Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions shared are mine.

Books for middle grades and teens are just so important. Adolescence is that armpit of life that sometimes stinks, feels uncomfortable, and always makes you feel self-conscious. Characters in books like those found in the Blink Summer Reading Tour can help with that issue. These characters are mirrors for young people; their experiences might be found in print, but they still encourage readers to think and consider and empathize. I’m so excited to participate in this tour! I had the chance to read Meet the Sky by McCall Hoyle.

From the beginning, Sophie stole my heart. She carried so much responsibility on her young shoulders, yet she did it with grace and love. In her attempt to make peace with her world, she tried to push her dreams away. Essentially, she lived to take care of her mom and sister. Though that’s a tremendous expectation for a teenager, Sophie was more than capable. She even has close friendships, which is sometimes a sacrifice kids make when they’re overburdened. However, a hurricane threatens everything she can control. The hurricane was more than a metaphorical obstacle; it was a force in Sophie’s life that could not be contained. Teens will certainly relate to the symbolism found in Sophie’s story.

As a side note, I love that Sophie was a super intelligent young woman. She did her best to keep up with her studies despite the hardship of maintaining a family-owned business and serving as a caregiver for her sister. The author included lines from Alfred Lord Tennyson as integral parts of the story. It worked so beautifully, and I hope that it inspires teen readers to read more poetry!

Meet the Sky by McCall Hoyle

Publisher: BLINK

Release Date: September 4, 2018

Genres: Young Adult Fiction — Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Romance

SYNOPSIS:

It all started with the accident. The one that caused Sophie’s dad to walk out of her life. The one that left Sophie’s older sister, Meredith, barely able to walk at all.

With nothing but pain in her past, all Sophie wants is to plan for the future—keep the family business running, get accepted to veterinary school, and protect her mom and sister from another disaster. But when a hurricane forms off the coast of North Carolina’s Outer Banks and heads right toward their island, Sophie realizes nature is one thing she can’t control.

After she gets separated from her family during the evacuation, Sophie finds herself trapped on the island with the last person she’d have chosen—the reckless and wild Finn Sanders, who broke her heart freshman year. As they struggle to find safety, Sophie learns that Finn has suffered his own heartbreak; but instead of playing it safe, Finn’s become the kind of guy who goes surfing in the eye of the hurricane. He may be the perfect person to remind Sophie how to embrace life again, but only if their newfound friendship can survive the storm.

AUTHOR INFO:

McCall Hoyle writes honest YA novels about friendship, first love, and girls finding the strength to overcome great challenges. She is a high school English teacher. Her own less-than-perfect teenage experiences and those of the girls she teaches inspire many of the struggles in her books. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s spending time with her family and their odd assortment of pets—a food-obsessed beagle, a grumpy rescue cat, and a three-and-a-half-legged kitten. She has an English degree from Columbia College and a master’s degree from Georgia State University. She lives in a cottage in the woods in North Georgia where she reads and writes every day.