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Earthbound Hearts
There was once a mysterious girl hidden away in a blue roofed house harbouring a magical secret.
There was once another girl too stubborn to let her get away with that.
Skye Eaton has been obsessed with the blue roof girl since she was eight, much to the dismay of all the adults around her. Spreading constant rumors about a housebound child isn't exactly a good look. Until one day, miraculously, she hears back from her. Skye has been obsessed with the blue roof girl since she was eight, but it's not until the two start up a secret correspondence that she finds herself incapable of not thinking about her.
With high school coming to an end, Skye's counting down the days until she can escape their small town. If only she wasn't in love with a girl who's never walked past her doorstep.
Earthbound Hearts is YA autistic magical realism following two girls trying to navigate falling in love amongst fitting in, counteracting curses, and deciding where they want to belong.
There was once another girl too stubborn to let her get away with that.
Skye Eaton has been obsessed with the blue roof girl since she was eight, much to the dismay of all the adults around her. Spreading constant rumors about a housebound child isn't exactly a good look. Until one day, miraculously, she hears back from her. Skye has been obsessed with the blue roof girl since she was eight, but it's not until the two start up a secret correspondence that she finds herself incapable of not thinking about her.
With high school coming to an end, Skye's counting down the days until she can escape their small town. If only she wasn't in love with a girl who's never walked past her doorstep.
Earthbound Hearts is YA autistic magical realism following two girls trying to navigate falling in love amongst fitting in, counteracting curses, and deciding where they want to belong.
243 pages, Paperback
Published January 8, 2023
3 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
Alex Nonymous
26 books560 followersAlex is trying to publish 22 sapphic YA books before she turns 22. The only flaw in the plan so far is that they only finished 1 before turning 20...
He uses any pronouns so its incredibly easy to talk about Alex behind her back (just please stop adding me to 'women writers' lists oh my god) and they're still trying to figure out how to present themself as a professional a full year into publishing.
If you want to join their email list for updates on book release dates, early reader copies, and to vote on genre polls to control the next book they write, email them at alexnonymouswrites@gmail.com to let her know!
Alex also writes books for queer teenagers and recognizes that a lot of the people who need those kinds of stories the most can't safely be purchasing them, fill out this form for free discrete ecopies of anything he's written! https://forms.gle/ZSAoMh59oLVjz97F8
He uses any pronouns so its incredibly easy to talk about Alex behind her back (just please stop adding me to 'women writers' lists oh my god) and they're still trying to figure out how to present themself as a professional a full year into publishing.
If you want to join their email list for updates on book release dates, early reader copies, and to vote on genre polls to control the next book they write, email them at alexnonymouswrites@gmail.com to let her know!
Alex also writes books for queer teenagers and recognizes that a lot of the people who need those kinds of stories the most can't safely be purchasing them, fill out this form for free discrete ecopies of anything he's written! https://forms.gle/ZSAoMh59oLVjz97F8
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 20, 2022
Early reader copies now out!
April 6, 2024
Rep: asexual lesbian main character, autistic sapphic main character, f/f relationship, trans girl side character
CW:
This book follows two girls, Skye and Sadie, childhood pen pals who despite falling for each other have solely communicated through email their entire lives. Now in their last year of high school, Skye manages to convince Sadie to come outside and meet her face to face for the first time, upon which Skye finds out that there was a very good reason why Sadie had until then spent most of her life indoors.
This book can be described as a love letter to stimming and other ways that autistic people authentically express themselves. Sadie is autistic. It isn't her autism that leads her to stay hidden away from the world, it's what comes of her being made to feel like she absolutely has to mask and keep all her autistic traits hidden. Throughout the book she grows in confidence and comfort in being herself, and the final line of the book had me smiling really really hard. Also, as I said immediately upon finishing the book, there's a certain line that Sadie says that upon reading it I had to stop and stare at my ceiling for a bit because I felt it so hard.
Skye was also a really great character! She's driven, curious, academically successful due largely to the hard work she puts in towards achieving her goals, and she's rather unpopular with her teachers due to her unwillingness to be talked down to or treated like she's inferior. I had a lot of fun reading from her perspective!
