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Few Blue Skies
In her latest novel, Pura Belpré Award–winning author Carolina Ixta weaves a tender story about love and hope, following a teen as she works to protect her family and community from a major corporation taking over her town.
Paloma Vistamontes is heartbroken. A year ago, her ex-boyfriend, Julio Ramos, broke up with her after his father’s death, a tragedy that drove Paloma and him apart. Ever since then, the mountains have felt flatter, the sky farther away.
Now, her hometown of San Fermín, a place where honest people work on farms and in factories, is in danger. Selva, a massive e-commerce conglomerate, threatens to open one of their warehouses beside her high school.
This isn’t the first time they’ve done this. Since Selva arrived, they’ve opened warehouses everywhere where there used to be green spaces. Because of them, the air pollution is so bad that school is often canceled. Many people, including Paloma’s ever-practical Ma, want to leave.
But Paloma wants nothing more than to stay. Because when the smog clears, there is still hope. That hope drives Paloma to reconnect with Julio to expose and challenge the dangers that Selva introduces to communities like their own. Can they stop Selva from destroying everything they know? Is there still a chance for their budding romance?
Paloma Vistamontes is heartbroken. A year ago, her ex-boyfriend, Julio Ramos, broke up with her after his father’s death, a tragedy that drove Paloma and him apart. Ever since then, the mountains have felt flatter, the sky farther away.
Now, her hometown of San Fermín, a place where honest people work on farms and in factories, is in danger. Selva, a massive e-commerce conglomerate, threatens to open one of their warehouses beside her high school.
This isn’t the first time they’ve done this. Since Selva arrived, they’ve opened warehouses everywhere where there used to be green spaces. Because of them, the air pollution is so bad that school is often canceled. Many people, including Paloma’s ever-practical Ma, want to leave.
But Paloma wants nothing more than to stay. Because when the smog clears, there is still hope. That hope drives Paloma to reconnect with Julio to expose and challenge the dangers that Selva introduces to communities like their own. Can they stop Selva from destroying everything they know? Is there still a chance for their budding romance?
384 pages, Hardcover
First published February 3, 2026
About the author
Carolina Ixta
2 books117 followersCarolina Ixta is a writer from Oakland, California. A daughter of Mexican immigrants, she received her B.A. in Creative Writing and Spanish Language and Literature at the University of California, Santa Cruz and obtained her Master's degree in Education at the University of California, Berkeley. She is currently an elementary school teacher whose pedagogy centers critical race theory at the primary education level. Shut Up, This is Serious is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 6, 2025
Definitely pick this up if you feel a little nauseous every time you see an Am*z*n truck.
There’s a lot of good messaging in here about making difficult choices, learning to apologize when you’re wrong, and standing up for what you believe in. I couldn’t help comparing this book to Shut Up, This is Serious, which I absolutely adored, and I found the conception, pacing, and tone relatively lacking. Still a great addition to the YA canon. And I think my reading mood and general attitude towards to world right now made it out to be a little heavier and flatter than it is.
There’s a lot of good messaging in here about making difficult choices, learning to apologize when you’re wrong, and standing up for what you believe in. I couldn’t help comparing this book to Shut Up, This is Serious, which I absolutely adored, and I found the conception, pacing, and tone relatively lacking. Still a great addition to the YA canon. And I think my reading mood and general attitude towards to world right now made it out to be a little heavier and flatter than it is.
April 7, 2026
This book is stunning, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from Carolina!! The way she engages with nuance and tells the stories of kids is beautiful. She gives teenagers the credit they deserve for making hard choices, being engaged in the world around them, and having emotions and concerns. This credit that is often denied them by adults. I will thinking about this book for a while. A side note: the cover is gorgeous too.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved Shut Up, This Is Serious and so I picked this one up. It is about a young woman, Paloma, who lives in Southern California's Inland Empire, where farms are being replaced by warehouses. Her father works for the company (a thin stand in for A*az*n), and the whole town is impacted by poor air quality resulting from all the diesel trucks. Her father has developed asthma and her mother is begging him to move. He refuses to do so because he is the leader of a strike. Her ex-boyfriend's father died and her best friend's father also works for the company. Paloma has strong convictions and has to learn to navigate all of these relationships with friends and family, who have different positions regarding the company. I learned a lot from this book. I did not know about these company towns until I read the book. This one is not as poignant or sharp as Ms. Ixta's first novel.
