You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
cyndibecker 's review for:
Painting Sky
by Rita Branches
It’s been a while since I read a straight up young adult, college setting story. Rita Branches Painting Sky was a great read in way of my return to the genre. At the center of the story is Jane Skylar, but it’s her many evolving relationships that are explored. Jane’s circumstances plant her in a house with 3 boys/men; her overprotective brother Ryan, her wishy-washy boyfriend Cody, and her boyfriend's tragic brother Keith. The story has elements of betrayal, unrequited love, and a complex division between siblings.
While Jane and Keith are at the center, they show only the tip of the convoluted relationships. The family dynamics are intense which makes the story a little heavier than I expected. Jane’s brother Ryan and her boyfriend Cody are there, they drive activity in the plot, but the heart of the story is between her evolving relationship with Keith. The author does a great job drawing out some of the tension between Jane and both Hale brothers. It wasn’t very far into the story before I had some inklings to where things might be heading.
We are in Jane’s head the entire story and her maturity level is well portrayed. At times she’s indecisive and unsure of herself so seeing her grow throughout the story is great. The mystery is really with Keith and why he is the black sheep of the family. When all is revealed, it just made me more sad for him. My only complaint is that the push and pull between June and Keith is drawn out a bit. They seem to go through the same motions, through similar circumstances time and again. They bond through their common interest in art and Jane experiences some drama in the classroom that repeats itself. It does serve to show how stuck Jane is. As she tries to exert her independence her relationship with her parents and brother is tested and it does show how much she’s grown in the short time away from her hometown. She’s a likable character, as is Keith, which will only make you root for them. All in all, the story-line was well paced and made me interested to see where things might go.
3.5 Stars and recommendation in Young Adult genre.
While Jane and Keith are at the center, they show only the tip of the convoluted relationships. The family dynamics are intense which makes the story a little heavier than I expected. Jane’s brother Ryan and her boyfriend Cody are there, they drive activity in the plot, but the heart of the story is between her evolving relationship with Keith. The author does a great job drawing out some of the tension between Jane and both Hale brothers. It wasn’t very far into the story before I had some inklings to where things might be heading.
We are in Jane’s head the entire story and her maturity level is well portrayed. At times she’s indecisive and unsure of herself so seeing her grow throughout the story is great. The mystery is really with Keith and why he is the black sheep of the family. When all is revealed, it just made me more sad for him. My only complaint is that the push and pull between June and Keith is drawn out a bit. They seem to go through the same motions, through similar circumstances time and again. They bond through their common interest in art and Jane experiences some drama in the classroom that repeats itself. It does serve to show how stuck Jane is. As she tries to exert her independence her relationship with her parents and brother is tested and it does show how much she’s grown in the short time away from her hometown. She’s a likable character, as is Keith, which will only make you root for them. All in all, the story-line was well paced and made me interested to see where things might go.
3.5 Stars and recommendation in Young Adult genre.