One of the most significant side characters is Skye's best friend Isaac. Isaac is a trans girl and the only person she's come out to at all is Skye. Nobody else knows that Isaac is trans, and she evidently hasn't chosen a new name yet and is at the point of the book is uncertain as to whether or not she's even going to. This is my first time seeing a character like Isaac and I really hope it's not the last. Trans people are under no obligation to tell everyone immediately, or change our names, or do anything if we don't want to or aren't ready to. At any given moment there are loads of real trans people out there who are in the same kind of in-between stage that Isaac is in, and they deserve to be acknowledged as well as the trans people who have everything figured out including a new publicly usable gender-matching name. There's room for all of us.
Aside from her gender, Isaac is just a great character. She's the go-to leader of her and Skye's friendship group for very good reason.
Also, Isaac being in this in-between stage in her transition is thematically resonant with the rest of the book. The group are in their last year of high school, they're about to start applying to universities, their friendship group may or may not survive graduation, and the relationship between Skye and Sadie is developing and changing rapidly. The whole book feels like a snapshot in the lives of the characters as they're just starting to become the people they're going to be, and I really loved that!
I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for queer contemporary with fantasy elements or who are looking for more autistic rep in the books they pick up!
i read an early reader copy so that quote might change before publication but this is my formal request for this quote to NOT be changed because when i read that i had to put the book down for a minute while i stared at the ceiling and Recovered™
CW:
This book follows two girls, Skye and Sadie, childhood pen pals who despite falling for each other have solely communicated through email their entire lives. Now in their last year of high school, Skye manages to convince Sadie to come outside and meet her face to face for the first time, upon which Skye finds out that there was a very good reason why Sadie had until then spent most of her life indoors.
This book can be described as a love letter to stimming and other ways that autistic people authentically express themselves. Sadie is autistic. It isn't her autism that leads her to stay hidden away from the world, it's what comes of her being made to feel like she absolutely has to mask and keep all her autistic traits hidden. Throughout the book she grows in confidence and comfort in being herself, and the final line of the book had me smiling really really hard. Also, as I said immediately upon finishing the book, there's a certain line that Sadie says that upon reading it I had to stop and stare at my ceiling for a bit because I felt it so hard.
Skye was also a really great character! She's driven, curious, academically successful due largely to the hard work she puts in towards achieving her goals, and she's rather unpopular with her teachers due to her unwillingness to be talked down to or treated like she's inferior. I had a lot of fun reading from her perspective!
One of the most significant side characters is Skye's best friend Isaac. Isaac is a trans girl and the only person she's come out to at all is Skye. Nobody else knows that Isaac is trans, and she evidently hasn't chosen a new name yet and is at the point of the book is uncertain as to whether or not she's even going to. This is my first time seeing a character like Isaac and I really hope it's not the last. Trans people are under no obligation to tell everyone immediately, or change our names, or do anything if we don't want to or aren't ready to. At any given moment there are loads of real trans people out there who are in the same kind of in-between stage that Isaac is in, and they deserve to be acknowledged as well as the trans people who have everything figured out including a new publicly usable gender-matching name. There's room for all of us.
Aside from her gender, Isaac is just a great character. She's the go-to leader of her and Skye's friendship group for very good reason.
Also, Isaac being in this in-between stage in her transition is thematically resonant with the rest of the book. The group are in their last year of high school, they're about to start applying to universities, their friendship group may or may not survive graduation, and the relationship between Skye and Sadie is developing and changing rapidly. The whole book feels like a snapshot in the lives of the characters as they're just starting to become the people they're going to be, and I really loved that!
I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for queer contemporary with fantasy elements or who are looking for more autistic rep in the books they pick up!
i read an early reader copy so that quote might change before publication but this is my formal request for this quote to NOT be changed because when i read that i had to put the book down for a minute while i stared at the ceiling and Recovered™
June 25, 2024
I'd like to file an official complaint with Alex for making me cry
This book is so wholesome, and lovely, and weird in the best possible way
This book is so wholesome, and lovely, and weird in the best possible way
featured
January 22, 2025Skye Eaton from Earthbound Hearts is asexual!
https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
https://www.tumblr.com/aspeccharacter...
