My Ultramarine Sky

Gr 7 Up–Kai has a serious crush on his friend Ren, and yet has refrained from confessing out of fear of losing him. Now in their last year of high school, reality has crept up on them. With growing distance, Kai can no longer bury his feelings. Meanwhile, Ren begins to question and affirm his own. Furuya gifts readers with two stages of the romantic journey by placing them in the headspace of one young man, then the other. This is accomplished thanks to filmic framing and screentones as well as introspective inner thoughts that swirl with worries and heart-pounding feelings. While the story itself is familiar, the execution will make it emotionally resonant for fans of sweeter boys love stories. This single volume work may also appeal to teens who identify as LGBTQIA+, as it sticks to the more realistic and healthier tropes found in the genre.