This book was amazing! I really enjoyed the characters, and I was hooked from page one. I’m the aunt of two kids conceived by in vitro and a sperm donor so it was a really interesting read for me.

Skye Falling by Mia McKenzie was a hard book for me to get into. At first I thought it was because of the characters; then the writing style; and finally decided it was a combination of both. I have a strong feeling that other readers will be able to relate to the language and characters but it just wasn't living for me.

From the beginning, Skye was a difficult character to understand. She is in her late thirties, queer, and lives in Philly. Although she is rarely there because she travels so much for her job. When she was younger, she donated her eggs to a friend who was having trouble with infertility. She lost contact with the friend and never really knew what became of her donation. Flash forward to present day, her egg is now a twelve year old girl, whose mother has passed away, and who is looking for a connection.

Skye is an expert at pushing people away . She has been hurt many times in the past and believes it better not to have many connections. Honestly, she is afraid of commitment and prefers to be snarky so people will keep their distance. This characteristic becomes even more direct when she feels cornered. On the surface, I could understand he rational behind this but, it still made it difficult for me to root for her as a character, especially a character whose role was to grow.

The writing in Skye Falling felt very abrupt to me. The words were broken and disjointed and it was hard for me to stay inside the book. This may have been the author's choice and a way to bring forth a sense of environment. It may have also been a way to show Skye's unevenness as a character. To me though, it often felt forced and did not allow for much depth.

The one thing that I did like about Skye Falling was the sense of community that was formed. I did find it believable as they rallied together for a common cause. I felt like it was something that would happen in present day. Books that tackle current social issues are always welcome for me!

While Skye Falling did not resonate with me, it could be one of those books that resonates very well with another reader. A reader who enjoys jarring texts and jarring relationships would likely enjoy this book. In front of the proper audience, it may very well shine brightly...it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Loved this book so much. I loved the POV it was told from and the issues it tackled all while providing a really interesting storyline. Review to come on my Instagram!

This book was so much more than I expected.. The main character Skye is very funny.
When she was twenty-six and broke, Skye didn’t think twice before selling her eggs and happily pocketing the cash. Now approaching forty, Skye still moves through life entirely—and unrepentantly—on her own terms, living out of a suitcase and avoiding all manner of serious relationships. Maybe her junior high classmates weren’t wrong when they voted her “Most Likely to Be Single” instead of “Most Ride-or-Die Homie,” but at least she’s always been free to do as she pleases.

Then a twelve-year-old girl tracks Skye down during one of her brief visits to her hometown of Philadelphia and informs Skye that she’s “her egg.” Skye’s life is thrown into sharp relief and she decides that it might be time to actually try to have a meaningful relationship with another human being. Spoiler alert: It’s not easy.

I loved the relationship that evolved between Skye and her biological daughter. I felt all the characters in this book were well developed. I thought the was such a great, heartwarming, well told story.

I really liked the unique writing style and that this book read like a love letter to Philadelphia. If you're not from Philly, some of the best lines may go over your head. I was also reading this book while sitting at the PHL Airport and hit the rant about how PHL is a top 5 worst airport ever and had to LOL.

3 stars because, although I enjoyed the writing, Skye was such an annoying main character, and mental health dilemmas weren't actually resolved. The book wrapped up rather abruptly, and I'm not taking Skye's word on magically being a better person. That girl's not trustworthy.

I wasn't expecting this book to feel like YA--yet it's definitely a coming-of-age story with a YA style. Very unique for the 39 yr old narrator who's been avoiding adult responsibly and relationships. I enjoyed it and yet, I don't think it will stand out in my memory.

It took me a bit to get into this one - but, ultimately, I enjoyed it. I am continually thrilled with the representation that’s been happening within LGBTQ+ fiction.

I wanted to love this book - the premise sounds great. But I found myself constantly rolling my eyes at Skye! Her friends were supportive and realistic with her, but she seemed all over the place and I just couldn’t get behind her antics. I look forward to reading more from the author, though - I think this was just a mismatch between this novel and myself.

It took me a while to get into this story, but once I did, I was hooked. Skye is a flawed character, but I tend to be drawn to characters with some baggage. At first, she was really unlikeable, and I think that was the point. She didn’t like herself either! Throughout the book, as she slowed down and stopped running away, she was forced to look at herself and confront her assumptions, her fears and the complexities of her life. I love the way Skye evolved and started connecting with herself as well the other characters. As she began liking herself, so did I. My favorite character, though, was Vicky, Skye’s egg. She was sassy and smart and conflicted in all the ways a 12-year-old can be. I loved how she was the vehicle to get Skye out of her own way.

The setting was terrific and was almost another character in the story. I also live in Philadelphia, so I was familiar with many of the places that were mentioned. The story was so “Philly” and I loved that!

Though the writing was very conversational (“Which doesn’t help with the nausea, tbh” and lots of “lol”), it was also witty. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the descriptions and insights. McKenzie has a keen eye for finding the humor in a situation.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title. This one was a slow burner for me, I found it hard to get into at first, but then once I did, I couldn't put it down! Yes to more queer Black characters in fiction living full & authentic lives. I will read anything queer, and this did not disappoint. It was funny and real and romantic and relatable. Loved it!

Don't sit on this book!