January 3, 2023
Happy I was able to early read this, and also happy to be able to call it my first read of 2023 :)
I really enjoyed the difference between Sadie's and Skye's povs, I also really loved them as characters in general, and all the characters just felt so real and so well written and I loved the dynamic of Skye's friend group, they really felt like real people and I loved all of them.
The rep is, as usual with Alex's books, amazing. Lesbian, asexual, trans, sapphic, autistic... mouah. Just. Chef's kisses.
Also, about the autism, just wanted to add I spent a really big part of the book trying to understand which one of them was autistic lmao
I really enjoyed the difference between Sadie's and Skye's povs, I also really loved them as characters in general, and all the characters just felt so real and so well written and I loved the dynamic of Skye's friend group, they really felt like real people and I loved all of them.
The rep is, as usual with Alex's books, amazing. Lesbian, asexual, trans, sapphic, autistic... mouah. Just. Chef's kisses.
Also, about the autism, just wanted to add I spent a really big part of the book trying to understand which one of them was autistic lmao
January 6, 2023
Thanks to the author for letting me early read this book! I absolutely loved it.
The autistic rep was great and I just felt very understood! The main relationship was super cute and it was really nice to see them figuring out what was best for each other and what each other wanted from the relationship.
The autistic rep was great and I just felt very understood! The main relationship was super cute and it was really nice to see them figuring out what was best for each other and what each other wanted from the relationship.
May 10, 2024
I truly loved this book, and honestly I want to keep reading this authors books until there are no more left to read. I love the writing, I love the inclusivity, and I really love the characters. I am not one to get giddy about romance in books, but this book made me want to jump up and down from excitement for the characters.
December 22, 2022
I read the early reader copy and absolutely loved it! I am so emotionally invested in Skye and Sadie. Very relatable as a queer human in Ontario who dreamed of getting out of a small town and going somewhere with a more queer community ❤️ highly recommend and it was such an enjoyable read
July 13, 2023
AWEEEEEEE SADIE!!!!!! 💜💜💜
I loved this book, it was beautiful and lyrical!! I want a “where are they now” when they are in college or all grown up. This book is one of my faves of the year.
I loved this book, it was beautiful and lyrical!! I want a “where are they now” when they are in college or all grown up. This book is one of my faves of the year.
August 26, 2023
This is just the most wholesome, joyous book. It has genuine, unforced queer romance, ace rep, autism rep, neurodivergent rep, and trans rep. Spoilers ahead.
Skye has been obsessed with the blue roof girl her whole life. From the time she was in kindergarten to now (in her senior year), Skye has wanted to know all about Sadie. Skye is quick to anger and therefore no teacher wants to write her a reference letter for college, but the fact of the matter is Skye has worked really hard for her good grades, and she’s not going to let her own personality sabotage her. So she sets out to convince a teacher that she can run a book club. She enlists blue roof girl’s (SADIE’s) and her friends’ help, and the teachers eat it up because who doesn’t want to have the girl who’s been a recluse and is possibly ill in their club?
But blue roof girl (SADIE) has a secret. She can float—in fact, she floats so much sometimes she can’t NOT float. And also she’s autistic.
This is written so well, and it’s so heartwarming and sweet without being preachy or goody-goody.
Highly recommend.
Skye has been obsessed with the blue roof girl her whole life. From the time she was in kindergarten to now (in her senior year), Skye has wanted to know all about Sadie. Skye is quick to anger and therefore no teacher wants to write her a reference letter for college, but the fact of the matter is Skye has worked really hard for her good grades, and she’s not going to let her own personality sabotage her. So she sets out to convince a teacher that she can run a book club. She enlists blue roof girl’s (SADIE’s) and her friends’ help, and the teachers eat it up because who doesn’t want to have the girl who’s been a recluse and is possibly ill in their club?
But blue roof girl (SADIE) has a secret. She can float—in fact, she floats so much sometimes she can’t NOT float. And also she’s autistic.
This is written so well, and it’s so heartwarming and sweet without being preachy or goody-goody.
Highly recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2022
Rating: 4/5
Thank you to the author for allowing me to early read Earthbound Hearts!
Pros:
-I liked the two different POVS and thought it was nice we got to see both characters perspectives
-the element of mystery with Sadie and why she in always in her room kept me engaged in the story and I wanted to find out what was going to happen next
-the short chapters were nice
Cons:
-I found the beginning a little bit slow
Thank you to the author for allowing me to early read Earthbound Hearts!
