Chlorine Sky

Gr 8 Up–Skyy is a Black teenager in modern-day California struggling with the end of her friendship with former best friend Lay Li, while also discovering herself outside of her former friend’s shadow. Told in first-person narration, this short novel in verse introduces readers to Skyy’s confusion and pain over the loss, offering her possible ideas as to why the girls grew apart. While Skyy just wants to spend her days in the pool and on the basketball court, Lay Li is more interested in makeup, boys, and clothes. Maybe they were just too different. Maybe they were never as close as she thought. However, readers also see what drew the girls together, such as absent parents and shared secrets. Despite their rift, when Skyy gets her first boyfriend, the only person she wants to talk to about her new relationship is Lay Li. Readers will find the changing friendships relatable, though they may want more character development, especially for Skyy. The book includes minor references to drug use, sex, and nonconsensual touching.