After finishing Jay’s Gay Agenda, I stumbled across this one either on Amazon or Overdrive in a “similar books” list. The cover was adorable and then I read the blurb and immediately requested a copy of it.
The Sky Blues is a delightful debut novel that tugs at all the heart strings without causing too much angst to the reader, highlights the importance of found family and community, and gives all the young LGBT+/queer kids out there another wonderful book to read that’s full of hope, wonder, and joy.
I was on hold at the library for months to get this one! I vaguely remember it being released, but didn’t realize it’s connection to UNC Chapel Hill (my undergrad) until I saw the cover and Deonn in one of the alumni newsletters and then of course immediately had to read it, but was stifled by the long hold times :’-(
Looking back at the review request for this, I’m not sure what drew me to it. Maybe it was the best friends, the religious homophobia, the slow-burn or the hurt/comfort friends to lovers draw.* Whatever it was, I’m glad I said yes because even though I was emotionally exhausted by the end of the novel it was 100% worth the 460-page slog!
This book was 100% written to be adapted into a movie or tv show. It even had locations and some stage direction already included. Maybe it’s from June’s background, I’m not sure, but as I was reading it definitely felt like a teen RomCom from the early 2000s.
I knew I was going to like this going in because of how much I enjoyed the quirkiness of Klune’s