I was swept away by my emotions while I was reading Harley in the Sky. I don’t think I’ve ever related so much to a character, and I think it might portray the story of lots of young people that might also feel the same way. The topic of mental health was not one I was expecting to encounter in a story about trapeze artists and circus tents, yet it was exactly this story that made me weep uncontrollably. This story about identity and finding the place where you belong, while also asserting your independence is what my soul needed right now, and I hope that it will find its way into the hands of kids who struggle to find themselves in books who also battle with mental health the way that Harley does in this book.
Harley Milano is a young woman who’s dreamed of being a trapeze artist her entire life. Her parents run a famous circus in Las Vegas, and she spends most nights under the big top, watching the artists perform and hoping to be in the place one day. After a huge fight with her parents who insist she go to school rather than pursue a career in the circus, she betrays her family and joins the rival circus Maison du Mystere. She suddenly learns brutal truths about this world she longs to be in, but also what it means to work hard for what you believe in. At the same time, Harley will need to come to terms with truths of her family’s past, as well as deal with the hurt she’s dealt her family with her betrayal.
Let me start this review by saying that I’ve never read any of Akemi Dawn Bowman’s books before, but when I started Harley in the Sky, I was swept away into this world of the circus. Personally, I have fond memories of going to the circus when I was a child, but this story takes that to another level. Bowman’s imagery is stunning. I felt like I was right there next to Harley, watching the lead trapeze artist with stars in my own eyes. Harley is such a complex character. She’s a hard working young woman with a dream, and she doesn’t want to let anything stand in her way. She’s also stubborn, reckless, and just a dash thoughtless, which is what catapults her into her quest to find out where she truly belongs.
For much of this story, Harley is dealing with the struggles of her identity. She’s bi-racial, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and American. She feels like a puzzle piece that doesn’t quite fit into the mould people are trying to put her in. I identified with her struggles. Going further into this story, you also begin to notice that Harley is also struggling with some sort of mental health issue. It doesn’t go into specifics of what the issue is, but it certainly goes into symptoms that I think many readers can relate to, particularly anxiety. I don’t want to go into specifics because of spoilers, but it was this aspect of the story that had me weeping.
Of course, a little romance develops along the way, with a person who is also facing struggles of their own. I absolutely loved Vas because he provides readers with this quiet but deep comfort. Sometimes, people aren’t necessarily looking for someone to poke and prod, just someone who will listen. I loved the work he was doing behind the scenes, and how uplifting this winds up being for Harley. Everyone needs a Vas.
I wound up reading this 408 page novel in three hours. I love the way this story sucks you in, but more importantly, I love how the chapters are broken down. Of course you still have a traditional chapter structure, but Harley is travelling with a circus, so it was so neat to see a page detailing where Harley is in the country, but what week she’s on in her journey. I didn’t really think about the weeks until I started looking at her overall wellbeing, and it just adds another layer to the story. Each place in her story creates an impactful memory, and I think readers will feel that this is just one more reason to keep turning that page.
This story is a 10/10 for me. It spoke to my soul in a way I wasn’t expecting, and I found myself relating to a character on a number of levels. I feel like it’s nostalgic atmosphere will also draw in readers that are looking for stories of personal growth and perseverance. Please add this to your TBR!
Harley in the Sky is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of March 10th 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Harley Milano has dreamed of being a trapeze artist for as long as she can remember. With parents who run a famous circus in Las Vegas, she spends almost every night in the big top watching their lead aerialist perform, wishing with all her soul that she could be up there herself one day.
After a huge fight with her parents, who continue to insist she go to school instead, Harley leaves home, betrays her family and joins the rival traveling circus Maison du Mystère. There, she is thrust into a world that is both brutal and beautiful, where she learns the value of hard work, passion and collaboration. But at the same time, Harley must come to terms with the truth of her family and her past—and reckon with the sacrifices she made and the people she hurt in order to follow her dreams.
