Review: Meet the Sky - McCall Hoyle

Meet the Sky
McCall Hoyle
Series: n/a
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Publisher: Blink
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

It all started with the accident. The one that caused Sophie’s dad to walk out of her life. The one that left Sophie’s older sister, Meredith, barely able to walk at all.

With nothing but pain in her past, all Sophie wants is to plan for the future—keep the family business running, get accepted to veterinary school, and protect her mom and sister from another disaster. But when a hurricane forms off the coast of North Carolina’s Outer Banks and heads right toward their island, Sophie realizes nature is one thing she can’t control.

After she gets separated from her family during the evacuation, Sophie finds herself trapped on the island with the last person she’d have chosen—the reckless and wild Finn Sanders, who broke her heart freshman year. As they struggle to find safety, Sophie learns that Finn has suffered his own heartbreak; but instead of playing it safe, Finn’s become the kind of guy who goes surfing in the eye of the hurricane. He may be the perfect person to remind Sophie how to embrace life again, but only if their newfound friendship can survive the storm.

When I requested this book, I had not heard any buzz, nor was I familiar with the author, but BOY am I glad I took a chance, because it was so wonderful!

Both Sophie and Finn had suffered great losses, but they reacted in very different ways. Finn decided to live his life to the fullest, while Sophie chose to exercise great caution with all her choices, and stay focused on her goals and family. Being trapped in the story was a journey of self discovery for them both, as well as a chance to rekindle their friendship.

Sophie's situation was utterly heartbreaking. I wept for the strain her father's absence put on her family, and the way it forced her to compromise her own dreams. But what really hit me hard was when she would talk about her sister. It seemed wrong to mourn her loss, as her sister survived the accident, but she did not emerge from the wreckage the same woman she was before the crash. Though Sophie was quite uptight and maybe even a little bitter at times, I admired her dedication to her family, and the love and patience she showed to her sister.

Finn's situation was equally as tragic. I cried for him, for what he lost and what he might lose. However, his attitude was so positive, and I liked seeing him rub off on Sophie.

Aside from all their personal tragedies, our characters were also in quite a precarious situation. Hurricanes in the Outer Banks are no joke, and I thought Hoyle really captured how terrifyingly scary and dangerous they can be. I was quite worried for Sophie and Finn, as they spent the majority of the book simply trying to survive, and I will admit, there were several nail biting situations.

But you know what surviving a life or death situation is good for? It's good for personal growth. By the end of this book, Sophie's attitude had changed quite a bit, and she was definitely not the same Sophie she was before the storm.

When I classified this book on my shelf, I did NOT shelve it as a romance. Yes, there was a bit of romance in there, but I thought this was more about survival, self discovery, and healing. Don't get me wrong, you know I shipped these two and am always up for romance, but it seemed more of a secondary plot to me.

Other things I really loved:

• The Tennyson quotes. Hoyle started each chapter with a quote, and they were so on point with what transpired in that part of the book. I thought the quotes were both beautiful and brilliantly used.  
• Horses! I read a book, which featured the wild Mustangs earlier this year, and now I got to learn about the wild horses, who inhabit the Outer Banks. It was all rather interesting and educational too.
• Hurricane survival. I am ashamed to say, that after living for more than 6 years in Florida, I never really bothered to hone my hurricane skills. I went through one evacuation, but the hurricanes never landed near me. I am pretty far from hurricane alley these days, but I was totally captivated by all the things Sophie and Finn knew, and now, I know it all too. 

Overall: A beautiful and very touching story of horses, hurricanes, and hope.

**ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

I never realized how many songs had "hurricane" in the title, but here are some I liked.

Have you ever been to the Outer Banks?

Let us know in the comments!