Chlorine Sky
Published January 12th 2021 by Crown Books for Young Readers, Hardcover 192 pages
A novel-in-verse about a young girl coming-of-age and stepping out of the shadow of her former best friend.
She looks me hard in my eyes
& my knees lock into tree trunks
My eyes don't dance like my heartbeat racing
They stare straight back hot daggers.
I remember things will never be the same.
I remember things.
Mahogany L. Browne delivers a novel-in-verse about broken promises, fast rumors, and when growing up means growing apart from your best friend.
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
"When I was younger, I thought I had superpower
Thought if I sat real still and stared at a book
No one would be able to see me
I got so good at it
I forget that I’m the only one playing the game"
I am not crying you are!
Rating: really liked it
[sexual assault (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
This was an incredibly powerful and poignant coming-of-age novel. I highly recommend!
Rating: really liked it
Book 42 of 2021
Lately I've been on a roll of anticipated reads that proved to be worth the wait and this one has been no different. I loved this book so much and the narration was just amazing.
This novel in verse by Mahogany L Browne is short but covers a lot of issues so well! Trigger warnings for bullying, and sexual assault. Sky, the main character, is struggling with a lot. Her home life isn’t great as her sister seems to hate her. School isn’t great either, but at least she has her best friend. Her romantic life is also non-existent. She seems to live in her best friend’s shadows in their social circles and seems to think she can’t measure up, especially when it comes to physical appearances.
Sky thrives in swimming and basketball, and is at her happiest and freest when she’s in the water. She plays ball but tones her skills down so as not to intimidate the boys, to the dismay of her cousin who’s more of a sister to her.
This book examines friendships, family, love, and the fragility of relationships. Relationships require effort, commitment, and communication to thrive – it’s not just about the tags or the longevity, as shown in this book. After a fight leads to her best friend icing her out and cutting her off, Sky finds herself completely alone. A new boyfriend, a new friend, and some experiences later, Sky learns a lot of lessons in this book and it was an emotional journey for Sky as well as for me as a reader.
I found myself tearing up from very early on in this book, as some of Sky’s statements and sentiments about herself got to me. It’s a great book about letting go and moving on. Narrated by the author, the audiobook was simply exquisite. I enjoyed listening to it so much!
I enjoyed this and I definitely recommend it.
Rating: really liked it
[Bullying, sexual assault (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
A novel told in verse always reminds me of Elizabeth Acevedo and Nic Stone. In my opinion, Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne is definitely able to be categorized in with them. Skyy is constantly dealing with a mean half sister and a best friend who isn’t a good friend to her. She learns how to stand up for herself and focus on what’s best for her rather than catering to others or being sucked into toxic relationships. Skyy finds her own hobbies such as swimming and playing basketball and along the way she finds a new friend. She does struggle with the fall out of her ex-best friend and I love how it was shown that it's not always easy to go through. Books don’t talk enough about losing friends and how hard it can be sometimes. The writing was done well at being able to portray these different feelings through verse. I look forward to more from Browne in the future!
Thank you to NetGalley and Crown BYFR, Random House for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
This book is both a beautiful and powerful read. It is incredibly important for young girls to know that they are not alone in their feelings. Growing up can be hard.
We adults forget that sometimes.
Sky transported me back to the days where I was really just finidng myself. Sky shared her insecurities about not being able to dress the same as everyone else. She also felt that she wasn't as pretty as other girls.
I remember the struggle of having petty girl fights and wondering if we'd still be friends the next day. Sky said it best 'heavy business. It’s like a basketball game with no referee Just two teams & everybody play by they own rules'.
I very much enjoyed this read and can't wait to gift it to my daughter. What a great way to open the door for discussions about insecurities, tricky friendships, and first kisses.
Rating: really liked it
Chlorine Sky is a novel-in-verse that is brief but packs a punch. It's a coming of age story following a Black teen girl grappling with first love, toxic friendships, difficult family circumstances, and casual misogyny while trying to figure out who she wants to become. It took a little while for me to get into the style, but it's a beautiful and certainly worth a read. I received an audio copy for review via the Penguin Random House Volumes App, and I think the audiobook is done very well. All opinions are my own.
Rating: really liked it
"Everybody wants to be a hero, but most of us are just misunderstood villains."
"In California, the weather will match your temper / if you ain't careful"
"Lay Li looked at me & I looked back / Like that / Everything is dust"
"until the sun gets so hot / I jump in & cool my sadness down"
Rating: really liked it
[Bullying, sexual assault (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
I think I'm gonna have to reread this sometime to fully appreciate it. The writing is beautiful.
Rating: really liked it
the audiobook—narrated by the author—is absolutely amazing! the story was really touching and really relatable when it comes to friendship breakups and doubting your worth because of the way your sibling treats you. and the writing was beautiful! (3.85)
Rating: really liked it
If you are a fan of Elizabeth Acevedo then you NEED this book.
Chlorine Sky is an incredibly powerful and poignant coming of age story written in verse.
While Sky may be the best basketball player, she lives with so many insecurities. Sky battles some serious internalized racism thanks to the colorism comments she constantly deals with from both family and friends. She clings toxic friendships because it’s better than being alone. Sky has a half sister that doesn’t even acknowledge her existence, and to top it off, her home life is far from stable.
Sky’s story is gripping and visceral but very much rooted in the truth that so many Black teens face. This is such a fantastic novella.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
Rating: really liked it
I know Mahogany L. Brown from her work on the The BreakBeat Poets, Vol. 2: Black Girl Magic volume of The BreakBeat Poets, and here she writes a novel in verse about a teenager navigating tensions with a friend who she may be outgrowing. I listened to the audio as read by the author, obviously the best way.
This will count for the middle grade or YA category of the #tfbwlreadingchallenge.
I had advanced access to the book through the Volumes app; it comes out January 12th.
Rating: really liked it
Sky's the limit.
Written in verse, we follow Sky's navigation through the love of basketball, mean girl cruelty, a buddy friendship, and heartbreak. While short, this story resonates to all those sitting out of the box without a desire to fit into a round peg.
4/5 stars
