Split the Sky
- Vanessa Bettencourt
- Sep 13
- 2 min read
5 reasons to read...
Biracial family
Social Pressure
Racism
Activism
Educational, thought-provoking
Book Info:
Split the Sky by Marie Arnold
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Publishing Date: September 9, 2025
Synopsis:
In this haunting story about family, legacy, and sacrifice, a young Black girl living in a Texas sundown town must find the courage to stand up for what’s right even when it means facing impossible choices. Perfect for fans of Nic Stone and The Hate U Give.
Fifteen-year-old Lala Russell is doing a bad job at being a Black girl. She has social justice fatigue, and she doesn’t want to join the Black Alliance Club at her school (even though she agrees with them). A gifted cellist, she’s focused on leaving her small town and accomplishing her goals and dreams. But Lala has also inherited another gift, her grandmother Sadie’s gift of foresight. She has visions of the future—and they always come true. In Davey, the Texas sundown town she lives in, there is growing tension, as a black organization attempts to diversify the nearly all-white part of town. Amidst violent protests, Lala has a vision. In it, a Black teenage boy is shot in the chest by a white homeowner. Now Lala has a find the boy and save him.But Grandma Sadie has a vision too. After the boy’s murder, a wave of protests breaks out. And the outrage over the casual and frequent slaying of unarmed Black children will result in unprecedented change. Change that won’t happen if the vision is altered. Lala is faced with an existential question—can she allow herself to sacrifice one life to, in turn, save many? And if so, whose life will she choose?
Content Warning: racism, murder, grief, racial injustice
Book Links:
About the Author:
Marie Arnold was born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, and came to America at the age of seven. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York alongside her extended family. Marie enjoys creating stories full of adventure and wonder that center on girls of color. When she’s not writing, she’s adding to her insanely long Netflix queue and trying not to order pizza. She lives in Los Angeles, California. She is the author of The Year I Flew Away and I Rise.
Author Links:
Twitter: https://x.com/mariearnoldbook
@topplingstackstours #SplitTheSky #TopplingStacksTours #MarieArnold
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