March 24, 2026
Is Selva a bit too on the nose for Amazon? Sure! But I really appreciated the education on environmental redlining, how the educational element doesn’t talk down to teens, and how authentically heartbreak and impossible choices are portrayed. Such a great cast of characters, and such a nuanced portrayal of a place hard to love. Really came alive to me.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Richie’s Picks: FEW BLUE SKIES by Carolina Ixta, HarperCollins/Quill Tree, February 2026, 384p., ISBN: 978-0-06-328791-4
“Just go out for a breath of air
And you’ll be ready for Medicare
The city streets are really quite a thrill
If the hoods don’t get you, the monoxide will.”
– Tom Lehrer, “Pollution” (1965)
“[W]hat I have grown to learn through my own time in academia, in reading, and in research is that the racism in urban planning, the process of developing a city’s infrastructure, is never coincidental. The location of city dumps, the location of highways, and the location of warehouses are always strategically planned.”
— Author’s Note
(This book was inspired by the author’s learning that an Inland Empire community approved construction of a warehouse next to the local high school.)
Issues of social, economic, and environmental justice permeate FEW BLUE SKIES, a contemporary tale for tweens and teens that is set in southern California’s Inland Empire. Two teens who have known each other forever–and share a sweet, innocent past together–team up on a research project tied to a lucrative scholarship contest. The topic of their research is personal for both of them. It relates to their dads’ respective respiratory illnesses that certainly seem to stem from working in the community’s pollution-belching warehouse operations. It’s a story that illustrates injustices stemming from the siting of health-threatening industries in low income communities. It also shows how a prosperous corporation can readily work the system to the detriment of the people and community involved.
“Where most people had family photos pinned to the fridge, my ma had newspaper clippings of homes for rent back in her hometown. They all looked the same: jaws of gates, stucco walls, terra-cotta tiles, an hour from here, away from all the warehouses, away from all the smog.
I could imagine her at work, sitting in a corner booth, poring over them in her break–a pair of scissors in her hand as she cut fantasy from paper.
‘How can we stay here?’ my ma asks, watching as my papa crosses into the kitchen. I hand him his water and he ushers us to all sit at the kitchen table. My ma sets her elbows against the surface, presses her fingers tight against her temples. ‘She’s putting them everywhere.’
She tilts her head toward the living room, where the news is still on, where the mayor is still smiling. The volume is low, and I want so badly to get up and turn it off. To not know.
But not knowing feels worse than knowing.
I glimpse at the mayor who has divided the city, the community, my family, in half. She began her term twelve years ago and has yet to be voted out, funneling her quiet Selva donations to bolster her reelection campaigns every cycle.
But what my ma is saying isn’t true. The mayor wasn’t putting them everywhere.
On the north side, where Mayor Warner lived, there were no warehouses. There were parks, there were gardens, there were trees.
But on the south side, where most of the Latino and Black residents lived, we have warehouses.”
In FEW BLUE SKIES, the smog that is connected to the logistics industry and all those warehouses has created a life-and-death situation for Paloma’s and Julio’s dads, along with others living and working on the south side of town. Together, the two teens employ disciplined science research techniques in order to develop empirical proof of the harm being done, as they seek to win the scholarship contest that could provide the funds Julio needs in order to attend UC Davis.
The story also does a stellar job of delving into the web of relationships between the two teens, their friends, parents, and community members.
Filled with first love, political corruption, heartbreaking tragedy, a look at how online shopping is causing big changes in our world, some jaw-dropping surprises, and some heartbreaking choices, FEW BLUE SKIES is a powerful, relevant, and thoroughly-engaging read that will leave readers pondering how they might act and react in similar circumstances.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
“Just go out for a breath of air
And you’ll be ready for Medicare
The city streets are really quite a thrill
If the hoods don’t get you, the monoxide will.”
– Tom Lehrer, “Pollution” (1965)
“[W]hat I have grown to learn through my own time in academia, in reading, and in research is that the racism in urban planning, the process of developing a city’s infrastructure, is never coincidental. The location of city dumps, the location of highways, and the location of warehouses are always strategically planned.”
— Author’s Note
(This book was inspired by the author’s learning that an Inland Empire community approved construction of a warehouse next to the local high school.)
Issues of social, economic, and environmental justice permeate FEW BLUE SKIES, a contemporary tale for tweens and teens that is set in southern California’s Inland Empire. Two teens who have known each other forever–and share a sweet, innocent past together–team up on a research project tied to a lucrative scholarship contest. The topic of their research is personal for both of them. It relates to their dads’ respective respiratory illnesses that certainly seem to stem from working in the community’s pollution-belching warehouse operations. It’s a story that illustrates injustices stemming from the siting of health-threatening industries in low income communities. It also shows how a prosperous corporation can readily work the system to the detriment of the people and community involved.
