Chlorine Sky by Mahogany L. Browne (review)

Browne, Mahogany L. Chlorine Sky. Crown, 2021 [192p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780593176399 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780593176412 $10.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 7-10

Our narrator in this verse novel is on the outs with her best friend, Lay Li, who threw her pal under the bus in favor of her new guy, who calls our heroine "black/& ugly & stupid." Our girl orbited around Lay Li ("instead of being loyal to myself/I rather be loyal to Lay Li"), and even though she knows her friend is shallow and unreliable, she struggles to find a groove without her. Gradually, though, she adjusts, finding strength in her beloved basketball, acquiring a new, low-drama friend, and even drawing the attention of Clifton, who becomes her first real romantic experience; however, Clifton's interest may not be what it seems. Celebrated poet Browne brings serious poetry chops to her writing but keeps it pared down and immediate for teen readers; her observations about the intensity of peer scrutiny and the ability of a rumor to wreck a young life are penetrating. The portrait of the protagonist, who gets a name only at the end, is heartbreakingly authentic: outside of basketball, she's dependent, reactive, and self-erasing ("Thought if I sat real still and stared at a book/No one would be able to see me"), and she suffers mean-girl stings from her sister as well as from Lay Li. It's therefore a relief as well as a reassurance to see her finding her own footing without losing sympathy for her loved, highly flawed friend ("Now I realize being a girl is heavy business./It's like a basketball game with no referee"). It's a remarkable, compelling voice that will draw readers both reluctant and eager and make them want to hear more.