Synopses & Reviews
A heartrending, bold novel in verse about family, identity, and forgiveness
Mira is just beginning her senior year of high school when she discovers her father with his male lover. Her worldand everything she thought she knew about her familyis shattered instantly. Unable to comprehend the lies, betrayal, and secrets thatunbeknownst to Mirahave come to define and keep intact her familys existence, Mira distances herself from her sister and closest friends as a means of coping. But her fathers sexual orientation isnt all he's kept hidden. A shocking health scare brings to light his battle with HIV. As Mira struggles to make sense of the many fractures in her family's fabric and redefine her wavering sense of self, she must find a way to reconnect with her dadwhile there is still time.
Told in raw, exposed free verse, Skyscraping reminds us that there is no one way to be a family.
Advance praise for SKYSCRAPING:
Skyscraping is brilliant, sharp and bright. A stellar story. Jensen has written a powerful tale about love and loss, a story that will stick with readers long after theyve reached the end. Her poetry is vivid, tangible, and visceral. Shes a rising star with a breathtaking debut. This is a novel made of star stuff.”Skila Brown, author of Caminar
In gorgeous poetic verse, Jensen captures the raw emotions and hard truths of a family dealing with forgiveness and love.... Your heart will soar and break and heal anew.” An Na, author of Printz Award winner and National Book Award finalist A Step from Heaven
Review
"Glimpse is a subtle punch in the gut. Williamsand#8217; demonstrates how courage, resilience, and love can help young people in the most dire of situations survive. This is a book I will read again and one I will recommend to teachers and to my own students."andlt;Iandgt; -- andlt;/Iandgt;Chris Crowe, author, professor at BYU and former ALAN president.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;iandgt;andlt;/iandgt;
Review
" An edge-of-the-seat thriller written in sharp, glinting shards of words. Held in, held back, whispered and shouted. Fantastic!" andlt;Iandgt;-- andlt;/Iandgt;Tim Wynne-Jones, author of the andlt;iandgt;Uninvitedandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"A brutal, gripping story." --BOOKLIST
Review
"A page-turner for Ellen Hopkins fans."--KIRKUS
Review
"This well-paced, raw novel-in-verse is a worthy purchase, especially for Ellen Hopkins's fans who are looking for another verse novel in which teens overcome dire circumstances."--andlt;Iandgt;andlt;Bandgt;SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNALandlt;/Bandgt;, August 2010andlt;/Iandgt;
Review
"A brutal, gripping story." --andlt;bandgt;andlt;iandgt;BOOKLISTandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/bandgt;
Review
"A page-turner for Ellen Hopkins fans."and#8212;andlt;Iandgt;andlt;Bandgt;KIRKUSandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;/Iandgt;
Review
Priase for SKYSCRAPING:
“Skyscraping is brilliant, sharp and bright. A stellar story. Jensen has written a powerful tale about love and loss, a story that will stick with readers long after theyve reached the end. Her poetry is vivid, tangible, and visceral. Shes a rising star with a breathtaking debut. This is a novel made of star stuff.”—Skila Brown, author of Caminar
Review
Advanced praise for SKYSCRAPING:
“Skyscraping is brilliant, sharp and bright. A stellar story. Jensen has written a powerful tale about love and loss, a story that will stick with readers long after theyve reached the end. Her poetry is vivid, tangible, and visceral. Shes a rising star with a breathtaking debut. This is a novel made of star stuff.”
—Skila Brown, author of Caminar
“In gorgeous poetic verse, Jensen captures the raw emotions and hard truths of a family dealing with forgiveness and love.... Your heart will soar and break and heal anew.” -An Na, author of Printz Award winner and National Book Award finalist A Step from Heaven
Synopsis
In one moment
it is over.
In one moment
it is gone.
The morning grows
thin, grey
and our lives-
how they were-
have vanished.
Our lives have
changed
when I walk in
on Lizzie
my sister
holding a shotgun.
Twelve year old girl Hope's life is turned upside down when her older sister Lizzie becomes an elective mute and is institutionalized after trying to kill herself. Ever since their dad died Hope and Lizzie have relied on each other from a young age. Their mother is a reluctant and unreliable parent at best, who turns tricks to support the family. Throughout the course of this lyrical and heartbreaking narrative readers and Hope discover that the mother is prostituting Lizzie and it's up to Hope to bring the truth to light to save her sister.
With raw and haunting writing reminiscent of Ellen Hopkins and Elizabeth Scott, Carol Lynch Williams is a promising new YA voice.
Synopsis
In one moment andlt;BRandgt;it is over. andlt;BRandgt;In one moment andlt;BRandgt;it is gone. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;The morning grows andlt;BRandgt;thin, grey andlt;BRandgt;and our lives- andlt;BRandgt;how they were- andlt;BRandgt;have vanished. andlt;BRandgt;Our lives have andlt;BRandgt;changed andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;when I walk in andlt;BRandgt;on Lizzie andlt;BRandgt;my sister andlt;BRandgt;holding a shotgun. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Twelve year old girl Hope's life is turned upside down when her older sister Lizzie becomes an elective mute and is institutionalized after trying to kill herself. Ever since their dad died Hope and Lizzie have relied on each other from a young age. Their mother is a reluctant and unreliable parent at best, who turns tricks to support the family. Throughout the course of this lyrical and heartbreaking narrative readers and Hope discover that the mother is prostituting Lizzie and itand#8217;s up to Hope to bring the truth to light to save her sister. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;With raw and haunting writing reminiscent of Ellen Hopkins and Elizabeth Scott, Carol Lynch Williams is a promising new YA voice.
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Hopes life is turned upside down when her older sister, Lizzie, becomes an elective mute and is institutionalized after trying to kill herself.
Hope and Lizzie have relied on each other from a young age, ever since the death of their father. Their mother, who turns tricks to support her family, is a reluctant and unreliable parent—at best. During the course of this lyrical and heartbreaking narrative from an exceptionally promising YA voice, readers will discover the chilling reason why Lizzie has stopped speaking—and why Hope is the only one who can bring the truth to light and save her sister.
About the Author
Carol Lynch Williams is a PEN Awardand#8211;winning author of more than a dozen books and a graduate of the Vermont College MFA program. Carol facilitates the childrenand#8217;s writing conferences at Utah Valley University and Brigham Young University. She lives in Utah with her family. Visit her at CarolLynchWilliams.com.