Infinite Sky
Common Sense says
- C.J. Flood
- Emotions
- 2014
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Infinite Sky is a young adult novel about teens coping after their mother leaves their father to see the world. Iris, 13, and her brother, Sam, 15, are bereft, and their father, Thomas, feels lost and inept when they act out. Thomas drinks excessively, as does Sam. Thomas also takes out his frustration on the Irish travelers who have settled in a lot adjacent to the family's farm; he and others are prejudiced against travelers and want them evicted. Tensions in the family, and between families, result in extreme violence, including fistfights and the use of a knife and a brick as weapons. Adults and teens smoke cigarettes and use some foul language ("s--t," "f--k," "crap," "scrotum," "dickhead," "prick"). Teens kiss in the book; the very mild sexual activity is one of this novel's most innocent and endearing qualities.
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What's the story?
INFINITE SKY details the troubled actions of two teens and their father after their mother/his wife leaves the family. Thirteen-year-old Iris can't stand the excessive attentions of "concerned" friends and only feels comfortable in the company of a teen boy whose family of Irish travelers has temporarily settled in the vacant lot next to her family's farm. Iris's brother, Sam, falls in with some violent thugs, and he and the kids' father, Thomas, take their anger and frustrations out on the travelers. As Iris and her traveler boyfriend, Trick, grow closer, tensions mount between their families, and Iris ends up caught in the middle when everything explodes.
Is it any good?
C.J. Flood's debut novel, Infinite Sky, is an emotionally compelling story of first love and family tension. Iris' shy feelings about Trick are relatable and sweet, especially set against all the pain and violence in her life.
Flood's writing is long on details, and she perhaps overdoes it a bit, especially in the last quarter of the book, but the characters have lots of heart, and the story takes a refreshingly complex view of right and wrong.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about family breakups. How does Infinite Sky compare with other books you've read about families breaking up?
Is the violence in Infinite Sky important to the story or is it over the top?
Why is Thomas so set against the Irish travelers? Why is it so important to him for Iris to side with him?
Book details
- Author: C.J. Flood
- Genre: Emotions
- Topics: Friendship, Misfits and Underdogs
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Atheneum
- Publication date: May 20, 2014
- Number of pages: 256
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
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