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A review by whitneymouse
Harley in the Sky by Akemi Dawn Bowman
4.0
The synopsis says this is "The Greatest Showman" meets "This is Us". I can't speak to that latter part, but I can see someone who likes "The Greatest Showman" enjoying this book. That said, there is much more heart to this book than there was in "The Greatest Showman", as expected of Akemi Dawn Bowman. So let's get into the review!
Harley in the Sky is about a teenager named Harley Milano who's parents own their own circus show in Las Vegas (I was getting major Cirque du Soleil vibes). Harley's greatest wish is to become an aerialist on the trapeze. But when her parents shut down the idea of her training in favor of her going to college, Harley betrays them and runs away to a rival circus.
Akemi Dawn Bowman has been an autobuy for me since [b:Starfish|40611543|Starfish|Akemi Dawn Bowman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529682481l/40611543._SY75_.jpg|49731957]. Her writing is exceptionally emotional and draws the reader in quickly. While I think it took me longer to warm up to Harley than it did Rumi or Kiko, she does quickly become someone you root for. Harley has a lot of spunk and knows what she wants. She works hard to improve her skill and continues to try, even when it's hard. That said, she's also a little self-centered in that she doesn't always think things through to see how her actions might affect others. She can also be a little negligent of her friendships. In other words, she has many admirable qualities in a protagonist while still being flawed. This makes her a great protagonist. It's been nice to see more and more authors going out of their way to show the main character has flaws, just like the rest of us do. It's boring reading about a perfect character.
Once again, Bowman perfectly captures what being biracial or multiracial is like. I have been a fan of that aspect of her books for a while now, being a biracial reader myself, but it was nice to see her blend such different cultures together and to see Harley struggle with which parts apply to her and where she fits in. Unfortunately, that is something many biracial/multiracial people deal with: wanting to connect to their heritage but being told by those who fully belong to those cultures that they "aren't enough". This spoke to me on a personal level, but for those who aren't biracial, I think this is great representation and a good look into what that experience is like.
Additionally, Bowman uses Harley's narrative to talk about mental health, which is another topic that is both important and personal to me. It's highly implied that Harley may have bipolar disorder, however, due to her parents fear of having it formally diagnosed, she hasn't seen a therapist to know for sure. There was a beautiful quote about midway through the book that summed up her feelings on the subject:
"It kind of sucks not knowing for sure, because when I explain it to people, they just look at me like I'm making it up. But if someone has a diagnosis and medication? Then it's 'legitimate.' And don't get me wrong, those things are super important for a lot of people. But I feel like associating legitimacy with a formal diagnosis sometimes leaves people behind -- people like me, whose families really frown on anything to do with therapy and meds, or people who have found their own ways of coping with it, or people who can't afford it. It doesn't mean they don't feel what they feel -- they just don't have the privilege of being told by someone with a degree what they're allowed to call it." -p.241
I love this. While I do have the benefit of being able to see a therapist and she has been TREMENDOUSLY helpful in my attempts to better handle my illness, there are many people who don't have that and still struggle with mental illness. I appreciated that Bowman highlights them and that not having a formal diagnosis doesn't make their illness any less real. Therapy can be expensive or can have negative cultural connotations or can just make someone scared that going means they're acknowledging something is wrong with them. This was just an excellent aspect of the book and one Bowman has proven time and time again she is more than capable of writing.
Overall, while I still liked Starfish and [b:Summer Bird Blue|35716237|Summer Bird Blue|Akemi Dawn Bowman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1516638251l/35716237._SY75_.jpg|57219113] more than this, this was a highly entertaining and heartfelt book. I liked the characters. The love interest was great (again, flawed like real people are, but a good example of a romantic partner). The representation was perfect, as is expected at this point for me. It's a GREAT book and one people should be hurrying to read. You won't regret picking this one up.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Harley in the Sky is about a teenager named Harley Milano who's parents own their own circus show in Las Vegas (I was getting major Cirque du Soleil vibes). Harley's greatest wish is to become an aerialist on the trapeze. But when her parents shut down the idea of her training in favor of her going to college, Harley betrays them and runs away to a rival circus.
Akemi Dawn Bowman has been an autobuy for me since [b:Starfish|40611543|Starfish|Akemi Dawn Bowman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529682481l/40611543._SY75_.jpg|49731957]. Her writing is exceptionally emotional and draws the reader in quickly. While I think it took me longer to warm up to Harley than it did Rumi or Kiko, she does quickly become someone you root for. Harley has a lot of spunk and knows what she wants. She works hard to improve her skill and continues to try, even when it's hard. That said, she's also a little self-centered in that she doesn't always think things through to see how her actions might affect others. She can also be a little negligent of her friendships. In other words, she has many admirable qualities in a protagonist while still being flawed. This makes her a great protagonist. It's been nice to see more and more authors going out of their way to show the main character has flaws, just like the rest of us do. It's boring reading about a perfect character.
Once again, Bowman perfectly captures what being biracial or multiracial is like. I have been a fan of that aspect of her books for a while now, being a biracial reader myself, but it was nice to see her blend such different cultures together and to see Harley struggle with which parts apply to her and where she fits in. Unfortunately, that is something many biracial/multiracial people deal with: wanting to connect to their heritage but being told by those who fully belong to those cultures that they "aren't enough". This spoke to me on a personal level, but for those who aren't biracial, I think this is great representation and a good look into what that experience is like.
Additionally, Bowman uses Harley's narrative to talk about mental health, which is another topic that is both important and personal to me. It's highly implied that Harley may have bipolar disorder, however, due to her parents fear of having it formally diagnosed, she hasn't seen a therapist to know for sure. There was a beautiful quote about midway through the book that summed up her feelings on the subject:
"It kind of sucks not knowing for sure, because when I explain it to people, they just look at me like I'm making it up. But if someone has a diagnosis and medication? Then it's 'legitimate.' And don't get me wrong, those things are super important for a lot of people. But I feel like associating legitimacy with a formal diagnosis sometimes leaves people behind -- people like me, whose families really frown on anything to do with therapy and meds, or people who have found their own ways of coping with it, or people who can't afford it. It doesn't mean they don't feel what they feel -- they just don't have the privilege of being told by someone with a degree what they're allowed to call it." -p.241
I love this. While I do have the benefit of being able to see a therapist and she has been TREMENDOUSLY helpful in my attempts to better handle my illness, there are many people who don't have that and still struggle with mental illness. I appreciated that Bowman highlights them and that not having a formal diagnosis doesn't make their illness any less real. Therapy can be expensive or can have negative cultural connotations or can just make someone scared that going means they're acknowledging something is wrong with them. This was just an excellent aspect of the book and one Bowman has proven time and time again she is more than capable of writing.
Overall, while I still liked Starfish and [b:Summer Bird Blue|35716237|Summer Bird Blue|Akemi Dawn Bowman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1516638251l/35716237._SY75_.jpg|57219113] more than this, this was a highly entertaining and heartfelt book. I liked the characters. The love interest was great (again, flawed like real people are, but a good example of a romantic partner). The representation was perfect, as is expected at this point for me. It's a GREAT book and one people should be hurrying to read. You won't regret picking this one up.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️