“Where most people had family photos pinned to the fridge, my ma had newspaper clippings of homes for rent back in her hometown. They all looked the same: jaws of gates, stucco walls, terra-cotta tiles, an hour from here, away from all the warehouses, away from all the smog.
I could imagine her at work, sitting in a corner booth, poring over them in her break–a pair of scissors in her hand as she cut fantasy from paper.
‘How can we stay here?’ my ma asks, watching as my papa crosses into the kitchen. I hand him his water and he ushers us to all sit at the kitchen table. My ma sets her elbows against the surface, presses her fingers tight against her temples. ‘She’s putting them everywhere.’
She tilts her head toward the living room, where the news is still on, where the mayor is still smiling. The volume is low, and I want so badly to get up and turn it off. To not know.
But not knowing feels worse than knowing.
I glimpse at the mayor who has divided the city, the community, my family, in half. She began her term twelve years ago and has yet to be voted out, funneling her quiet Selva donations to bolster her reelection campaigns every cycle.
But what my ma is saying isn’t true. The mayor wasn’t putting them everywhere.
On the north side, where Mayor Warner lived, there were no warehouses. There were parks, there were gardens, there were trees.
But on the south side, where most of the Latino and Black residents lived, we have warehouses.”
In FEW BLUE SKIES, the smog that is connected to the logistics industry and all those warehouses has created a life-and-death situation for Paloma’s and Julio’s dads, along with others living and working on the south side of town. Together, the two teens employ disciplined science research techniques in order to develop empirical proof of the harm being done, as they seek to win the scholarship contest that could provide the funds Julio needs in order to attend UC Davis.
The story also does a stellar job of delving into the web of relationships between the two teens, their friends, parents, and community members.
Filled with first love, political corruption, heartbreaking tragedy, a look at how online shopping is causing big changes in our world, some jaw-dropping surprises, and some heartbreaking choices, FEW BLUE SKIES is a powerful, relevant, and thoroughly-engaging read that will leave readers pondering how they might act and react in similar circumstances.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
December 9, 2025
Title: Few Blue Skies
Author: Carolina Ixta
Publisher: Harper Audio Children/Quill Tree Books
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Karla Serrato
Genre: YA/Teen
Audiobook Pub Date: February 3, 2026
My Rating: 4.4 Stars
Pages; 384
Paloma Vistamontes lives in an area in Southern California know as the Inland Empire. The people who live in this area are hardworking people many work in the LA area but it is less expensive to live the 40 miles so in Riverside County.
Her hometown is the fictional town San Fermín, a place where honest people work on farms and in factories. Now their land is in danger as Selva, a massive e-commerce conglomerate, threatens to open one of their mega warehouses beside her high school.
A year ago, Paloma and her now ex-boyfriend, Julio Ramos, broke up. Julio’s father had died and his death drove he and Paloma apart.
Since Selva arrived, they’ve opened warehouses everywhere where there used to be green spaces. Because of them, the air pollution is so bad that school is often canceled. Many people, including Paloma’s Ma, want to leave.
Story is twofold as we follow Paloma in her quest to make the community safe also her relationship with Julio,
Paloma and Julia have been best friends for a long time; they are very intelligent and have applied to college. They are accepted =she to University of California, Riverside which is near where she lives and Julia applied to UC Davis as they have a ‘plant and soil ‘major that highly interest him. Davis is further north so will be more expensive. As they look for way to pay for college they discover a wonderful full ride scholarship via the Community Care Program. Paloma does extensive research the negative impact the big warehouses have on the environment.
The major is very much in favor of allowing the warehouses to be built and next to the school is a large area. She sees it as bring many joys to the community.
I wasn’t expected this story to be as educational as it was. The author note is Great- a must read. She tells as her inspiration as well as her research on both the warehouses as well as the difficulty for poor families to find funding for higher education.
Additionally the narrator Karla Serrato was great!
Want to thank NetGalley and HarperAudio Children/Quill Tree Books for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 3, 2026.
Author: Carolina Ixta
Publisher: Harper Audio Children/Quill Tree Books
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Karla Serrato
Genre: YA/Teen
Audiobook Pub Date: February 3, 2026
My Rating: 4.4 Stars
Pages; 384
Paloma Vistamontes lives in an area in Southern California know as the Inland Empire. The people who live in this area are hardworking people many work in the LA area but it is less expensive to live the 40 miles so in Riverside County.
Her hometown is the fictional town San Fermín, a place where honest people work on farms and in factories. Now their land is in danger as Selva, a massive e-commerce conglomerate, threatens to open one of their mega warehouses beside her high school.
A year ago, Paloma and her now ex-boyfriend, Julio Ramos, broke up. Julio’s father had died and his death drove he and Paloma apart.
