The Sky is Yours by Chandler Klang Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was thrilled to get a sneak peek at this novel thanks to an ARC from Penguin Random House! All the promise that Chandler Klang Smith showed in GOLDENLAND PAST DARK is both confirmed and built upon impressively in THE SKY IS YOURS, an epic adventure tale set in a richly imagined world that has gone on way past its expiration date. The alternate near-future of Empire Island comes to life in astonishing detail through Smith’s colorful, expert prose, as well as through the eyes of the three main characters as they’re let loose into the city to find their own ways (and themselves): Duncan, the selfish, spoiled son of a wealthy family; Swanny, Duncan’s fiancee, whose love of old Gothic romances informs not just the way she sees the world but also the path her life is about to take; and Abby, the naive, feral girl rescued from an island of trash to live in what is basically another island of trash.
While many of the science-fictional elements in THE SKY IS YOURS are satirical, I hesitate to call the novel itself a satire. It’s definitely wacky and whimsical in places–Smith’s sense of humor is evident on most pages and takes many forms, from bawdy jokes to the way certain scenes are presented as film scripts or video game charts–but it can also be quite dramatic and serious. It’s a hopeful novel about what it takes to grow up and find your place in the world, even if the world is dying; a deeply cynical novel about whether such a world is even worth saving; and, in some ways, a bittersweet novel about first romantic relationships, all the dreams, passion, and disappointment that go hand in hand.
THE SKY IS YOURS is a remarkable achievement by a writer with a seemingly boundless imagination. Smith’s creative energy fills each page to bursting. Like its characters, THE SKY IS YOURS exists in a balance between two worlds, the literary and the science-fictional, and readers who enjoy both will find it to be a treat both delicious and filling.
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