Night Sky by Jolene Perry

Girl I’ve lost, girl I’m falling for. Now that they’re both in view, the problem is clear.

After losing Sarah, the friend he’s loved, to some other guy, Jameson meets Sky. Her Native American roots, fluid movements, and need for brutal honesty become addictive fast. This is good. Jameson needs distraction – his dad leaves for another woman, his mom’s walking around like a zombie, and Sarah’s new boyfriend can’t keep his hands off her.

As he spends time with Sky and learns about her Alaskan village, her totems, and her friends with drums – she is way more than a distraction. Jameson’s falling for her fast.

But Sky’s need for honesty somehow doesn’t extend to her life story – and Jameson just may need more than his new girl to keep him distracted from the disaster of his senior year.

Seldom does a romance told from the guy’s point of view work for me. But Jameson’s voice rang so true to me in Night Sky that I wanted this to come off as a poignant experience told by a truly nice guy. Someone average readers could relate to. I wanted him to work things out. I wanted him to come out on top. To learn to be honest with himself and everyone around him. To stand up on his own two feet. And finally to understand all that. I wanted his struggles to ring true, and they did – in a unique and moving way.

I loved that all three of the main characters were kidding themselves and keeping secrets. I loved the way they had to face their own realities. Sky was especially appealing, trying so hard to be something she wasn’t. Even Jay’s parents had to come to terms with what was fact and what was fantasy.

Perry has more to say here than just spinning a good story. She has a way of reaching readers where they live and convincing them that they are not alone. Great job. I give it a 5.