Since Selva arrived, they’ve opened warehouses everywhere where there used to be green spaces. Because of them, the air pollution is so bad that school is often canceled. Many people, including Paloma’s Ma, want to leave.
Story is twofold as we follow Paloma in her quest to make the community safe also her relationship with Julio,
Paloma and Julia have been best friends for a long time; they are very intelligent and have applied to college. They are accepted =she to University of California, Riverside which is near where she lives and Julia applied to UC Davis as they have a ‘plant and soil ‘major that highly interest him. Davis is further north so will be more expensive. As they look for way to pay for college they discover a wonderful full ride scholarship via the Community Care Program. Paloma does extensive research the negative impact the big warehouses have on the environment.
The major is very much in favor of allowing the warehouses to be built and next to the school is a large area. She sees it as bring many joys to the community.
I wasn’t expected this story to be as educational as it was. The author note is Great- a must read. She tells as her inspiration as well as her research on both the warehouses as well as the difficulty for poor families to find funding for higher education.
Additionally the narrator Karla Serrato was great!
Want to thank NetGalley and HarperAudio Children/Quill Tree Books for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 3, 2026.
February 26, 2026
Few Blue Skies deals with issues of social change, environmental impact, and romance for teens. The book follows Paloma, a teen girl living in the town of San Fermin, which is essentially controlled by an Amazon-esque company called Selva. The Selva company promises economic opportunity for the citizens of San Fermin, but fails to deliver on fair working conditions for its employees, while also destroying open space and the environment around it. Paloma has never known a world without poor air quality, waking up to severe nosebleeds, and seeing her family and friends suffer the consequences of breathing in Selva’s airborne toxins. When the chance to present on a local environmental issue—and compete for a generous scholarship—comes up, Paloma recruits her former friend Julio to help with research. Together, they aim to win the scholarship, reveal the dangers of Selva to their community, and halt the construction of a new Selva warehouse planned for the field beside their school. As Paloma’s feelings for Julio grow, she must decide if she wants to follow her heart, or put aside her emotions for the good of her community. Paloma and her family are of Mexican origin, and most of the cast are coded as being of either Mexican or Latine heritage.
I truly enjoyed this book, and how Ixta tackled difficult subjects in a manner accessible to teen readers. I thought that Paloma was a very well-crafted character, portraying a teen who has to balance fighting a major corporation with more local issues, like friendship troubles, first love, and family drama. She wasn’t perfect, but her mistakes added to her relatability, and her perseverance in making impossible choices for the betterment of her community made her very sympathetic. I felt that the emphasis on labor issues as a theme worked really well, and will introduce readers to the concept of strikes and unions. The prose was absolutely beautiful, and Ixta has the rare talent of being able to write fresh dialogue that will appeal to teens without feeling dated or cringey. Lines like “But it feels right for this season and its promised duality: to arrive means something had to have gone” convey profoundness, creating a stand-out novel in a sea of YA literature. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
I truly enjoyed this book, and how Ixta tackled difficult subjects in a manner accessible to teen readers. I thought that Paloma was a very well-crafted character, portraying a teen who has to balance fighting a major corporation with more local issues, like friendship troubles, first love, and family drama. She wasn’t perfect, but her mistakes added to her relatability, and her perseverance in making impossible choices for the betterment of her community made her very sympathetic. I felt that the emphasis on labor issues as a theme worked really well, and will introduce readers to the concept of strikes and unions. The prose was absolutely beautiful, and Ixta has the rare talent of being able to write fresh dialogue that will appeal to teens without feeling dated or cringey. Lines like “But it feels right for this season and its promised duality: to arrive means something had to have gone” convey profoundness, creating a stand-out novel in a sea of YA literature. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
August 9, 2025
Having read and loved Ixta's Shut Up, This Is Serious, I had high hopes for Few Blue Skies. For the most part I feel that those were met. Slightly more speculative in setting than her debut, Carolina Ixta's newest novel is just as heartfelt, true, and important. Her teenage protagonist is dealing with all kinds of grief and stress. Alongside her college applications, scholarship season, weirdness with her best friend, and dealing with the fallout of a breakup, Paloma is negotiating the changes brought to her hometown by mega-conglomerate Selva, whose abysmal work conditions have contributed to rising rates of asthma and lung cancer in her hometown. Her ex is grieving the loss of his father, but things are off between them because they haven't talked since the funeral. Her own dad's striking to improve conditions, but only getting sicker, and it's making things complicated with him and Paloma's mother.
