SapphicAThon: a book that features a trope you love (found family), a book with a cover you love, a book that fulfills your favourite prompt form the last sapphicathon (non-coming out story)
Feminist Lit Feb: an #ownvoices book about an experience other than your own, a book by a female/non-binary/genderfluid black author


representation: interracial f/f main relationship, gay protagonist, biracial (half-black, half-white) sapphic main character, sikh main character, bisexual mute main character, gay main character, interracial polyamorous (m/m/f) side relationship, interracial side relationship, m/m minor relationship
content warnings: loss of a loved one, violence, hospitalisation, attempted sexual assault, mentions of previous drug addiction, underage drinking, homophobia


“Don’t . . . take time for granted. You have all this freedom and opportunity and people around who love you. Make sure you use the time you have to love them back. I know you know that, but I just thought that someone should say it to you out loud.”


I… am dead. First of all, I want to scream from the rooftops a massive thank you to the wonderful K. Ancrum who provided me with a copy of an ARC. She is a goddess and this is already the greatest thing to happen to me in all of 2019.

Now, onto the actual book. This book is set in the not-so-distant future and follows Ryann Bird, a teenage girl who is equal parts hard and soft. She has dreamed of going to space her entire life but has accepted that it will never happen because her parents are dead and she has to support her sixteen-year old brother and his infant in the trailer park they live in. At the start of the novel, the closed off Alexandria Macallough moves to town, and she has a connection to the space program that Ryann has been obsessed with her entire life. The two girls have a rocky start (which, if you’ve read the book, you know is an unintentional pun) but Ryann is determined to become friends with Alexandria.

I love this book, let’s get that out the way first. I loved it with my entire heart. I’m shit at reading ebooks but I flew through this in two days because that’s how much I fucking loved it. K. Ancrum’s writing is probably part of why I found it so easy to read; she writes very short chapters and something about her writing style just makes it completely effortless to continue reading even when you know it’s getting late and you should be getting to bed. I did notice a few grammar and punctuation mistakes while reading, but this is an ARC and I know that will likely be fixed in the final copy so I wasn’t bothered by it.

This book does have a plot revolving around something that happened in Alexandria’s past, but it is primarily character driven. And god, I love the characters that K. Ancrum writes. They’re always messy, borderline-unlikeable teenagers, but I can’t help but love them, no matter how many mistakes they make. Ryann and Alexandria are easily the two main characters of this book, and I love that they were both stubborn, spiteful and tough, which is what they makes them initially butt heads. Because of the tumultuous start to their relationship, it makes it even more rewarding as you see them become closer.

Other than those two, the other most important characters are the others who make up Ryann’s friend group. They’re the kind of friends who are practically family and would do literally anything for one another, and damn the consequences. There’s James, who is Ryann’s brother; he stopped speaking after their parents died and one year before the events of the book came home with an infant, his son Charlie. His and Ryann’s relationship was so nice to read about; other than Charlie, they’re the only family the other has, and I loved seeing the quiet moments between them.

Ahmed, the son of ~certain main characters~ from The Wicker King, is Ryann’s best friend, and their friendship was amazing. He’s very protective of her, but not in the traditional sense. He’s much more emotionally protective of her than anything else, and I loved reading about a friendship between a guy and girl. Also, seeing someone who is the son of polyamorous parents was just really fucking cool and, in general, I love how K. Ancrum writes characters and relationships not largely seen in fiction.

Tomas, Blake and Shannon are the other three members of the friendship group and, surprise surprise, I loved them as well. Tomas is a Disaster Gay with a dark past, Shannon is a cheerleader who ended up part of a group of other messy teens, and Blake is an asshole who actually loves his friends.

I also loved how this entire group is so effortlessly queer; Ryann and Tomas are gay, James is bi, Alexandria is sapphic, and Blake and Shannon are both implied to be queer, though nothing is confirmed. They’re so close and honestly reminded me of my own friend group, albeit more fucked up; they cuddle, they love each other, they seem lowkey like they’re all dating, and I loved them so much. Just [screams] I love friends who are also family!

This book, similarly to The Wicker King, will not be for everybody. If you go into this wanting heavy sci-fi, this isn’t the book for you; it’s primarily contemporary with some soft sci-fi elements. It’s definitely not as weird as K. Ancrum’s debut, but I can definitely see some people being put off by how abrasive the characters can be and how plotless it can appear sometimes. But for me, this book has only solidified K. Ancrum as an insta-buy author me. I will read everything she writes and I will probably get hella emotional reading it.


I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.