Reviewer: @shelves_by_sim (Instagram)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
What a cute and funny read this was! This is my first Jo Watson book (who is a local South African author, mind you!) and I cannot believe it took me this long to read her work! I enjoyed her writing very much, everything about it flowed easily and that made it a book I literally devoured in no time! I picked this one up because I was in between heavy reads and was really looking for something light and easy to soften the mood and The Ex Effect was the perfect book for it!
I absolutely LOVED the careers in this book, I think that is one aspect that really stood out to me. Ash is a cinematographer and Max runs a locations agency, it was so unique and so cool to see how both businesses professionally interacted with each other! I absolutely loved Ash’s group of friends and the fact that she is 100% codependent on them – they were hilarious! The setting was also brilliant, from rickety plane rides to lodges in the middle of no where to watering holes and fairy-lit dinners under the stars, it was quite something!
I really loved Max, I thought he was funny and a little cocky (okay, a lot cocky) and also, really sweet and determined to get Ash back – however, I do wish his reputation wasn’t so out there, it made me uncomfortable for Ash’s sake lol. I also really loved Ash’s boss who is such a weirdo, it was literally the best! This book was a wild ride, literally, with alot of tension and past-hurt and I really loved the growth both characters had! I also now want a llama named Lucy!
Reviewer: @books_babes_and_bedlam (Instagram)
I felt like the story had a very natural and believable progression that made it easy to get lost in the world the author created. Each chapter built beautifully on the last, and every character introduced along the way added a new and meaningful layer of depth to the overall narrative. Their interactions felt genuine, and the way they influenced the main character’s journey made the story feel well-rounded and emotionally engaging.
One of my favourite aspects was the humour woven throughout the book—it was lighthearted, clever, and well-timed, giving the story a refreshing and enjoyable tone. I also really appreciated the mix of English and Afrikaans words, which gave the dialogue and setting a unique flavour. This combination added authenticity and made the story feel distinctly South African in a way that was both immersive and culturally rich.
Alex’s character was an absolute standout for me. I loved following her journey and seeing how she evolved throughout the story. Her personal growth felt honest and gradual, which made her arc even more satisfying. Her slow-burn romance was also beautifully written—it developed organically, without ever feeling rushed or forced, and added just the right amount of tension and excitement to the plot.
If you’re looking for a story that’s easy to read but still packed with emotional depth, humour, and a satisfying slow-burn romance, then this book is definitely for you. It’s heartwarming, funny, and full of character development that makes it a really fulfilling read from start to finish. Definitely one I’ll be recommending!
Reviewer: @roelia_reads(Instagram)
I’m still recovering from the emotional rollercoaster of May All Your Skies Be Blue. Fíona Scarlett delivers a raw, heartfelt exploration of love, friendship, and regret, all wrapped in a beautifully crafted narrative that spans decades. This is one of those stories that feels so real, so vividly human, that it stays with you long after you’ve read the final page.
Plot Summary
The novel follows Shauna across two timelines. The first begins in 1991, when Shauna moves to a new area with her mum and meets Dean, Mark, and Pamela. Shauna and Dean form an instant connection, their friendship blossoming into something deeper as they grow older. However, conflicting family responsibilities and life’s inevitable challenges test their bond, pulling them apart.
In the second timeline, we meet Shauna in the present day, navigating the humdrum of her life as a hairdresser. As she cares for her clients, her mother, and herself, she is forced to confront memories of the past. The day becomes a reckoning – chance for Shauna to face harsh truths, wrestle with her regrets, and reflect on the choices that shaped her life.
Themes
- Love and Friendship: The core of the story is the tender, complicated relationship between Shauna and Dean, underscoring how love evolves, strengthens, and sometimes fades with time.
- Regret and Sacrifice: Shauna’s journey is steeped in reflections on the roads not taken and the sacrifices made for others—a universal and deeply relatable theme.
- Community and Connection: Scarlett masterfully depicts the web of relationships within a small, working-class Irish community, showcasing the highs and lows of human connection.
- Resilience Amid Adversity: From family burdens to societal pressures, the characters wrestle with challenges that threaten to break them, yet their resilience is a quiet triumph.
What Worked For Me
- Dual Timeline Structure: Switching between past and present keeps the narrative engaging, allowing readers to piece together the story’s emotional depth. Scarlett’s transitions are seamless, ensuring you’re never lost in the shifts.
- Evocative Writing Style: The warmth and realism of Scarlett’s prose drew me in from the start. Her ability to capture the voices of her characters, their accents and quirks, makes every interaction feel authentic and lived-in.
- Memorable Characters: Shauna, Dean, Mark, and Pamela are so vividly written that you feel like you’ve grown up alongside them. Their trials, joys, and heartbreaks tug at your emotions, making their journey feel personal.
