Introduction

A heartrending, bold novel in verse about family, identity, and forgiveness

Mira is just beginning her senior year of high school when she discovers her father with his male lover. Her world–and everything she thought she knew about her family–is shattered instantly. Unable to comprehend the lies, betrayal, and secrets that–unbeknownst to Mira–have come to define and keep intact her family’s existence, Mira distances herself from her sister and closest friends as a means of coping. But her father’s sexual orientation isn’t all he's kept hidden. A shocking health scare brings to light his battle with HIV. As Mira struggles to make sense of the many fractures in her family's fabric and redefine her wavering sense of self, she must find a way to reconnect with her dad–while there is still time.

Told in raw, exposed free verse, Skyscraping reminds us that there is no one way to be a family.

 

Praise for SKYSCRAPING:

A 2016 NCTE Children's Notable Verse Novel
A Booklist Top 10 LGBTQ Book for Youth title
A YALSA 2016 Best Fiction for Young Adults title
A Booklist Essential LGBTQIA Book for Youth
A Los Angeles Public Library's Best Book for Teens

* "Exquisite free-verse poems...illuminating and deeply felt."—Booklist *STARRED*

* "[An] exquisite coming-of-age novel in verse."—School Library Connection *STARRED*
 
“This book should be popular with fans of Sarah Dessen and would be a worthy addition to most high school library collections.”—VOYA 
 
"Jensen's spare free-verse poems and accessible imagery realistically portray the fraught moments of adolescent identity formation with great empathy. Compelling snapshots of contemporary family drama and the AIDS epidemic as captured through a teen's eyes."—Kirkus Reviews
 
"Written in straightforward, accessible free verse tinged with celestial metaphors, this story--set in a well-rendered 1993 NYC--is sincere, touching, and heartwrenching." —Horn Book 

"It left me speechless. Skyscraping is like a regular book with wings."—Becky Albertalli, author of National Book Award finalist Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
 
"In gorgeous poetic verse, Jensen captures the raw emotions and hard truths of a family dealing with forgiveness and love.... Your heart will soar and break and heal anew."—An Na, author of Printz Award winner and National Book Award finalist A Step from Heaven
 
" Skyscraping is brilliant, sharp and bright. A stellar story. Jensen has written a powerful tale about love and loss, a story that will stick with readers long after they’ve reached the end. Her poetry is vivid, tangible, and visceral. She’s a rising star with a breathtaking debut. This is a novel made of star stuff."—Skila Brown, author of Caminar 

Editorial Review

No editorial review at this time.

Excerpt

A UNIVERSE AWAY

I drop my backpack. Run.

Don’t wait for the elevator.

Chase the stairs down, like a slide.

Run past Jimmy, out onto Riverside.

I make it to the water.

Yell at a boat on the Hudson,

beg it to take me away, under a bridge,

out to the ocean, vast and wide,

beg someone to make me blind,

take me out of this shady city,

to a country, a continent,

a universe away

from here.

BLURRED

My eyes blur,

I don’t know what I’ve just seen.

My legs shake,

the earth has shifted. view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

1. Author Cordelia Jensen chose to weave celestial imagery throughout Skyscraping. Why do you think she chose this image system?

2. There is a theme about capturing time throughout the story. How does this change as Mira's life situation changes?

3. Which secondary characters in Skyscraping did you like the best? Were there any you felt like you wished you had gotten to spend more time with?

4. Were you alive during the AIDS crisis? Did it impact your own life in anyway?

5. There are a lot of 90s references in this story. Were you alive during this time period? If not, did you learn anything new about this time period during the course of reading this book?

6. How did the verse novel format work for you? Do you think any of these poems would work on their own without the larger story?

7. Could you relate to Mira? If yes, how? If not, why not?

Weblinks

»	Publisher's Book Info
»	Book review from Kirkus
»	Book review from Lamda literary
»	Book Review from Teen Reads
»	Book review from Booklist

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