What a complex situation. What a difficult place to be put in. Paloma navigates it all with a huge amount of stubborn, tenacious independence that really reminds me of Belén from Ixta's first novel. I will say the only minor issue I had was that the writing style of short paragraphs, sometimes only 1-2 sentences a piece, didn't work as well for me... but as the plot picked up I felt myself immerse more and that became less of a distraction. It's also a personal preference, not an actual problem I had with the book! I'll be recommending to speculative fiction and cli-fi readers, fans of Ixta's debut, and teen activists.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's for the ARC.
What a complex situation. What a difficult place to be put in. Paloma navigates it all with a huge amount of stubborn, tenacious independence that really reminds me of Belén from Ixta's first novel. I will say the only minor issue I had was that the writing style of short paragraphs, sometimes only 1-2 sentences a piece, didn't work as well for me... but as the plot picked up I felt myself immerse more and that became less of a distraction. It's also a personal preference, not an actual problem I had with the book! I'll be recommending to speculative fiction and cli-fi readers, fans of Ixta's debut, and teen activists.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's for the ARC.
March 2, 2026
This is such a sad and beautiful story that's both dystopian and relevant at once. Ixta's stunning writing brings her characters and the southwestern setting to life. Seriously, I have a new favorite author after listening to this audiobook. (The narration is PERFECT btw!)
I am a sucker for s 2nd chance romance AND childhood friends, so I was rooting for Paloma and Julio from the very beginning. Not going to lie, I was frustrated with Julio at first for his actions, but...then I remembered that this is a YA story, and my frustration soon dissipated. Ixta creates a world and situation for her teenage characters that I cannot even fathom to begin how I would have handled as a younger version of myself. I loved all of the characters and the importance that family played in the main characters' lives. This aspect is very different from my own experience, and I love being exposed to that. You know, healing my inner child and all.
Ixta combines her characters' growth with important themes of anti-industrialism (and capitalism), pride in community, racism, and poverty within a touching story. I REALLY liked the social justice aspect of the story, especially in our world where certain river companies dominate everything. I'm excited to recommend this to some of my students who are Mexican American, Latine, and/or into climate change, social justice, and my students that believe in the power of writing.
I loved this!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this alc. This was such a fun listen, and this is my own personal review.
I am a sucker for s 2nd chance romance AND childhood friends, so I was rooting for Paloma and Julio from the very beginning. Not going to lie, I was frustrated with Julio at first for his actions, but...then I remembered that this is a YA story, and my frustration soon dissipated. Ixta creates a world and situation for her teenage characters that I cannot even fathom to begin how I would have handled as a younger version of myself. I loved all of the characters and the importance that family played in the main characters' lives. This aspect is very different from my own experience, and I love being exposed to that. You know, healing my inner child and all.
Ixta combines her characters' growth with important themes of anti-industrialism (and capitalism), pride in community, racism, and poverty within a touching story. I REALLY liked the social justice aspect of the story, especially in our world where certain river companies dominate everything. I'm excited to recommend this to some of my students who are Mexican American, Latine, and/or into climate change, social justice, and my students that believe in the power of writing.
I loved this!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this alc. This was such a fun listen, and this is my own personal review.
April 28, 2026
I bought this book at the suggestion of our local bookstore owner Linda and with the thought that my daughter would find it interesting as she is very environmentally conscious. I did not expect to find myself so drawn in by the familiarity of the storyline regarding warehouses and their impact on the communities they are built in.
Carolina did an excellent job of portraying the Inland Empire, especially when she is not a native here. The settings felt so familiar and comfortable, it truly felt like she was writing about my home. Knowing now that San Fermin was an amalgamation of different parts of the inland empire really shows the amount of time and attention she took in crafting the community she was writing about.
The most thought provoking part of the story is how conflicting the many facets the arguments for and against warehouse development really are. As we learn more about Paloma, Julio. Ale and their families we can truly see how difficult the decisions are that each person and family are facing with the continued presence of Selva in their community. Is there a right answer? Is there one solution? These are the questions the characters face and the real communities deal with every day.
I highly recommend this book and believe it should be taught and discussed in our schools. It’s time we start learning more about the world we are leaving behind for our kids and communities. This book does a great job of highlighting all the facets of this complicated topic.
Carolina did an excellent job of portraying the Inland Empire, especially when she is not a native here. The settings felt so familiar and comfortable, it truly felt like she was writing about my home. Knowing now that San Fermin was an amalgamation of different parts of the inland empire really shows the amount of time and attention she took in crafting the community she was writing about.
The most thought provoking part of the story is how conflicting the many facets the arguments for and against warehouse development really are. As we learn more about Paloma, Julio. Ale and their families we can truly see how difficult the decisions are that each person and family are facing with the continued presence of Selva in their community. Is there a right answer? Is there one solution? These are the questions the characters face and the real communities deal with every day.
