#BookReview of #MayAllYourSkiesBeBlue by Fíona Scarlett | @Scarlett_for_ya | @FaberBooks | @faberbooks.bsky.social

‘From the author of the beloved debut Boys Don’t Cry‘
– May All Your Skies Be Blue

[About May All Your Skies Be Blue]

Summer, 1991.

Dean: sun-stung and sticky with cool ice-pop juice, walks to the middle of The Green to get a good gawk at the new salon. And at the owner’s kid. Hands deep in his pockets, his jet-black mop of hair hides the tension in his face at the thought of going back home.

Shauna: stands well hid behind her ma – her eyes dark and haunted like the rest of her. The salon is theirs, a fresh start. The smell of her ma’s Body Shop perfume clings to her jumper – Shauna can’t be anywhere else other than here.

Instantly inseparable, their friendship blooms. But as time passes and tell-tale blushes and school fights develop into something deeper, conflicting responsibilities threaten to pull Shauna and Dean apart.

When all seems lost, will they find each other under the same blue sky?

[ My Review ]

He’s leaning in. I’m leaning in. ‘The future is ours to make Shauns’, he says, lips almost touching.

May All Your Skies be Blue by Fíona Scarlett publishes February 13^th with Faber Books and is described as ‘an unforgettable story of love, loss, regret and the indelible marks one person can make on your life.’ Having been left devasted after reading Boys Don’t Cry, Fíona’s debut from 2021, I knew that my heart was about to be put through the wringer again.

May All Your Skies be Blue explores the fragility of relationships, charting the course of lives altered by a pivotal moment in time. In 1991 Shauna Ryan and Dean Whelan meet for the very first time.

‘Standing behind her. A girl. Carved sharp edges. Well hidden behind her ma. Eyes dark. Haunted like the rest of her. Dean gave her a quick wave and a smile. She looked about, then back, the realisation the wave was hers as she lifted her hand. Tentatively. Quickly. Hiding herself even further behind; Dean wondering if he’d imagined seeing her at all.’

Shauna is new to the neighbourhood, having moved there with her mother who is opening a new hair salon. From that first glance there is a spark of something special between Dean and Shauna and she soon becomes part of his close friend group, including Pamela and Mark. As all four navigate their teenage years, we get glimpses into their personal lives and the issues that all are facing. The electricity between Dean and Shauna is ever present, pushing and pulling them across the years. Conflict and turmoil result in cracks appearing but their bond, through it all, grows and strengthens.

Now, Shauna runs the salon  and over the course of a day, she converses with various clients and friends, but Shauna is not herself. She is on tenterhooks, on edge, just about holding herself together. With the chapters weaving through the course of their lives, intermittently jumping from the past to the present, we begin to get a better understanding of Dean and Shauna’s relationship and the path that it took.

With Fiona’s Scarlett trademark style, the reader is carried along on an emotional, hankie-soaked journey as we track the lives of Shauna and Dean. To say that this book has an impact is an understatement. Every turn of phrase, every single piece of dialogue is honest and so very touching. There is a unique raw beauty that sits layered under every word, every sentence. There is a truth, an authenticity that just cuts to the bone.

‘Shauna. Love. Everyone needs dreams,’ whispered back, and right there under a full moon. Suspended low and aglow. A promise is made. From me to Ma. And Ma to me.

With many cultural references from the 1990s scattered throughout, this is a story that will resonate with so many. We have all been awkward teenagers with that first love, that first blush, that first kiss. We have all experienced the highs and lows of those frenetic years when every single emotion is heightened, and every glance becomes something extraordinary and delicate.

Fíona Scarlett writes authentic prose. There is a depth and a sheer beauty that embeds itself in the heart of every reader. I read Boys Don’t Cry more than once and I know, without a doubt, that I will read May All Your Skies be Blue multiple times also. The decisions we make, the choices we select have a ripple effect on the lives we lead and on the person we become. At every moment we take a path that leads us in an unexplored direction, clueless of the outcome that’s ahead.

Dean and Shauna’s story is a contemporary one that will appeal to readers of all ages. A gifted wordsmith, with a captivating voice, Fíona Scarlett’s distinctive style offers every reader an opportunity to read a piece of literature that will leave an indelible print on your heart forever. A powerful and affecting, deeply moving novel, May All Your Skies Be Blue is another exquisite tale from this Irish author who has clearly made her mark. My recommendation – Get your pre-orders in now!

We sit on the edge of the pier. The four of us. The furthest point. The Y-shaped concrete jetties embracing us as our feet dangle over its edge. And there. Endlessly sprawled in front of us. The sea. A kaleidoscoped charcoal. And blue. And navy.  White horses galloping to shore. Ours. Our eternal wildness. Huddled in. The full chill of winter not yet swallowing us whole.

*Thank you to Fíona Scarlett and Faber Books for an advance copy of May All Your Skies Be Blue in exchange for my honest review.

[ Bio ]

Fíona Scarlett is the author of Boys Don’t Cry, which was an international bestseller. She was shortlisted for Newcomer of the Year in the Irish Book Awards, and the Kate O’Brien first novel award. She currently works as a lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Limerick.