The Sky Blues

Seventeen-year-old Sky, who’s gay and white, tries to stay positive in Rock Ledge, Mich., but it’s hard. He’s spending his senior year living with his best friend Bree’s wealthy family since he came out to his newly conservative Christian mother, who kicked him out; he’s harassed at his largely white school over his sexuality; and he’s madly in love with Iraqi American Ali Rashid, who’s Muslim and “probably straight.” He’s still planning to prompose to Ali, but Sky feels hopeless after someone sends a photo of the wall where he and Bree keep his promposal ideas to the whole school, along with homophobic and racist slurs. Debut author Couch structures the book as a promposal countdown, building suspense and showing how Sky, with the help of his inclusive friend group and some supportive adults, learns about intersectionality and allyship, realizes he’s braver than he thinks, and claps back to the bullies, improving school culture and finding his community along the way. Ages 12–up. [em]Agent: Moe Ferrara, Bookends Literary. (Apr.) [/em]