I highly recommend this book and believe it should be taught and discussed in our schools. It’s time we start learning more about the world we are leaving behind for our kids and communities. This book does a great job of highlighting all the facets of this complicated topic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2025
Reviewed for IndieNext:
Cli-fi meets romance in this stunning story of the power in staying and fighting for what you love, even when it might be so much easier to leave it all behind. Caroline Ixta's FEW BLUE SKIES follows Paloma, high school journalist, and Julio, budding scientist, as they team up on a research project to expose the data corporation, Selva, that is dangerously polluting their beloved hometown of San Fermín. Paloma adores her town, built by the very workers whose health and safety are being jeopardized through Selva's corruption, and she will do anything to protect it. In poignant YA narrative, Ixta expertly captures the sort of frenzied energy that only exists in the dreams of teenagers, while providing an outlet for and empowering young readers to achieve those aspirations. The resilient protagonist, Paloma, sees hope where others are hopeless, notices beauty in the mundane, and persists in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Full of vivid imagery, evocative dialogue, and swoon-worthy bits, FEW BLUE SKIES is simultaneously a salve and a call to action for our current moment.
Cli-fi meets romance in this stunning story of the power in staying and fighting for what you love, even when it might be so much easier to leave it all behind. Caroline Ixta's FEW BLUE SKIES follows Paloma, high school journalist, and Julio, budding scientist, as they team up on a research project to expose the data corporation, Selva, that is dangerously polluting their beloved hometown of San Fermín. Paloma adores her town, built by the very workers whose health and safety are being jeopardized through Selva's corruption, and she will do anything to protect it. In poignant YA narrative, Ixta expertly captures the sort of frenzied energy that only exists in the dreams of teenagers, while providing an outlet for and empowering young readers to achieve those aspirations. The resilient protagonist, Paloma, sees hope where others are hopeless, notices beauty in the mundane, and persists in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Full of vivid imagery, evocative dialogue, and swoon-worthy bits, FEW BLUE SKIES is simultaneously a salve and a call to action for our current moment.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
There are so many who shop at the river company without any thought to long term ramifications. And aside from the obvious, what isn’t talked about enough, is the destruction of communities, public health and labor issues. Few Blue skies centers two teens who have live in one of those communities and where the company has had such devastating effects on their lives. Paloma and Julio, while working on this project, begin to realize, this isn’t just a black and white issue, but about systemic problems overall. Impossible choices have to be made. This book also brings up, that it’s not that lower income people don’t want to go to college, but affordability and access is the dream, due to high education costs. And, around it all, one can’t help root for both Paloma and Julio. I wouldn’t mind a book 2 to see the change that these two young people will make.
I realize the irony that I am posting on this platform, owned by river company.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I realize the irony that I am posting on this platform, owned by river company.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5. Few Blue Skies is one of those special YA novels that everybody needs to read. I read Shut Up, This is Serious while completing a Young Adult Materials class as part of my MLIS degree and I was so drawn to Ixta’s voice and the passion she has behind everything she writes. I was do excited to read this one.
The topic of this novel is timely and relatable and feels so real throughout the story. The author takes great care in presenting different viewpoints and experiences within a variety of likable characters without making any of the book feel didactic. That takes real skill. I felt like I really connected with all of the characters in some way or another and felt their pain and happiness deeply. The authors note at the end is full of important information. Don’t skip it!
This book will appeal to a wide range of people and although it is written for YA, I think adults will find real value in this story as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
The topic of this novel is timely and relatable and feels so real throughout the story. The author takes great care in presenting different viewpoints and experiences within a variety of likable characters without making any of the book feel didactic. That takes real skill. I felt like I really connected with all of the characters in some way or another and felt their pain and happiness deeply. The authors note at the end is full of important information. Don’t skip it!
This book will appeal to a wide range of people and although it is written for YA, I think adults will find real value in this story as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Paloma’s family is being torn apart by Sela Warehouses. Dad has developed lung problems from working there and is currently doing another job while continuing as a manger for the striking Selva employees. Mom has stopped seeing a future in their central California town and is lobbying hard for everyone to move back to her family home about an hour away so they can work at the family restaurant. Best friend and sometimes boyfriend Julio has been distant since his dad died from warehouse related lung problems. Best friend Ale has been promoted to a manager at Selva as a reward for breaking the strike. Julio invites Paloma to work with him on a competitive research project that could pay for Julio to attend UC Davis, and would help Paloma, though she has already pieced together enough scholarships to go local. Unforgettable characters, searingly difficult moral dilemmas. Consider this for high school book social justice book clubs. Second excellent book by Ixta does not disappoint.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
#FewBlueSkies #NetGalley
Life's not black and white.
