Booklist calls SPLIT THE SKY by Marie Arnold “a remarkable tale of a young girl trying to find herself on the right side of history” in starred review

★ SPLIT THE SKY by Marie Arnold

Pub date: September 2025 / Ages 12 & up / $19.99

Lala knows that life won’t get better in Davey, Texas, especially since a mixed housing complex has the local hate group vandalizing Black-owned businesses and homes. Rather than join groups to fight against the hatred, Lala would rather focus on leaving town. On top of social and academic pressures, Lala also has the ability of premonition (“Flashes”), as gifted to all the women in her family, and sometimes Lala is helpless to interfere. She has a Flash that a Black boy from her school is shot and killed after ringing the wrong doorbell. While her grandmother is adamant that he must die for the Black movement to progress, Lala knows that she can’t let a friend die. Through her grandmother’s tutelage, Lala explores the history of brutality and progress experienced by Black people. From that education, Lala has to decide where she’ll stand in the ongoing revolution. Arnold’s latest is a remarkable tale of a young girl trying to find herself on the right side of history, and the weight of her decision is amplified by brutal descriptions of life in an oppressive sundown town. This emotional read is perfect for book clubs, as it demands to be dissected and discussed. And while it may often break your heart, this leaves space for a hopeful future.