A Sky for Us Alone

October 15, 2018
In Strickland County, coal is king, opiate abuse is rampant, and a wide valley separates those who have power from those who do not. Eighteen-year-old Harlowe is making plans for a life outside of Strickland when violence arrives on his doorstep, leaving behind the dead body of his older brother, Nate. The murder and its implications decimate Harlowe's family, sending his mother back into the grip of addiction and pulling his father deeper into the mines. Harlowe becomes desperate for answers, chasing fragmented clues and secrets that Nate left behind. His feverish obsession with uncovering the truth can only be matched by his fiery desire for Tennessee, a beautiful girl who also knows sadness and who arrives in his life just as Nate is taken from it. The portrait of life in fictional Strickland, with its poverty, corruption, and pollution, is grim but not far-fetched. Glimmers of hope exist in characters' deep connections to the land and tight bonds with those they trust, but readers will wonder if Harlowe can truly flourish if he stays in the home he's always known. Characters are assumed white; the portrayal of self-reliant and isolated Appalachian culture is unmistakable; gender roles are traditional and rigid. Though the storyline occasionally meanders, it is driven by mystery and peppered with themes relevant to young readers such as identity, betrayal, and romance. A bleak yet compelling portrayal of Appalachian mountain life. (Fiction. 14-18)

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November 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-A gritty portrait of poverty and the opioid crisis in the rural South. Eighteen-year-old Harlowe Compton struggles to stay hopeful after growing up in poverty-ridden Strickland County, a present-day coal mining region. The helplessness he feels surrounding his brother's recent murder is compounded by his mother's addiction to prescription pain killers and the grip of the Prater family, who control everything from the mines to local law enforcement. A chance meeting with the new girl, Tennessee Moore, changes his outlook as he imagines the possibility of having a life with her far away from Strickland and the bleak future that seems inevitable. The strength of this debut novel is in the steady growth of the protagonist from victim to unlikely hero of his circumstances. When Harlowe realizes that his brother's death is connected to illegal activity surrounding the mine and its owner, he is forced to glean wisdom from every interaction with peers and elders to save himself from the same fate. Readers will be reminded of plotlines from Riverdale, and will appreciate the thoughtful character development and suspenseful pacing. The thrill and frustration of first love are experienced alongside the full-on struggle for survival by major and minor characters. Russell's ability to capture the underworld of drug violence while keeping the story edifying is balanced through heartening scenes of rural life and love and believable dialogue. VERDICT The tough narrative offers teens from all societal demographics a grim look at the ripple effects of drug abuse on families and communities. Recommended.-Jane Miller, Nashville Public Library

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 Harlowe has one more year to figure out a viable career path before he's sent to work in the mines with his father, brother, and 90 percent of Strickland County. The residents of Strickland live under the shadow of the Appalachian Mountains and the Praters?the powerful family that runs the mine, the law, and the local opium trade. When his brother is murdered, Harlowe's desire to find out what happened leads to a long trail of ugly secrets about his family, friends, and community. A romance with Tennessee, a girl with a troubled homelife, and his mom's growing dependency on pills jump-start his urgency to break the cycle of violence and poverty dominating his life. Harlowe's coming-of-age arc is complex and realistic, and his fantasies about solving his brother's murder and escaping with the girl place him tenderly in the space between boy and man. Tennessee isn't merely a prop in Harlowe's story, however; her story is written with impressive nuance and strength. Russell's debut offers a moving picture of a specific time and place.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2019
Eighteen-year-old Harlowe Compton's southern Appalachian community is defined by mining, poverty, and, too often, despair. His brother's murder (Harlowe suspects the powerful Prater family is to blame) sends Harlowe into the darkest secrets of his family and his community. This well-written debut offers a stark and powerful depiction of modern-day rural devastation, especially opioid addiction.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)