Sometimes there's lots of gray.
Paloma, the female character, wrestles with quite a bit.
She may be young but her moral compass is often in conflict with the reality of her circumstances. There's her strained relationship with her mother. How does she navigate a way back to what they were when she is in the center of her parents' marriage imploding. Then there's the larger issue of the self involved mayor against the financial opportunities for a love's better life.
The author gives the reader an uncomfortable, but important front seat to all these choices, Paloma, faces. How these choices impact her and those in her community is a thought provoking one. This read will prod the reader to really consider life that they may not be there reality. It will make the reader think.
This ARC was provided by publisher, HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Life's not black and white.
Sometimes there's lots of gray.
Paloma, the female character, wrestles with quite a bit.
She may be young but her moral compass is often in conflict with the reality of her circumstances. There's her strained relationship with her mother. How does she navigate a way back to what they were when she is in the center of her parents' marriage imploding. Then there's the larger issue of the self involved mayor against the financial opportunities for a love's better life.
The author gives the reader an uncomfortable, but important front seat to all these choices, Paloma, faces. How these choices impact her and those in her community is a thought provoking one. This read will prod the reader to really consider life that they may not be there reality. It will make the reader think.
This ARC was provided by publisher, HarperCollins Children's Books | Quill Tree Books, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 8, 2026
📖 Book Review 📖 Nothing in life is easy; I cannot count on my fingers the amount of time I tell my kids that throughout the week. Being a parent right now is really hard and I can only imagine the struggles of our youth. The news is bleak ya’ll. Carolina Ixta creates a microcosm of our world’s current problems, including environmental pollution from mass consumerism in her latest novel. Few Blue Skies follows the journey of Paloma, heartbroken but still laced with a longing hope for the future ahead of her. This is a powerful read about connection with others and the community, about making an impact on the world around us. It can all feel really overwhelming and that’s okay. Few Blue Skies reminds us that hearts break, forgiveness can heal us, and change starts with small actions and grows into a movement. Channel your inner Joni Mitchell “Big Yellow Taxi” and prepare for a rich and emotional journey with this beautiful read.
February 8, 2026
A social justice story and the story of Paloma's experiences after her father's death fighting back against the reaches of capitalism that keep these factories popping up in their area and affecting the health and safety of those around them.
Paloma ends up teaming up with her ex boyfriend in blowing the lid off the issues that are occurring in part to help her with her aspirations to be in journalism and he has his own aspirations that seems to be a winning pair to showcase the issues that are affecting everyone but others are trying to cover up as a well-meaning and positive thing, including the political administration but it all comes with strings and it's whether they're willing to play by certain rules that will figure into who ends up triumphing.
It's a charged atmosphere mixed with the emotional flashbacks of her father and her relationship.
Paloma ends up teaming up with her ex boyfriend in blowing the lid off the issues that are occurring in part to help her with her aspirations to be in journalism and he has his own aspirations that seems to be a winning pair to showcase the issues that are affecting everyone but others are trying to cover up as a well-meaning and positive thing, including the political administration but it all comes with strings and it's whether they're willing to play by certain rules that will figure into who ends up triumphing.
It's a charged atmosphere mixed with the emotional flashbacks of her father and her relationship.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.5 stars
I know the main characters are teenagers in this, but I couldn't help but talk to them at the end of this book. Especially Paloma, because she was being such a teenager and stuck in her own head. But I think that's good for a YA! It speaks to Ixta's ability to write authentic teenage characters, especially teenage characters who are put into impossible situations.
This book will unsettle you, as it is a commentary on actual companies, even if those company names aren't used. I appreciated the author's note, which points out all of the research that went into this book and the importance of bringing this issue to light. Not sure if it will necessarily be a story that teens are drawn to, but I do still think it's an important story overall.
I know the main characters are teenagers in this, but I couldn't help but talk to them at the end of this book. Especially Paloma, because she was being such a teenager and stuck in her own head. But I think that's good for a YA! It speaks to Ixta's ability to write authentic teenage characters, especially teenage characters who are put into impossible situations.
This book will unsettle you, as it is a commentary on actual companies, even if those company names aren't used. I appreciated the author's note, which points out all of the research that went into this book and the importance of bringing this issue to light. Not sure if it will necessarily be a story that teens are drawn to, but I do still think it's an important story overall.
April 24, 2026
Most of us are very guilty of supporting a corporation that builds massive warehouses that supply an infinite amount of products, and where trucks enter and exit, day in and out. This corporation has basically bought its way into communities, offering and promising economic growth through employment and social programs.
