• Author: Robbie Couch
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Year of publication: 2021
• Number of pages: 328
• Cover design: Jeff Östberg
• ISBN: 978-1534477858
• My rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

Sky’s small town turns absolutely claustrophobic when his secret promposal plans get leaked to the entire school in this witty, “earnest, heartfelt” (Becky Albertalli, New York Timesbestselling author), and ultimately hopeful debut novel for fans of What if it’s Us? and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

Sky Baker may be openly gay, but in his small, insular town, making sure he was invisible has always been easier than being himself. Determined not to let anything ruin his senior year, Sky decides to make a splash at his high school’s annual beach bum party by asking his crush, Ali, to prom—and he has thirty days to do it.

What better way to start living loud and proud than by pulling off the gayest promposal Rock Ledge, Michigan, has ever seen?

Then, Sky’s plans are leaked by an anonymous hacker in a deeply homophobic e-blast that quickly goes viral. He’s fully prepared to drop out and skip town altogether—until his classmates give him a reason to fight back by turning his thirty-day promposal countdown into a school-wide hunt to expose the e-blast perpetrator.

But what happens at the end of the thirty days? Will Sky get to keep his hard-won visibility? Or will his small-town blues stop him from being his true self?

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Sky-Blues/Robbie-Couch/9781534477858

Review:

At this moment, in the US, a debate is raging whether or not to ban books (is it even a debate or has it been decided?) with lgbtq themes, as not to ‘corrupt’ children (as per parents and bigots) and not to force ideas on them (yeah right!) but if we could just open our minds and everyone would just take the time to read these books and not judge them only by what they are supposed to contain, but what they actually have to tell, people would find a story that is so loving, so caring, so true and honest and so mature as well!

Robbie tells a sweet story about a seventeen year old, going on eighteen, boy who has a hell of a time in high school. He has come out of the closet, for which his mother has practically thrown him out hence why he lives with his best friend and her family, and he plans on asking his high school crush, Ali, for prom. But things don’t go as planned as his plan leaks online and everything gets outed. But Robbie Couch spins the story thus that the backlash is not that no one backs Sky up anymore, on the contrary. We see new friendships evolving, even his crush helps him in Sky and Bree’s (the best friend whom he’s living with) plan of revenge! Sky goes gay for Ali becomes the Slogan of the Year! 😀

And while Couch tackles subjects such as bigotry, homophobic actions and slurs and broken up families, the story does not exactly dwell on the topics. This is a positive coming-of-age story where the main characters learn life is not always easy but you’re never alone in handling the hard stuff!

There seems to be a trend of these stories and there are certain similarities to Alice Oseman’s Hearstopper novels and graphic novels but this is definitely its own story! Kudos to Robbie for writing the book that is as cute as he is himself! (Crushing real hard here 🤣)

To those who say this is propaganda: you will never read another sweet, honest story that might actually open your closed minds like this one! Love is Love!

I do hope Robbie offers us another look in Sky’s life, I’d love to revisit this Michigan town anyday!