Skye is a 38-year-old Black woman who owns a successful travel company but let me tell you she is a whole mess. She moves around a ton, so she doesn’t have to deal with serious relationships (her mom, brother, old friends etc). While in her hometown for a brief visit, Skye is tracked down by Vicky who tells her she’s “her egg.” Twelve years prior Skye donated her eggs to Vicky’s mom, Skye’s old friend. Vicky is so sweet but, don’t let her sweetness fool you, that little girl doesn’t miss a beat.

Without saying too much I am really, really enjoying this book. There is a part in the story where Skye goes to her local bar and pretends, she’s deaf so she can avoid the men who flirt with her (she is queer btw) and the way she handles this one guy that won’t let her be, had me rolling. I loved all the characters and I couldn't stop laughing. Put this book on your list ASAP!

Thank you Random House for the gifted copy.

Skye is Falling is the story of Skye who has wanted a life of travel and achieved that but quickly realizes that her life is not fulfilling her. She surprisingly meets the daughter that her egg provided to her friend a long time ago. This follows Skye and her relationship with Vicky and shows Skye grow as a person and find things in her life that she did not know that she needed.

This is a great book that opens your eyes to life and what is meaningful. Sometimes you have everything you think you want but things can come and show you that it is not what you need and open your eyes to what you really need.

This story was filled with complex family dynamics and self discovery. Skye is a queer black woman, always on the move and visiting new places. She does not stay in one place for very long. Earlier in adulthood, she donates her eggs to a friend & this friend has a baby. Fast-forward many years and Skye is back in her hometown of Philadelphia, when she meets the child for whom she was the egg donor.

What an easy, light-hearted story that made for a quick read! I really enjoyed the way this story was written. It’s pretty informal, which made sense after reading a few not so glowing reviews. Personally, I liked it because it felt like I was sitting in with some girlfriends gossiping away.

Within the writing, we follow Skye. She is immature, messy, complex, makes bad decisions, somewhat unlikeable yet she had me laughing out loud. Skye might be the first “unlikeable” character I actually liked. She grew over the period of the book and found what was meaningful in her life.

I think I liked Skye because of her supporting cast. The other characters in the book are so good that they provided a more well-rounded view of Skye allowing readers to see her in a more positive light.

On top of that, the story shed a unique perspective on families, relationships, and what’s important to an individual. I found this story super fascinating and well put together front start to finish!

Big thank you to Net Galley and Random House for this E-ARC!

Content warnings: Cancer, police brutality, child abuse, death

I really wanted to like this but I just wasn't a fan of the writing style. There is definitely a lot to love about this story it just wasn't for me!

I knew nothing about this book before picking it up and I was pleasantly surprised.
Skye is a your organiser who lives out if her suitcase and refuses to settle down in any one place. On one of her brief stops in her hometown in Philadelphia, she meets 12 year old Vicky who is the child that resulted from an egg Skye donated to her friend. The rest of the book explores the relationship that develops between the two and the changes it brings about in Skye.
I loved this book soo much. Skye was so relatable and funny. There were soo many instances where I laughed out loud at her inner monologues. The author did an excellent job of developing Skye’s character throughout the course of this book. She’s not always likeable but somehow you can’t help but fall in love with her.
I really enjoyed the various relationships Skye forms throughout the course of the story especially that between Skye and Vicky. I was also utterly charmed by the romance between Skye and Faye, Vicky’s aunt. Skye’s friendship with Viva was another one of those relationships I adored. The sense of community is also very strong throughout this story and I loved that.
The book is not all fun and giggles though. It also explores serious issues like emotional abuse as a child, living with a disabled family member, the discrimination faced by queer and black communities and how gentrification affects the history and culture of communities. All these topics were addressed with due gravity and sensitively dealt with.
Skye falling is smart, witty, funny contemporary full of heart and it’s definitely one of my favourite reads of 2021. Definitely recommended.

This was a nice easy read. I liked the portrayal of Skye as an unlikable narrator and I liked the dynamic of her becoming connected with the child produced from her donated eggs. I'm always happy to read queer stories, especially when they're a little quirky like this book promised to be. However, I didn't feel compelled to stick with the story, asmost of the characters who felt a little one-dimensional in parts, and the narrative didn't really deliver any surprises. Frankly, it felt like a bit of a "beach read" or an "airplane book" - it didn't really make me think in a meaningful way, or give me a long-lasting impression about McKenzie as a writer. So it was fine, an interesting concept, but I don't think I would re-read!

Skye is a headstrong, badass bitch that cares little for people, except for her best friend. On a return visit to her hometown, a 12-year-old girl tracks Skye down and says that she is her daughter. Skye's initial reaction is to avoid this situation. But, over time, the tween's charms -- and that of the aunt raising her -- chips away at Skye's cold heart. Biologically, the girl is hers -- an egg donation to the aforementioned friend, who is now deceased. But can Skyle's on-the-go life slow down for a new relationship?

I really wanted to like this to book, but Skye is unlikeable throughout the whole novel. She treats people like garbage and keeps everyone at arm's length. I'm unsure why anyone -- biological offspring or not -- would ever want to know her or get close to her.

This book was so much more fun than I expected! (And a lot more risque, too, FYI). I loved the relationships, the way we got to see Skye grow as a character and become more comfortable with herself. I especially loved her relationship with her "egg". I loved the setting, the neighborhood, all the major and minor characters (all of whom were well developed and distinct). It made me laugh out loud, tear up, and smile with happiness. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed seeing the growth of all the main characters throughout the story. Well paced and interesting book.