Title: The Sky Is Everywhere
Author: Jandy Nelson
First published March 6, 2010
292 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780142417805 (ISBN10: 0142417807)
Rating: 3.97
Overview
When Lennie’s sister Bailey passes away unexpectedly, she’s left feeling lost and alone. As she navigates her grief, she finds comfort in two very different boys.
Toby, Bailey’s boyfriend, shares her pain and offers a quiet solace. Joe, the new boy in town, is bursting with life and musical talent.
Lennie knows that if these two worlds collide, everything will change. Follow Lennie on her journey of heartbreak and love as she makes mistakes and discovers herself in band rooms and forest bedrooms.
This poignant yet hilarious story celebrates the beauty of love and the pain of loss. Lennie’s struggle to find her voice in a world of noise is honest, uproarious, and utterly unforgettable.
About the Author
Jandy Nelson, the author of I’ll Give You the Sun and The Sky is Everywhere, grew up in a family that believed in superstitions. She learned the art of finding four-leaf clovers at a young age, and still practices habits like knocking on wood, throwing salt, and carrying lucky charms in her pockets.
I’ll Give You the Sun is her second novel, and it has received critical acclaim, including the Printz Award and Bank Street’s Josette Frank Award. It was also a finalist for the Stonewall Book Award.
Both Sun and her debut novel, The Sky Is Everywhere, have been recognized by YALSA as Best Fiction for Young Adults, and have appeared on multiple “best of the year” lists, including those of the New York Times, Time Magazine, and NPR. They have also been published in over 47 countries, and continue to be popular with international audiences.
Warner Brothers has purchased the film rights to I’ll Give You the Sun, and screenwriter Natalie Krinsky is currently working on the adaptation. Before becoming a full-time writer, Jandy worked as a literary agent.
She holds a BA from Cornell University, and MFAs in Poetry and Children’s Writing from Brown University and Vermont College of Fine Arts. She currently resides in San Francisco, not far from the settings of her novels.
To learn more about Jandy, visit her website or follow her on Twitter (@jandynelson) or Facebook. The author photo was taken by Sonya Sones.
Editoral Review
Jandy Nelson’s debut novel, The Sky Is Everywhere, is a touching and beautiful story that examines the complexities of grief, love, and family. Nelson’s writing style is poetic and lyrical, creating a dreamlike quality that transports readers into the mind of the protagonist, Lennie.
The novel follows Lennie after the sudden death of her older sister, Bailey. Lennie, who is only 17 years old, is left to navigate her grief while also trying to cope with the newfound attention of two boys: Toby, Bailey’s former boyfriend, and Joe, the new kid in town.
As Lennie struggles to find her place in the world without her sister, she must also navigate her feelings for both boys and the complicated dynamics of her fractured family. Nelson’s writing is both raw and beautiful, capturing the heartache and confusion of grief with stunning clarity.
She creates a vivid and tangible world that is both familiar and otherworldly, drawing readers in with her descriptive imagery and poetic prose. The novel’s setting, a small town in Northern California, is also expertly crafted, adding to the novel’s sense of nostalgia and melancholy.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its characters. Lennie is a complex and relatable protagonist, struggling to come to terms with the loss of her sister while also trying to navigate the complicated emotions of adolescence.
Toby and Joe are also well-written and interesting characters, each offering Lennie something different and creating a love triangle that is both emotional and believable. Despite its strengths, The Sky Is Everywhere is not without its flaws.
At times, Nelson’s prose can feel overly poetic, bordering on pretentious. Additionally, the novel’s pacing can feel slow at times, with the plot taking a backseat to Lennie’s internal struggles.
However, these flaws do little to detract from the overall beauty and emotional resonance of The Sky Is Everywhere. Readers who enjoy contemporary YA fiction with a focus on family, relationships, and grief will find much to love in this debut novel.
In conclusion, The Sky Is Everywhere is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that explores the complexities of grief and love. Nelson’s poetic prose and well-crafted characters create a vivid and tangible world that will stay with readers long after the final page.
While the novel may not be for everyone, fans of contemporary YA fiction will find much to appreciate in this stunning debut. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
