Every reader has that one author that seems to be writing books just for them. For me, Akemi Dawn Bowman is that author. Starfish and Summer Bird Blue felt so personal to me as a biracial Asian reader who spent so long looking for characters like me in YA–not to mention how authentically her books have handled mental health and identity. Harley in the Sky is no different. Just like Bowman’s previous novels, this YA contemporary tells a genuine and moving story of self, family, passion, and learning how to piece yourself back together.

Harley has grown up in her parents’ Las Vegas circus and has always dreamed of training as a trapeze artist. When her parents insist she attend college rather than begin training, Harley betrays her parents and runs away to join their rival circus, Maison du Mystère. Among this magical traveling circus, Harley must prove herself to the other performers and learn what it really takes to make it in the brutal circus world. As the circus travels around the country, Harley must also reconcile her dreams with the mistakes she’s made.

Bowman is incredibly skilled at weaving together multiple complex themes. As in her previous two novels, mental health is one of the central themes of Harley’s story. Throughout the novel, Harley struggles to maintain her mental health while also facing painful memories from her past. Harley in the Sky also touches on the stigma of mental illness and treatment, and how teens struggling with mental health often face difficulties getting their family members to support their treatment. I loved that all mental health experiences were treated as valid, regardless of labels or diagnoses. Harley’s experiences, fear, and pain are incredibly authentic and this novel has easily earned a spot as one of my top YA recommendations on mental health.

Identity and family are also interwoven throughout the story in a seamless, natural way. Harley is biracial and she faces fears of not being Asian enough and not being white enough at the same time. She works to understand what it means to be biracial and to stake a claim to her identities and her family history. Her feelings surrounding her multiracial identity mingled with the complicated parental relationships in a way that felt so complex, rich, and real. Harley in the Sky is about coming to terms with who you are, realizing that you are valid, that you belong, and that you have a right to take up space. While I do not share the specific ethnicities that Harley belongs to, I am a biracial Asian reader and Harley’s feelings surrounding her identity rang so true for me.

Harley in the Sky comes to life with an incredible, lifelike cast of characters. Harley was driven, passionate, and flawed–she’s certainly a character that any reader will fall in love with. Even Harley’s parents, who are not physically with Harley for most of the book, felt multidimensional and fully fleshed out. I particularly loved Harley’s grandmother and their tender relationship. There’s also Vas, the brooding violinist, and Dexi & Vivien, Harley’s newfound circus friends. Each character in this book made the story come to life, almost as if the novel itself were a circus.

Harley in the Sky is full of beautiful and lush writing. Bowman’s writing style is realistic yet somehow full of magic and wonder. She artfully captures the charm and sparkle of the circus, while balancing the heavy, emotional themes. The pacing of this novel also works quite well, slowly revealing bits of the past through memories and emails from Harley’s mom. As Harley journeys through the country, she journeys through her emotions, her trauma, and her past.

Akemi Dawn Bowman has once again crafted a heartbreaking yet beautiful story of identity, passion, and mental health that is sure to be on my list of favorites come the end of the year. As a teen services librarian, I’ll definitely be recommending this title to teens and YA readers at my library. Harley in the Sky will be loved by fans of Bowman’s previous novels, as well as readers who enjoyed The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan, Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao, I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn, and Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen. This touching and heartfelt YA contemporary is a 2020 must-read that will make you desperately want to go see the circus.

This was a truly beautiful book, it was a tribute from Akemi Dawn Bowman to mental health, dreams, and creativity. I loved the duality of Harley's mental health and her cultural identity, they each were part of her reasons she felt the Circus was the place for her, someplace to call home because it contains those who were different. I could deeply relate to her, even despite the age difference between Harley's youth and my...haha lack of it. It was her insecurities, her emotions as part of her mental health, and even the cultural identity issues. I wanted to desperately give this book to sixteen-year-old me, to say that everyone's normal was different, that you were not alone, but, the best I can do is recommend this to anyone who has ever felt alone due to being different [whether through mental health, cultural heritage disassociation, or just for not fitting in]. I loved the show of the relationship between Harley and her parents, the growth between them, and especially the connection to her family as a whole as it changed through the book.

The circus was, of course, my favourite, I loved that there were different circuses and the performers and crew were a lot of fun to read about. Vivien and Vas were probably my two favourite characters, aside from Harley of course! I look forward to reading more by Bowman.

I’m a huge fan of Akemi Dawn Bowman and rated both Starfish and Summer Bird Blue an easy five stars, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of the author’s latest work, Harley in the Sky. Set in a travelling circus called Maison du Mystère, the story focuses on eighteen-year-old, would-be aerialist Harley who longs to take her place in the circus spotlight. Like Starfish and Summer Bird Blue, identity is an important theme and Harley struggles with the history and culture of her mixed-race heritage. The author sensitively explores how identity is often policed and value-judgements made based on appearance. Most importantly, she urges the reader to find a way to belong that also makes them happy.

Harley is a complex and messy character and one who is instantly relatable. The complicated nature of family relationships, and the constant clashes between Harley and her parents, catalyse the plot. Feeling desperate, isolated and hurt, Harley lashes out in her anger, and I loved how her bond with her parents slowly healed throughout the story; both sides make accommodations and learn to compromise. The author has done so much to raise awareness of mental illness and this book is no different. Harley is never labelled with a particular mental illness but her behaviour is symptomatic of Bipolar disorder and it was fantastic to read a conversation challenging the idea that a diagnosis and medication is often seen as the only way to legitimise a mental illness.

Dexi and Vivien were wonderfully warm additions to the cast with their kindness and support of Harley and together they celebrated the power of female friendship. For me, Maggie was probably the most interesting side character as her arc explored how ambition is often deemed unattractive in women and how women sometimes have to sacrifice one area of their life to succeed in another. Rounding out the cast of characters was Vas, whose dry humour, talent, and social anxiety created a complex love interest for Harley and I was rooting for them to make it work. I’d love another story set in the future so the reader can see how all these characters are getting on. The beautiful prose, richly detailed characters, and exploration of issues such as identity and belonging, combine to ensure another fantastic novel from Akemi Dawn Bowman. I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next.