Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky for providing this book, with my honest review below.

When the Sky Falls had a fascinating premise, the end of the world for most people and the end of the world as they know it for a rare few, which I love to read about. Ultimately, however, this book didn’t come together for me.

The reader is in for a strong opening when young Emily is awoken in the middle of the night by her panicked parents trying to pack up and get out of her coastal home due to a suddenly destructive fog (corrosive in ever way). Right away it’s indicated her father may be at the heart of the fog with a mysterious machine he’s been working on. The book then goes into Emily, and her younger sister’s refuge at a mall where we park for some time. This is where the book starts to weaken, spending a bit too much time in that location/time and repeating itself in some parts unnecessarily. This is also where it becomes clear that some proofreading would be helpful (though I acknowledge this is an ARC so more of an eye to this may occur), and just before we jump to the future is where the plot devolves. The future felt rushed in how it was introduced and our time spent understanding adult Emily and the main characters in her life with the exception of her younger sister was minimal. We then spin into a super rushed plot about her sister and her lover which ended on a somewhat cliffhanger I just really wasn’t interested to find more about because I hadn’t been given time to understand or grow interested in these characters.

There’s a lot of promise in the ideas introduced in this story. I am intrigued by the machine and Emily’s dad and some whispers of a conspiracy afoot. It just didn’t strike me enough to get sucked in due to pacing and the overall structure of part two, with opportunities to gain some pages for that by shortening part one. I hope editing allows for that before release, because this could really be something special.

Usually I don't read this genre, but every once in a while I bump into one that really intrigues me and when this happens I know that I will enjoy it. 

When you see what happens to Emily, her family and the rest of the city it's terrifying and you never dwell on the fact it could happen in real life. On the other hand we never thought Covid could have a hold on us like that either. Let's hope it remains between the pages of this excellent book. :)

People make mistakes. Some are easy to rectify, but some have a disastrous effect on a lot of lives. The big question is will the world ever change back to how it was before? 

The book consists of two parts. In the first one, we learn about the impact of the disaster and the solutions they are drying to find in order to survive. In the second one, the focus is more on Emily's sister Sammi. On the one hand there is the community providing a safe place, on the other hand the outsiders, lurking in the darkness.  She is ready to start the rest of her life...

I was devastated and moved to tears more than once. I loved Sammi's fiercyness an courage. If I have to pick a favorite character, it's her without a doubt. 5 stars

Thank you