Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

Historical fiction is usually not my thing, and when I say usually not my thing I mean I've maybe picked up 3 historical fiction reads in as many years. But when I saw Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood, I knew this would be one that I needed to try out. Badass female wing walker? Count me in.

This story takes place shortly after World War I, and follows Grace Lafferty, a teen obsessed with wing walking and her barnstorming team, The Soaring Eagles. Grace is dead set on saving enough money to get the team to the World Aviation Expo and a shot at a high-paying contract with Hollywood. But earning that money means coming up with harder (and more dangerous) stunts, and constantly risking her life for this goal. Throw in an opposing team and its owner hell-bent on getting Grace and her team out of the running, and Grace finds herself in danger more often than not. When push comes to shove, Grace's team is her family, both old members and new, and soon she has to decide what is worth more: the shot at a steady income she's always hoped for or her life and the lives of those around her.

I really liked how this story was laid out, identifying the date, location, and how many days were left until the Expo at the beginning of the chapter. I think this helped the reader identify with Grace's panic as the Expo approached. It was historical fiction, but I didn't get the bland historical fiction vibe that I've gotten from others I've read (you know the one, where it feels more like a school lesson than an exciting story). All the aeronautical terms were explained clearly and I wasn't confused at all. I felt fully immersed in the world of The Soaring Eagles.

As far as characters go, I honestly didn't like Grace. Her attitude, flippancy towards the fact she could die at any time, and the way she talked to her teammates really rubbed me the wrong way. I completely understand having a goal and working toward it, but you don't have to be a complete jerk to everyone around you in the process. I loved her friends, side characters Ethel and Mary, and they were the complete saccharine-sweet opposites to Grace's abrasive personality. But more than anyone in this story, I adored Henry and was completely enveloped by his character. I loved how he latched onto Grace to protect her when she was being too stupid to protect herself. I was pained seeing his PTSD and injuries from the war, but I think knowing this as his back story helped the reader understand him and his actions.

This was a solid read with a great plot, but unfortunately that was muddied a bit by my complete distaste for Grace.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

A big thanks to Flux for early digital access to this read. Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood releases next week, on March 27th, so be sure to pick up a copy!