A review by adancewithbooks
Beneath the Swirling Sky by Carolyn Leiloglou

adventurous fast-paced

4.0

 Thank you to Waterbrook and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.

Beneath the Swirling Sky is a fun but also reflective middle grade book.

We meet Vincent who is being driven towards their great-uncle for their vacation with his adoptive sister Lili. Their parents are taking a cruise and think this vacation is a great way for Vincent's great-uncle to get Vincent back into painting. Too bad that Vincent absolutely does not want that to happen.

On the surface this book seems like an easy way to get kids more interested in art and to get them to learn a little about it. But beneath that surface I think this book is also reflective. Kids who might have been ridiculed for their hobby at school like Vincent, will find a lot of understanding in this book. Adults don't often understand what happens to their kid in those situations. And while this book focuses on painting and paintings, there is an open door to other arts and crafts being just as great and just as creative and just as 'art' as paiting. Like Georgia and her pottery.

What was a downside to this book however was that the only relationship that felt developed was the one between Georgia and Vincent. It was clearly to focal point. I didn't quite feel the relationship, the great one as said by text, that Vincent and his younger sister had or that Georgia had spend a lot of time with their great-uncle. I hope that in its sequel, that I expect is coming, this will be remedied.