Book Review: The Sky Is Everywhere!

Title: The Sky Is Everywhere



Author: Jandy Nelson



Publisher: Dial



Format: Paperback, 288 pages









From the back cover:
Lennie has always been the companion pony to her sister Bailey’s race horse. When Bailey dies suddenly while rehearsing the lead in Romeo and Juliet, Lennie is thrust into the spotlight. A normally reserved band geek who reads Wuthering Heights like a manifesto, Lennie is not prepared to deal with her grief. Nor is she equipped to confront the affection she feels for her dead sister’s fiancé. Adding to her emotional roller coaster is the gorgeous, musically gifted new boy in town who is clearly in love with her. Lennie is sympathetic, believable, and complex. Readers will identify with her and root for her to finally make the first steps toward healing. Nelson incorporates poems, written by Lennie and left for the wind to carry away, that help readers delve deeper into her heart. Bonus: teens unfamiliar with Wuthering Heights will likely want to find out what all the fuss is about. A story of love, loss, and healing that will resonate with readers long after they have finished reading.

Emily's opinion of the novel:
I learned about this book after looking at lists on Goodreads for 2010 young adult author debuts. As beautiful as the cover is, you would never guess that it was a young adult novel. After reading the beautiful synopsis, and seeing its rave reviews from authors such as Susane Colasanti and Gayle Forman, I knew I had to add it to my book release list. Doing so may have changed my life. This book was breathtaking from page one. Lennie's character is so honest, and so raw, that you have no choice but to get tangled up in her story yourself. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about how fast things progressed with both of the boys, especially Toby, but Nelson's writing takes away all fear. She explains the overwhelming need and desperation for Toby that arises in Lennie. In contrast, although Lennie and Joe are abruptly catapulted together, Nelson does a beautiful job of making sure the relationship is given time to blossom.  I loved the Walker family dynamics which included Grams the Garden Guru and the eccentric Uncle Big, and Lennie’s thoughts on her absentee mom. I also loved how Lennie wrote poems and notes to be scattered by the wind for someone else to find. I knew that all those notes were going to be found and revealed in some sort of emotional climax, and I was right. I couldn't have been happier with who found them, and how it played into the storyline. It was so difficult to anticipate how this book would play out because of all the unexpected surprises, but that just made me appreciate the story even more. I was surprised by how much I found myself laughing in spite of all the tragedy. It was amazing to read a book that can make you laugh, cry, and burst with romantic happiness all at the same time. This book was beautiful, and I never wanted to put it down. This was an amazing debut from Jandy Nelson, and will be anxiously awaiting what she has planned next.

Overall Rating: Five Stars!