All the Blues in the Sky

Watson, Renee. All the Blues in the Sky
February 4, 2025 by Bloomsbury Children's Books
ARC provided by Follett First Look

In this novel in verse, Sage is living in Harlem in "an ocean of sorrow" after her best friend was killed in an accident on Sage's birthday. Even though she is attending a grief group run by Ms. Carter, she feels guilty for her friend's death, and spends much of her time thinking about what she would be doing if her friend hadn't died. Most of the time, Sage lives with her father and Aunt Ini, who raised the father after Ini's sister died, but she spends every other weekend with her mother, since her parents are divorced. She has recently made two friends in the grief group; Ebony, whose dad died suddenly of a heart attack and DD, whose brother was murdered by the police. Other members of the group, like Ana, whose twin had leukemia and Zay's, who grandmother died, seem like their situation isn't as bad, to Sage at least, because they had time to say goodbye. Sage hasn't been to see her friend's parents or her older sister Brielle, but often wonders about how they are doing. What did they do with all of her friends clothes and things? Sage's guilt centers around how some situations played out on her birthday, and she wonders if even tiny changes in the timeline would have allowed her friend not to be in that place at that time. She finally tells schoolmate Kofi, on whom she has a small crush, about this, and her's very understanding. After finding out that the school cleaned out her friend's locker, Sage causes a disturbance at school and also yells at the grief group. She knows she has to apologize in order to come back, and struggles with this, just as she struggles with her constant sadness while still finding moments of joy. Eventually, Brielle brings the birthday card that her friend had with her when she was hit by the car, and reading it makes Sage realize that her friend knew all along that Sage loved her. Just when she finds it bearable to be able to say her friend's name, another tragedy comes along, and Sage has to struggle all over again. 

Strengths: Readers who enjoyed Watson's poetry in Black Girl You Are Atlas will enjoy seeing her turn her talents to a novel in verse. Like many of her books, this has a very strong sense of place, and seeing brief glimpses of Sage's neighborhood adds interest to the story. I also liked the facts that her parents were divorced and that her Aunt Ini was such a big influence in her life. This is one depiction of how grief might play out for an individual, and the portrayal of the different children in the grief group will be illuminative for some. I did like the fact that Sage was getting help, she does realize that she can have joy while she is still grieving, and that there is some talk about people getting up every day and surviving after a loss. 
Weaknesses: I'm sorry that Ms. Watson experienced so many losses in such a short period of time, but I disagree with the common perception that grief is always all-consuming. Middle grade literature is good about telling young readers that all emotions are valid, so it's also valid that they can want to move on and forget the person who died as soon as they are able. This is not portrayed in literature. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who want books that deal with grief like Williams' Mid-Air or Benjamin's The Thing About Jellyfish. 

And I can tell Sage exactly what her friend's parents did with her stuff: it's very likely they donated it all to Goodwill, scrubbed down the entire room, and turned it into an office.