‘TOWARD A SECRET SKY’: YA Contemporary Fantasy Set in Scotland

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Maren Hamilton has had not one but two tough breaks in her short 17 years. First, the day she was born when her father died. And now, some 17 years later, her mother dies leaving her without her best friend. In the aftermath, Maren is sent to Scotland to live with the grandparent’s she’s never known – the grandparents who never approved of her mother.

As she tries to adapt to life with strangers let along the adjustment gap of a new country, Maren discovers secrets about her parents. Not only is she troubled with this, she also meets an otherworldly creature named Gavin, a handsome guy, who also has connections to this secret world.

Toward a Secret Sky, by Heather MaClean | Book Review

Though they’ve enjoyed immense popularity, I’ve not read any of the Shadowhunter novels by Cassandra Clare. I have seen the TV show and film based on the novels and read the YA fantasy Unblemished. The latter is, in my opinion, an example of what the Shadowhunter stories might have been. ‘Sky’ has similar vibes.

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‘TOWARD A SECRET SKY’: YA Contemporary Fantasy Set in Scotland #bookarchives #FantasyFiction #YALit Share on X

Demons and angels are traditionally not my kind of story. I’m not a fan of that particular brand of good vs. evil battle.  That said, the adventure of ‘Sky’ does evolve into a unique, page-turning story. Readers’ race alongside Maren to learn about the secrets her family kept, and discover the implications and danger they pose to her future. The prose engages the reader from the start of this novel. It’s fast-paced and the heroine is immediately someone we sympathize with. Her plight is revealed in the first chapter which leads us to have a sense of her, and as the story progresses, to feel an emotional connection.

Though not a make or break fumble (in my opinion), this book does have a case of “insta-love.” Or perhaps that’s not the term so much as immediate fascination? Either way the results leaves Maren thinking about someone waiting for her as a groom, only to rebound by mentally chastising herself because she doesn’t know him. The story is docked a bit for me because the romance does spiral into a kind of unhealthy example of teen love. It goes from attraction to not being able to live without someone, and it doesn’t flow naturally.

Aside from the few flaws I felt hindered the story, this is a fun, easy-to-enjoy story. The end has a cliffhanger which leads me to believe a sequel is in the plans. Either way, it’s a story that begs for further exploration and resolution. Look no further for you sci-fi fix on that summer reading list. Pick up Toward a Secret Sky; it’s a story sure to make you flip pages long into the night.

ABOUT the BOOK

Author: Heather Maclean
Publisher: Blink
Publication Date: 2017
Genre: Young Adult Fiction; Fantasy, Contemporary
Source: Publisher provided ARC – thank you!
Add the Book: Goodreads
FIND the REVIEW ELSEWHERE: Goodreads 
Rating: ★★★ 1/2 out of 5

Sincere thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary ARC.