Pros:
-I liked the two different POVS and thought it was nice we got to see both characters perspectives
-the element of mystery with Sadie and why she in always in her room kept me engaged in the story and I wanted to find out what was going to happen next
-the short chapters were nice
Cons:
-I found the beginning a little bit slow
September 23, 2023
I'll be honest for most of this book I was gonna give it 4 stars, it was great but the real spark felt like it hit near the end, I love Sadie so much and I love the low stakes but still important plot, I love the way that it feels so accurate to how real teenagers are (as a teenager myself) and I love the portrayal of Skyes friendgroup n friendship with isaac most of all :))
January 6, 2023
I got the chance to early read this book and had a great time doing so! Such an interesting concept and well developed and displayed. Great rep on many fronts that felt authentic and relatable. The characters were fun and overall was a great read.
May 26, 2023
This book is so good! I really liked Sadie's pov, especially the way the author managed to write such a non-literal narration that never once got confusing.
The whole story was wonderfully written, and I didn't want to stop reading from start to finish.
The whole story was wonderfully written, and I didn't want to stop reading from start to finish.
January 7, 2023
4.75/5
January 15, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up
April 1, 2023
I loved this book so much!! The autistic representation was so good and all the characters were so well written:)
May 30, 2023
Different
Different in a good way. I'm not really sure how to categorize this one. The characters are strangely amazing. The internal and external dialog was fascinating. If you're looking for something a little outside the box, give this a try.
Different in a good way. I'm not really sure how to categorize this one. The characters are strangely amazing. The internal and external dialog was fascinating. If you're looking for something a little outside the box, give this a try.
February 2, 2024
This book is so amazing!!
The representation is so good and relatable :)
The representation is so good and relatable :)
July 4, 2024
This was such a good read and also such a great metaphor for autistic masking. I am both self dx autistic and aroace and it was amazing seeing parts of me represented in this book.
November 9, 2023
Earthbound Hearts has quickly become one of my all-time favourite books. It being described as sapphic+autistic+magical realism was so perfectly up my alley that I had to read it, and I'm so glad I did because it's turned me on to the rest of Alex Nonymous' work which are so consistently excellent that I'm always loaning them out to my friends.
The characters in this book are so true to life and relatable, they act so much like my friends (and not just in a universality of human emotions regardless of situation kind of way that I love, but that they're literally queer Ontarians born in the 2000s) that it elevates my personal experience of the book immensely.
Earthbound Hearts is such a fun romance, and is written in a style that can click with some lucky readers in the most comforting way. I can't recommend it enough!
Minor spoilers ahead.
Though the author has made it clear that he only wrote Sadie as autistic and not Skye, I ended up thinking that Skye was autistic (probably AuDHD) way before I figured out that Sadie was autistic because of how shockingly well Skye's thoughts, actions, and life experience lined up with my own. I still read and think of Skye this way and it's extra nice that Alex is cool with head cannons like these (her tiktok is so fun, check them out).
The similarities between Skye and myself, and those between Sadie and an extremely impactful and formative former partner and current friend of mine, mean that this wonderful book will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you for making this.
The characters in this book are so true to life and relatable, they act so much like my friends (and not just in a universality of human emotions regardless of situation kind of way that I love, but that they're literally queer Ontarians born in the 2000s) that it elevates my personal experience of the book immensely.
Earthbound Hearts is such a fun romance, and is written in a style that can click with some lucky readers in the most comforting way. I can't recommend it enough!
Minor spoilers ahead.
Though the author has made it clear that he only wrote Sadie as autistic and not Skye, I ended up thinking that Skye was autistic (probably AuDHD) way before I figured out that Sadie was autistic because of how shockingly well Skye's thoughts, actions, and life experience lined up with my own. I still read and think of Skye this way and it's extra nice that Alex is cool with head cannons like these (her tiktok is so fun, check them out).
The similarities between Skye and myself, and those between Sadie and an extremely impactful and formative former partner and current friend of mine, mean that this wonderful book will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you for making this.
January 6, 2025
This was a beautiful story, i loved every second of reading it!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews