All the Blues in the Sky

“I DIDN’T KNOW/ best friends could die,” Turpin tenderly opens as 13-year-old Sage in Watson’s superb verse novel. A hit-and-run stole Angel’s life on Sage’s birthday: “a good day… turned into the worst day.” Suffocating guilt exacerbates Sage’s loss: “it’s all my fault.” Her grief, she knows, is different from others in her support group: “They got to say goodbye./ They saw death coming./ But not me.” Allowing vulnerability in new relationships, moving beyond sadness and anger will be an arduous journey. Discovering empathy from unexpected others, including a possible love interest, opens a path toward healing. Turpin is wondrously affecting throughout, centering Sage’s loss to beginning recovery; Turpin’s lovely laugh as Sage notices subway breakdancers becomes a promise of hope. Watson’s author’s note achingly reveals her novel’s provenance of crushing personal loss and trauma.