After 17-year-old Grey witnesses the tragic death of his mother in Colorado, he is shipped off to live with his aunt in inner-city Baltimore, where he struggles to fit in to a new school and community. His new friend Akil introduces him to the enigmatic Kurtis, the leader of a group that uses high-octane sports as a form of social activism. By challenging the police with death-defying stunts and posting videos of them online, Kurtis, Grey, and their group become unlikely heroes in the fight against the prejudice that surrounds them.
As Kurtis takes Grey under his wing, they create a group name, an insignia, and a cause attracting more and more followers as they post videos of their extreme acts. The lines between social activism and criminal behavior blur and their escalating stunts become a rallying point for the underprivileged and disenfranchised around the country, spreading like wildfire across the Internet. How far will Grey and Kurtis go to push their message, and can their friendship withstand their growing notoriety?
"With parallels to current political conversations, strong, complex characters whose passionate search for meaning informs their deep motivations, and crackling action, Gattis' YA game is on point." -- ALA Booklist
"By blurring the lines between reality and fiction, Ryan Gattis creates a riveting plotline that has the readers thinking deeply at the end of it all." -- Teen Reads
"AIR is eye-opening and thought provoking, and it expresses the power of voice and action. It's a book that is timely and should be read by teenagers and adults alike." "I'm so glad that I took the time to read AIR because it offers a voice that is rarely heard. I can imagine AIR becoming a classroom favorite appealing to all readers, in fact I plan to recommend it to all of my high school English teacher friends. A great read!" - Actin' Up With Books
"Thought-provoking, raw, entertaining and illuminating, Air is an interesting, well written, and at times confrontational contemporary fiction with an urban realness, dealing with handling grief, the bonds of friendship and a common goal, and the use of extreme sports as an expression of art and self." - Cover2Cover
"With impressive writing, Ryan Gattis has written about characters that are fully formed. Each young man has a different personality and voice. " "In addition, descriptions are well drawn. Dialogue is crisp and believable. The choice of words is spot on." "The action in AIR is enough to keep a reader reading, yet another reason to be engrossed by this book is the way in which Gattis causes readers to question the true meaning of freedom." - Gina Hagler
"Life lessons in this novel being portrayed through the eyes of a young man brings personal nostalgia from a period in time most everyone can recognize as how we learn who we are and where our places in life might be. Bringing in many elements of today's world, it is easy to remain connected to characters realistic and probable lives." - Jagged Edge
"WOW! I didn't expect this book. This is a wonderful book and everyone should read this." - Tine's Reviews
