Mid-Air
Mid-Air by Alicia D. Williams is a middle grade novel published by Simon and Schuster on April 23, 2024. This illustrated book, spanning 320 pages, presents the story of Isaiah, a tender-souled boy grappling with the loss of his best friend, Darius. As he navigates the challenges of eighth grade, Isaiah feels increasingly isolated in a world that pressures him to suppress his emotions and adopt a tougher exterior.
In this poignant narrative told in verse, readers will find Isaiah’s journey marked by vulnerability and hope as he attempts to maintain his friendship with Drew while honoring Darius’s memory. The story explores themes of self-esteem, self-reliance, and the complexities of friendship against the backdrop of social expectations. As Isaiah confronts his feelings of guilt and the changes in his relationships, he must decide how much of himself he is willing to hide in order to fit in.
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Longlisted for the National Book Award
A tender-souled boy reeling from the death of his best friend struggles to fit into a world that wants him to grow up tough and unfeeling in this stunning illustrated middle grade novel in verse “full of vulnerability and hope” (Booklist, starred review) from the Newbery Honor–winning author of Genesis Begins Again.
It’s the last few months of eighth grade, and Isaiah feels lost. He thought his summer was going to be him and his boys Drew and Darius, hanging out, doing wheelies, watching martial arts movies, and breaking tons of Guinness World Records before high school. But now, more and more, Drew seems to be fading from their friendship, and though he won’t admit it, Isaiah knows exactly why. Because Darius is…gone.
A hit and run killed Darius in the midst of a record-breaking long wheelie when Isaiah should have been keeping watch, ready to warn: “CAR!” Now, Drew can barely look at Isaiah. But Isaiah, already quaking with ache and guilt, can’t lose two friends. So, he comes up with a plan to keep Drew and him together—they can spend the summer breaking records, for Darius.
But Drew’s not the same Drew since Darius was killed, and Isaiah being Isaiah isn’t enough for Drew anymore. Not his taste in clothes, his love for rock music, or his aversion to jumping off rooftops. And one day something unspeakable happens to Isaiah that makes him think Drew’s right. If only he could be less sensitive, more tough, less weird, more cool, less him, things would be easier. But how much can Isaiah keep inside until he shatters wide open?
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