This debut novel takes its title from the Ben E. King song that serves as an epigraph: "If the sky that we look upon/ Should tumble and fall/ .../ I won't cry/ .../ Just as long as you stand, stand by me." For three teens, the sky literally is falling, as an asteroid on a collision course with Earth threatens an extinction-level event. However, the story focuses not on the asteroid, but rather on Sienna, Suzanne ("Zan") and Caden. In alternating chapters, readers follow them through their final six days in a small community on Martha's Vineyard.
Coutts frames their epic battle as a race against time. Because they must accomplish what self-actualization they can in six days, this means experiencing as much living, loving and forgiving as possible before the end. " 'It's simple, really,' Zan thinks.... They might not have much time. And no matter what they're going to find out,... they have to do it now or they may never get the chance."
The author's nuanced writing carries emotional power that sneaks up on readers. And the finite time frame contributes to the book's narrative strength. With just six days for the three friends to figure out the big questions in life, Coutts underscores the truth to the discovery Sienna makes: "Today isn't about reliving, or explaining, or trying to make sense of things in the past. Today is about who she is now, and who she has standing beside her." --Jessica Bushore, former public librarian and freelance writer