This is a beautiful, but gut punching book about loss, tragedy, and hope. It truly makes you value what you have and want to hold on to it all the tighter.

Keep your tissues handy. We Own the Sky is a heartbreaking, heart warming story about Rob Coates and his family. Rob has it all, gorgeous, loving wife; trendy London town home, and to top it off, Jack - his son and the love of his life. Everything changes when Jack is stricken by cancer and Rob finds himself alone and devastated. This is the story of how Rob finds his way back to love and forgiveness and learns to live again.

Luke Allnutt's first novel tells a tale of how a powerful love can help even a shattered heart learn to beat again.

This is the story of a family who’s young son is diagnosed with cancer and how the family deals with it. It was a heartbreaking story but for some reason I did not particularly love any of the characters and just did not feel invested in them the way I usually do with books. I liked some of this story but can’t tell you too much about it without spoiling it. Although it was not for me others seemed to really like it.

I really appreciated this story. It was told from the point of view of a father who’s son is diagnosed with cancer at a young age. It’s told from when Rob and Anna meet through the aftermath of a child diagnosed with a horrible disease. I haven’t read many books told from a fathers POV and it was an interesting take. Will definitely recommend but with a big trigger warning!


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This is a story about losing a child from the perspective of a father. It should have had me sobbing but for some reason I never got fully invested in the characters. At times I was angry with the wife/mom, Anna as she seemed so cold and wanted everything to happen her way without listening to the pleas of Rob. Then I was angry at the way desperate parents were taken advantage of by a fraudulent doctor. I wanted to feel more.

Although Allnutt's story of a father struggling with his son's cancer diagnosis is incredibly heartbreaking, it's beautifully written too. The beginning felt a little slow since you have to get introduced to how the parents of the boy meet, but once the story got going, I was hooked. There was a good dose of suspense too - even though you know the boy's fate, there are other circumstances that had me turning the pages to find out what would happen. I also loved the England setting. Allnutt definitely has a wonderful way with words and sensitive subject matter.

Heartbreaking for any parents to lose a child. The emotional struggle, sadness, and forgiveness that Luke Allnutt writes in "We own the Sky" filled my heart.

4 stars - This was an emotional book that was realistic and at times difficult to read. It vibrated with love, hope, loss, and most of all, family.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

No one wants to think about their children getting sick. Not only is the child suffering, but it puts a strain on even the most loving marriage. The impact felt by all is huge. And that is exactly what this book deals with: a sick child, the lengths one will go to to save that child, and the strain of those that love the child. This was such a touching book. It really helped the reader feel that they were in the grief of the family.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

When Rob and Anna's 6-year-old son, Jack, is diagnosed with a brain tumor, it feels like their life has derailed. The stress of having a sick child make them grow apart, rather than together, and Rob would do anything to save his son.

You know from the beginning of the book that Rob ends up alone, so it is not going to turn out well, but I couldn't help hoping for them that something would happen, and Jack would be cured. The writing was beautiful, though I never felt fully immersed in the book.

I was very upset that the book had 2 different scenes where they decided to release balloons to remember Jack. Balloons that are released <i>will</i> come down somewhere and frequently kill animals who get tangled in their strings or mistake the balloons for food.

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I really liked this debut novel, but can't say I would recommend it, as it is incredibly sad.
Parents Rob and Anna are faced with losing their son to a terminal illness, and absolute heartbreak ensues for reader and characters alike.
Well written and I couldn't put this down, even though the content was disturbing. I wasn't sure where this was going at one point, but it wrapped up beautifully.

This was difficult for me - it felt as though the author was playing up the pathos of the situation rather than letting the reader's emotions develop naturally. And while I appreciate Mr. Allnutt's personal connection to the topic of fighting a life-threatening illness, this was possibly more cathartic for him than anything else.

ARC provided by publisher.

3.8 - enjoyed it more than I initially expected (based upon the description); great for when you need a good cry

What would you do to try to save your child, especially one who had so many years yet to experience, to love, to contribute? The death of a child, one so very young, has to be unbeatable...how would you cope? Would your marriage survive? Would you ever be able to have joy again? A heartbreaking but joyful story.

What a heartbreaking story. Heartbreaking how lives can be torn apart at a time when you most need others. A fast paced, easy to read book that kept me reading and wanting to know the outcome of this family. Love, loss, despite and hope - this book has it all!

As anyone knows who reads or follows this blog (anyone?) I read primarily for the Maine Student Book Award - meaning recent titles intended for grades 4 - 8. Yes, I sometimes delve into young adult or adult fiction especially between March and May but rarely at other times. That said, I really have no idea how this one got on my list. It was on NetGalley and I must have requested it probably back in November or December which is a tricky time. At that point I am furiously reading the last of that year's MSBA contenders but am already seeing the next year's titles on NetGalley and Edelweiss so I start requesting and downloading and then can't really read them til March after the list is done. So I requested this, then never got to it and it actually was archived and wasn't available on my Kindle, so I got it from the library (I am kind of obsessed with reading/reviewing all books I get approved for). But, when I started reading it I realized it is not a children's book or a middle grade book or even YA. So why did I request it in the first place??? No clue...
The book is about Rob, Anna, and their son Jack who is diagnosed with brain cancer. Rob is desperate to find a cure and turns to a questionable clinic against his wife's wishes. In the end the clinic is a fraud, Jack dies, and Anna leaves him. The book tells of his struggles through the cancer, treatment, Jack's death, and Rob's eventual healing. It was really good and I am glad I took the time to read it.

For the most part I enjoyed the writing style of this book. The story of the Coates was heartfelt and tragic yet I found myself not feeling the emotional connection I would have liked and I"m not sure why. Overall, the exploration of family tragedy and grief made this a compelling read in parts but in the end I didn't feel like it was an outstanding read.

This was not the kind of book I had in mind when I began it this morning. I wanted something happier, and more bouncy but the people in this book roped me in and I ended up hooked. It did not start off too well, being a little too harsh for me but I guess that might have been the point. It is the kind of book you can read in one sitting if your heart can stand the weight.

Rob Coates is in despair, his life is in shambles and he is almost beyond caring when we meet him. We are then given a look back to a happier time, on the journey to where he is now. His life 'before' was resoundingly normal for the most part. The man was someone to identify with,to cheer him on in his relationship with his future wife Anna. Then come the trials that mar the completely happy setup. The jinx, if you must. Once they stumble away from that they are caught unawares by a more monumental problem which will test their wills and what kind of people they think they are. This is a book about pure sorrow and not the light kind. Especially if you have even had experience with the wretchedness of having dealt with Cancer(or any other evil relative of it ) by any degrees of separation this will hit harder home. Beyond all of the above descriptions it displays the resilience of people, for growth and the quest for joy once again.Both Rob and Anna are fundamentally different people but their relationship was delightful to be privy to.

Beautiful beautiful story. Love is definitely the main character in this beautiful book about loss. No- more than loss. About loss and love and kindness and life. Beautiful.

This was a very moving, beautifully written, compelling book about the unfathomable tragedy and sorrow of finding out your beloved child has a fatal illness. It explores to what lengths a parent would go and how hope and desperation affect the decisions a parent would make, as well as how those decisions might affect a marriage. That I could ultimately have sympathy and understanding for Nev, a character who deserved great disdain, speaks to Luke Allnutt's in making the richly layered plot ring true. Knowing that the author wrote this to help him cope with his own battle with cancer makes it all the more poignant. It held my interest throughout and I highly recommend it. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book.