'Mental health, family and friendship, and the circus: all told in a raw, engaging voice.' - Kirkus Reviews

The Greatest Showman meets This Is Us by way of Sarah Dessen in this heart-wrenching, hopeful contemporary novel about a multiracial teen who risks it all to follow her dreams by joining the circus, from the critically acclaimed author of Starfish.

Harley Milano has dreamed of becoming a trapeze artist for as long as she can remember. With parents who run a famous circus in Las Vegas, she spends almost every night in the big top watching their lead aerialist perform, wishing with all her heart and soul that she would be up there herself one day.

After a huge fight with her parents, who continue to insist she go to school instead, Harley leaves home, betrays her family, and joins the rival traveling circus Maison du Mystere. There, she is thrust into a world that is both brutal and beautiful, where she learns the value of hard work, passion, and collaboration. At the same time, Harley must come to terms with the truth of her family and her past - and reckon with the sacrifices she made and the people she hurt in order to follow her dreams.

From award-winning Akemi Dawn Bowman comes a luminous, unforgettable examination of love, loyalty, and the hard choices we must make to find where we truly belong.

Praise for Summer Bird Blue:

'Raw, real and deeply hopeful. I will read anything Akemi Dawn Bowman writes.' - Alice Oseman, author of I Was Born For This and Radio Silence

'With this remarkable book, she has cemented her position as one of the most progressive and insightful authors of her generation.' - Samantha Shannon

'Summer Bird Blue is without a doubt one of the best books I've read this year. It grabs your heart and won't let go.' - Book Riot