part) and settled in sunny Florida where Callie is forced to attend public high school, of all things. She is understandably angry at her mother, but also bratty and obnoxious at times. Her days at the high school are filled with “who will I sit with in the cafeteria” and “the popular girl is out to get me” tropes that felt overdone and irritating. The story does of course, eventually, focus on how Callie becomes a decent human being/friend/daughter. It also has a very satisfying ending.
The book is structured so that every other chapter takes place from a different perspective. The reader gets to see the journey of Victoria learning the circus life at the same time at Callie figures out how to be a regular girl. The similar lessons they learn along the way are impactful and special, and the book felt very fast-paced and interesting. Victoria’s story was perfect, I wouldn’t change a thing. I think generally this novel loses points because I don’t personally love YA contemporary, I find the characters hard to relate to and sometimes a bit cringey. Keep in mind that that’s my bias, and if you like YA contemporary as well as historical fiction, you’re definitely going to love this novel!
thenatureofpages's review against another edition
5.0
The vintage feel of Victoria's perspective adds so much to the story. In the wake of my The Greatest Showman obsession, this felt like nostalgia and a hug all wrapped up into one book. I adored Victoria's parts of the book and eagerly waited to see what was next.
We Walked the Sky is an absolute piece of art. ART, I tell you!From Victoria's whimsical dreams of freedom and Callie's longing for her place she calls home, the book is a siren song to all who know what it feels like to dream of adventure. The plot line kept me intrigued and interested, though I did find myself wishing there were more of Victoria's parts in between Callie's.
The characters are cleverly thought-out and unique! I definitely relate to Victoria's point of view more though - she just has a delightful way of taking the reader's thoughts and voicing them on the page. Callie felt a tad distant and harder to connect to, but that's part of her personality played out on the page. All in all, wonderful character building and plot!
We Walked the Sky is an amazing novel for the dreamers, the adventurers, and the hopeful! I cannot wait to read more of Lisa Fielder's books and see We Walked the Sky in bookstores everywhere!
We Walked the Sky is an absolute piece of art. ART, I tell you!From Victoria's whimsical dreams of freedom and Callie's longing for her place she calls home, the book is a siren song to all who know what it feels like to dream of adventure. The plot line kept me intrigued and interested, though I did find myself wishing there were more of Victoria's parts in between Callie's.
The characters are cleverly thought-out and unique! I definitely relate to Victoria's point of view more though - she just has a delightful way of taking the reader's thoughts and voicing them on the page. Callie felt a tad distant and harder to connect to, but that's part of her personality played out on the page. All in all, wonderful character building and plot!
We Walked the Sky is an amazing novel for the dreamers, the adventurers, and the hopeful! I cannot wait to read more of Lisa Fielder's books and see We Walked the Sky in bookstores everywhere!