Enjoy A Sky For Us Alone Drafted By Kristin Russell Listed As Softcover

and the fact that is a smalltown romance plus mistery got me into reading this, but what a dissapointment.

two love interests didn't even know each other it was kind of an instalove, i couldn't feel chemistry and it felt one sided boy loved the girl and she seemed like she didnt

anywayRating:,Stars

I have complicated feelings about this one, It was dark and gritty and there are a lot of sad parts with murder, addiction, and a community seemingly at the mercy of a demented man, who is poisoning their land.
But there were these lovely bright spots, like the Draughns, Omie, Tennessee, Nuna, and even Red, and I was absorbed in Harlowe finding the answers to all his questions regarding his brother's murder.
Given the darkness that surrounded a majority of this book, I was grateful that the ending was hopeful, I just wanted a little bit more there, I spent way too much time worrying about Harlowe, Tennessee, and Omie to have it end like that, I feel like it I had gotten that jump ahead or just a little bit extra at the end, I would have given thisstars,

Overall: A compelling read incorporating the Appalachian setting with mystery, romance, and story of survival, I really liked the story linedrug abuse/dealing in rural Kentucky with teenagers caught up in adult problems, . . the writing was stiff and awkward, . . something didn't ring true with dialogue and some of the characters were flat with too much virtue even though the author tried, Maybe just tried too hard so the narrative voice was off, This book was what I was hoping the show Ozark would be a real taste of rural life spiked with oxycontins, blood feuds, nature, love, family and dirt.
We've got a main character kid Harlowe who's impossible not to like, he deals with family problems a dead brother, a drug addicted mother, love, a dying town, and ultimately the battle his town faces against a ruthless mine owner.
I think the message is that not everyone is born close to the finish line, but with determination and grit you might just be able to pull yourself somewhere better.
I thought it was a great first novel, I don't know how I feel, I'm conflicted about the ending and the entire story, I was expecting something different in the story, I was a little upset when the story would pick up but it just stayed in a steady pace for the entire book, I liked the characters and how everyone had secrets or problems, I liked how the Harlowe's family had problems and struggled to stay together, I hated Tennessee's father because he was just an asshole, I kinda thought the book could have gone in more indepth, I thought the antagonists were flat, They didn't really have reasoning behind their characters besides being desperate for money, Also I wanted to be more focused on the rich family and how terrible they are, All I knew through was they got away with everything and nothing to the character, As the reader I didn't fall in love with this book, Honestly now writing this I don't think I really liked this book, I was really pushing myself to read this, hoping for something crazy to happen, At the end I wasn't even that excited, just bored because it took forever to escalate, I mean the entire story was a love story and didn't really focused on the mastery death of his brother, I'm just disappointed with this book and it's capturing the audience, The romance wasn't even that great and felt like Romeo and Juliet, Yes they did get to know each other more than Romeo and Juliet but I just didn't like the characters, I really liked Tennessee as a character but I didn't find her very interesting, I thought it was selfless that she would take care of her brother but besides that I learned nothing more about her character, I just thought there can be a lot more about these characters than just their struggle or only important to the story, I just don't like this book, sorry this is just my opinion, I absolutely loved this book! This is my first book by this author, and it definitely will not be my last, Honestly I couldnt put this book down and wasnt expecting the ending at all, Definitely a good read! Kristin Russells A SKY FOR US ALONE begins with the protagonist, Harlowe, celebrating histh birthday, Harlowe has invited everyone he cares about from his brother, Nate, his best friend, Jacob, and Mama Draughn someone who acts more like a mother to him than his own.
Nate gifts him with new equipment for his future woodworking business, something Harlowe and Nate have been dreaming about for years,

As the party slowly winds down, everyone begins to go their separate ways and Harlowe heads home, Later that night he hears a banging on the front porch and discovers his brother shot dead as the son of the man who owns the town and the law, Tommy, swiftly drives away.
Overcome with grief, the family must learn to live without a son and a brother,

Harlowe especially must learn to swallow the rage inside of him since Tommy has gone unpunished by the law, The only thing keeping his mind off of recent events is the new girl who has moved to town, Tennessee, Shes shrouded in mystery and intrigue and seems to be the only positive thing in the town of Strickland,

Harlowe finally gets Tennessee to agree to attend a party with him, claiming he can show her around the town, Unfortunately, while theyre there, he sees his best friend, Jacob, get beaten by Tommy, the man who killed his brother, The night ends in chaos, with Jacob swiftly disappearing, No one has a way to contact him or find him,

Meanwhile, everything else in Strickland is quickly going downhill, Harlowes mom has fallen back into addiction, which she had fought off years ago, only to succumb to it again since Nates death, His father seems to be dropping off the map as well, constantly disappearing to the mine, the only place of work in Strickland, The mine happens to be owned by the Praters, the family of Tommy and the kingpins of the town,

With almost everything in town going against him, he tries to find solace with Tennessee and her baby brother, Omie, But sadly the town refuses to leave him alone, with the mystery of the reason why his brother was killed steadily growing and the violent man haunting his waking thoughts.
This all leads to Harlowe going on a desperate search for answers, from where Jacob ran off to, to the mysterious papers he found that belonged to Nate.
While he is searching for the answers, he has yet to realize that they may be worse than never knowing what actually happened,

In SKY FOR US ALONE, readers follow Harlowe on his quest for the truth and his growing relationship with Tennessee, Kristin Russell helps us to view the life of an American boy in a world of corrupt lawmakers and dangerous enemies, His story, and the towns story, are portrayed in a simple type of writing style that is accessible to most readers, The simple language does little to veil the adult themes portrayed in the book, from drug addiction to murder,