But at a cost.
At its core, this was a romance novel with a social plight in the background… A story of David vs. Goliath, where Goliath will win because they play by their own rules and have better resources.
No happy ending here - except for the fact that the main doesn’t sell her soul, unlike her main squeeze.
Excellent YA novel that I would recommend to teens and adults alike.
But at a cost.
At its core, this was a romance novel with a social plight in the background… A story of David vs. Goliath, where Goliath will win because they play by their own rules and have better resources.
No happy ending here - except for the fact that the main doesn’t sell her soul, unlike her main squeeze.
Excellent YA novel that I would recommend to teens and adults alike.
April 6, 2026
I loved the idea of this book. Aspects of it are great. But I was so frustrated with the protagonist. I sided heavily with the mom character and not with her. She really couldn't see how complex the situation actually was. Also, how could they possibly not realize who this organization was? No one googled them? And even if they were the sponsors, flip the script. Use social media to live stream while "thanking" them doing the bare minimum to clean up the toxic mess they are creating. Call them out publicly while taking their money. Also, why is she signing massive contracts without reading them?
September 22, 2025
An absolute knockout gorgeous read. Official blurb: "Through a wholly drawn narrator and her signature gorgeous prose, Carolina Ixta has crafted both a searing commentary on the human toll of corporate greed and a tender story of a girl navigating first love, family, and an uncertain future. Few Blue Skies is one of those books that reminds me why I love YA. Ixta avoids easy answers and instead offers a blueprint to readers on what it means to ask questions, to find community, to be an advocate—and, above all, to hold onto hope for a better tomorrow."
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I chose to start reading this book because I thought I would learn something and wow oh wow did I both learn something AND fall in love with the characters and all of their complexities. Things are never quite as simple as you may think, we all have such difficult choices to make.
If you’re on the fence about reading this, check out the authors note. I loved the way such a heavy topic was turned fictionalized to bring out the humanity of it all. This kind of book (and this book specifically) are so important.
Thanks libro.fm, Quill Tree Books, and Carolina Ixta for the ALC :)
If you’re on the fence about reading this, check out the authors note. I loved the way such a heavy topic was turned fictionalized to bring out the humanity of it all. This kind of book (and this book specifically) are so important.
Thanks libro.fm, Quill Tree Books, and Carolina Ixta for the ALC :)
March 20, 2026
This is a great introduction to environmental activism/concerns, and the ethical dilemma one might feel in that situation for teenage readers. There is a romance in this book, but it's a friendship that develops overtime and is clean. This momma approves 14+ and I hope it encourages my readers to think critically about their community and their responsibilities toward its improvement.
*** I won a free copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. ***
*** I won a free copy of this book through a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. ***
February 12, 2026
Audiobooked: Another book by this author that I believe should be taught in the classroom. I can't believe I'm always siding with parents nowadays when I read books! This is definitely a story/lesson needed today in all fronts!
If you like this book, then I suggest:
Shut up, This is Serious by this author
The Scoops series by K. Sinko
Confetti Girl
Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel
My Life in Pink & Green
El Niño by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Any of Elif Shafak's books (adult)
Playlist:
You're Losing Me
If you like this book, then I suggest:
Shut up, This is Serious by this author
The Scoops series by K. Sinko
Confetti Girl
Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel
My Life in Pink & Green
El Niño by Pam Muñoz Ryan
Any of Elif Shafak's books (adult)
Playlist:
You're Losing Me
December 5, 2025
Very well written in an important novel. The air quality situation in California is honestly not talked about enough and it is nice to see a YA book that covers it in a very realistic way. It did drag a bit at times and I found the main male character to be a bit annoying, but other than that, I really enjoyed the book.
Thank you Libro FM for the ARC!
Thank you Libro FM for the ARC!
February 26, 2026
Ixta takes on environmental racism and family dynamics in this touching and complex story. I can't say I enjoyed it as much as her first novel, but I definitely appreciated the subject matter and the writing. Well worth a read for the realism.
March 23, 2026
I refinished this alwahile ago but I'm just now writing this review.
this book taught me about an environmental issue that I hadn't even known about. it inspired me, and I will be looking more into the topic.
this book taught me about an environmental issue that I hadn't even known about. it inspired me, and I will be looking more into the topic.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
gorgeously interesting book about a company building their new location in a town and how some want to fight against the pollution. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
Review of advance copy
Thank you Libro.fm for the ARC.
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
February 15, 2026
This dystopian works feels a little too real. I loved the characters and loved the conflict... I can't wait to recommend this to my students!
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