- Emotional Depth: Scarlett handles poignant topics—missed opportunities, alcoholism, and self-sacrifice—with sensitivity, never veering into melodrama. The result is a raw and relatable portrayal of working-class life.
Who Will Enjoy This Book?
If you’re a fan of character-driven novels steeped in emotion, you will love this. Readers who appreciate Irish fiction, stories of resilience, or narratives that blend nostalgia with contemporary struggles will find this immensely rewarding. It’s perfect for anyone who enjoys heartwarming yet heartbreaking tales, packed with sentimentality and depth.
Conclusion
May All Your Skies Be Blue is a beautifully crafted and deeply affecting novel. Scarlett’s writing immerses you in the world of Shauna and Dean—two characters whose lives feel achingly real, with all the messiness, joy, and heartbreak that life brings. I found myself rooting for them, grieving their losses, and cherishing their moments of connection.
This is a story about love in all its forms—its triumphs, sacrifices, and bittersweet regrets. Be prepared to laugh, cry, and reflect deeply on the choices we make, and the roads not taken. For a relatively short novel, it packs an unforgettable emotional punch. Fíona Scarlett has created a masterful tale that lingers in the heart and mind.
Reviewer: @reading_in_the_dark_za (Instagram)
⭐️ 4/5
🌶️ 0/5
❓QOTD: What do you think of the genres mentioned above and the fact that this book falls into multiple genres/ categories? Is there another genre you think should have been added to make it a more ‘well-rounded’ book?
⁉️AOTD: Because I’ve read this book, I can say that it is already well-rounded. These genres ‘describe’ this book perfectly, though a little bit of romance would have been the cherry on that cake 🤭
📚Review: The Sirens is a moody, magical read that blends historical fiction with a bit of folklore and a strong thread of feminism. Set in a windswept coastal town, it flips between modern day and the 1800s, telling the stories of women bound together by the sea, and by secrets.
In the present, Lucy turns up at her sister Jess’s place only to find she’s vanished. While trying to work out what’s going on, Lucy starts having strange dreams about two convict sisters from the past, Mary and Eliza, who were on a ship that supposedly sank nearby. What follows is a mix of mystery, memory, and mythology, with the sea playing a central, eerie role throughout.
Hart’s writing is lyrical without being over the top, and the atmosphere she creates is brilliant, moody, slightly gothic, and full of tension. The way she explores sisterhood and female strength across the two timelines is really well done, even if the modern bits don’t always feel as gripping as the historical story.
All in all, it’s a beautifully written, slightly spooky tale with strong characters and a real sense of place. Perfect if you like your fiction with a bit of magic and a lot of heart.
Reviewer: @mr.pink.ink (Instagram)
Alice Franklin’s Life Hacks for a Little Alien is a quietly radical debut—charming, offbeat, and profoundly moving. It offers a fresh take on the classic coming-of-age narrative by centering a neurodivergent protagonist who doesn’t just feel out of place—she feels like she’s from another planet.
Before she comes to think of herself as “Little Alien,” our unnamed narrator is simply a young girl struggling to make sense of a world that rarely makes space for minds like hers. Social rules are baffling, noise is overwhelming, and everyone else seems to be operating on a frequency she can’t quite tune into. Then she discovers a documentary on the mysterious Voynich Manuscript—a real-life, centuries-old book written in an uncrackable language—and for the first time, she feels seen. Maybe, just maybe, there are others out there like her.
What follows is a quest—not just for the manuscript, but for belonging, understanding, and a kind of peace. Accompanied by her one and only friend Bobby, Little Alien sets out to find the book, hoping it holds the key to her alienation. Along the way, we’re guided by an unexpected narrator, whose voice is wise, gentle, and slightly otherworldly, offering life advice with the tone of a cosmic big sister or philosophical guardian angel.
Franklin’s portrayal of neurodivergence is at once whimsical and unflinchingly honest. The narrative voice captures the texture of a brain that processes the world differently: the loops of overthinking, the unexpected beauty in patterns, and the quiet heartache of constant miscommunication. As a reader, I felt like I’d been handed a key to a door I didn’t know existed—and I left the story with a deeper understanding of how hard it can be to simply be, let alone be understood.
But this isn’t just a novel about neurodivergence. It’s also a love letter to language—its failures, its magic, and its ability to either isolate or connect us. The Voynich Manuscript becomes a powerful metaphor for the inexpressible parts of ourselves, the things we feel but can’t explain, the truths we live with that no one else seems to speak.
It’s worth noting that while Franklin’s depiction will resonate deeply with many, neurodivergence is not a monolith. What holds true for Little Alien may not reflect the reality of every autistic or neurodivergent person. For example, my nephew’s experience is entirely his own. But what this novel does offer is empathy—and in a world increasingly short on it, that’s no small thing.
Life Hacks for a Little Alien is tender, peculiar, and full of soul. It invites readers to sit with discomfort, to celebrate difference, and to seek connection—even when words fail.