It all comes together to encompass the life of boy stuck in a town that refuses to change or follow the rules of basic right and wrong, legally or ethically.
If you're looking for an easy read that also illustrates the world of a young man striving for truth, painful or debilitating as it may be, this is the book for you.
Some of the choices we make on this journey are good and some bad but we do have to deal with choice made, Rating this.stars. I honestly loved the tone of the writing, It was a nice break from all the fantasy I've been reading lately, It had just enough story to keep me turning pages, I was rooting for Harlowe from the start and I'm glad he got his happy ending, Not the exact happy ending I was hoping for, but it wrapped up the story really well, Kristin Russells debut novel is a rare glimpse of young adulthood in Southern Appalachia, Newly eighteen, Harlowe Compton is looking for a way out of Strickland County, Hes hoping to avoid the everdwindling, rough work of the mines and rampant opioid use that permeates his homeland, When his older brother is murdered, Harlowe finds himself searching for answers to uncover the truth about his brother, Harlowe finds hope and a burgeoning love interest in the newtotown, Tennessee,

Bleak and often violent, the story gives us a harsh look at the realities of poverty and drug addiction in rural small towns, While its refreshing to get a young adult narrative set in rural Applachia, the narrative is slow to build and challenging to read in parts, The characters grow on you towards the end of the book, yet the ending is ultimately unsatisfying, A fine, wellwritten book for older teens to round out a collection, but not one that will be flying off the shelves, Coming of age story that's just OK, Some great moments, but the mystery isn't compelling or hard to figure out, the emotional stakes are fairly low or low cost, and he action moves too quickly to raise the tension.
The characters are fleshed out OK, but there's still some depth lacking,

Overall just a decent story, Very much in the vein although not as breathtaking as Jeff Zentner's work, I appreciate books that are set in rural towns, and stories about Appalachian teens are so few and far between, The pacing is slow, and there are several unanswered questions, but it was still worth reading, and I think the author has a good bit of potential.
I really appreciate books that let me have a glimpse into a way of life I have no experience with, A peek into rural Appalachia, this book deals with topics that no doubt are things people who live in that place are dealing with, like poverty, what happens when the mines close down, and drugs.
Unfortunately, though the issues were real, the author just didnt do a great job executing, The characters were forgettable, pacing was way off, and the plot was unbelievable, and not in a good way,

Thanks to HarperTeen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review, There are two stories here: the town and the opioid crisis, mixed with poverty and health problems, and the love story with Harlowe and Tennessee, I really enjoyed the first part it was captivating and devastating, The love story aspect distracted me and, for me at least, seemed like it was thrown in because contemporary YA novels have to have a love story.
This is not true but it feels like some imprints and authors insist it is,

I love the first aspect, though, You could feel the desperation in the town and the way that some residents have a "We're all in it together" attitude and take care of each other the best way they can and how others have the "I only care about myself" viewpoint.
The poverty and the fact that the mine is the only good job around would be horrible enough, but when you add in the current opioid problems, it has a harrowing effect on the town.


I liked Harlowe and Tennessee and I didn't hate their relationship, but it felt a like instalove and b it felt to me like it did the rest of the novel a disservice.


Even so, absolutely read this book, It's so well done and I'll be looking for Kristin Russell's next book, A SKY FOR US ALONE by Kristin Russell is a YA comingofage novel filled with mystery and heartache, Its set in a poor section of Appalachia thats run by the mines and the man who owns them, When Nate, Harlowes older brother, starts searching

for a way to get out, he ends up with a bullet through the chest, Determined to figure out why Nate was killed, Harlowe sets out on a mission to uncover the truth, but gets sidetracked when he meets Tennessee, a beautiful girl with her own problems.
Though hes drawn to her, the more he gets tangled in her web and the more he pokes into places he shouldnt, the more likely hell face the same fate as his sibling.


The setting is very much a character in this story and I love that readers get a rare look into this unique part of the United States.
Its gritty, polluted, and destitute, Fruits and vegetables cant grow there anymore, and even if they did, residents couldnt afford them, The soil and water are poisoned with yellow boy and cancer is a rite of passage, People are addicted to cigarettes and pills and have to squeeze their families into cramped trailers, In many ways, they are stuck in modern slavery, and its upsetting to know that we as humans are allowing others to live like that, This book, though fictional, highlights both their struggles and strengths, giving the people of Appalachia a voice,

Most of the characters are so vibrant with their own wants and needs that I can easily picture them, In fact, they could jump right off the page and into real life, The only character with fractured development is Nate, His introduction in the first chapter feels like a plot device to evoke sympathy for whats to come, but it backfires, His abrupt death is jarring for me and makes the first chapter almost unnecessary, Russell could have started with Harlowe finding Nates body and the book wouldnt have lost anything,

There are numerous other plot points that I have trouble buying, most of them relating to Tennessee, For example, I dont believe someone would essentially fall in love on the same day he buries his brother, especially if it is sudden and involves foul play.
I also dont believe Harlowes totally invested in finding answers when he gets so distracted by Tennessee and lets someone not calling him back stop him, For as much as Harlowe claims he loves building furniture, he does it for maybe a few minutes in the entire book and puts more energy into a new pie selling business instead.
This wishywashiness is distracting.

Russell ends the novel on a promising note, We dont know whats going to happen to Harlowe, but hes taking his destiny into his own hands, reminding us that life is what we make it.
No matter our circumstances, there is still plenty we can control and theres hope for us yet, A SKY FOR US ALONE will make readers appreciate the small things, call a family member to check in, and encourage people to pursue their dreams, Kristin Russell may not have set out to make a positive impact on readers, but theres no denying that she has,

orginally published on YA Books Central: sitelink yabookscentral. com/yaficti .