Review: Finding the Sky by A.M. Burns

Dillon Smith is so ready for the school year to be over, because he’ll get some relief from the gang that’s been pressuring him to join them. Unfortunately, when he stops for a soda, he’s implicated in the gang robbing a convenience store. Given his late father’s association with the gang, even his mother doesn’t believe him when he says he wants no part of it, and she sends him to live with his Uncle Bryan for the summer.

On the way to his uncle’s house in the country, he and Bryan rescue a hawk that was hit by a semitruck. They take it to some wildlife rehabbers living down the street, and they help open Dillon to experiences he never imagined.

When Dillon meets Scott, the son of the rehabbers, he falls in love, but the gang has a rough summer planned for him.

When this book was offered for review, I have to admit to being in two minds about whether to take it or not. If I'm honest it was the cover rather than the blurb that sold me, so can we all pause for a moment and give a little cover love to this book. Aaah. Feels good huh? So many fugly covers, I do appreciate it when I find one I love!

The cover persuaded me to give it  a try, and I'm glad I did. Despite the fact that portions of this story are very sad, it was on the whole quite a sweet love story - which is what I hoped it would be. I have very little patience for over dramatised, overly convenient plot lines and I did worry that this might fall into that category. I was pleased though, that while it did contain drama, it wasn't of the forced nature I worried it might be.

Once Dillon had moved from the city to his uncle's house the clichés that were lurking fell away and the story of his connection to his summer home came to the fore. And it was sweet. I liked the relationships forged and shown between all of the main characters. Although Dillon was a city boy, he seemed a country boy at heart - once he'd let himself appreciate the virtues of the countryside. Whilst his mother tried hard for him (and yes, she was a bit of a cliché downtrodden, pregnant young, poor mother) it was his uncle who really helped Dillon find himself. The relationship between these two was lovely. 

Scott, with his two dads and extensive knowledge of wild birds, was a great second protagonist. The romance between him and Dillon was really very sweet, and this is what I loved about the story. The angst and sadness and gang storyline were (for me) the author's way of getting Dillon and Scott together. They were there but as a carriage for the relationship development; in my opinion, it was the emotional storyline that won this story. It's what kept me reading.

Basically what I'm saying is; I liked this story. I did. While it wasn't a blow-me-away five heart read, it was exactly what I needed to read at the time I read it and it warmed the cockles of my heart despite the angsty edge.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

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