The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson - Review

How do you keep from falling apart when your older sister dies suddenly and unexpectedly and you find yourself standing in the spotlight, the position she normally occupies? Lennie is the quiet sister, the bookworm, the girl who plays second clarinet, always in her sister’s shadow. She does not know how to go on after Bailey dies. She doesn’t want to see her friends, doesn’t want to play music, writes poems that she scatters all over.

In her grief, Lennie is drawn to Bailey’s boyfriend, Toby, who misses Bailey as much as she does. They understand each other’s sadness, comfort each other, and connect through Bailey somehow in an unexpected, dark, compulsive way. Sparks fly from the page in their scenes together. And then there’s the new boy, Joe, who is cheerful, gorgeous, and incredibly talented. Suddenly there are two boys vying for her attention – the sun and the moon – polar opposites. Both are real, complex, and utterly convincing.

The Sky is Everywhere is a heartbreaking, intense debut novel that takes a long look at loss and grief and how to cope with it. The language is beautiful, almost poetic, sensitive, true, an emotional rollercoaster. It talks of family bonds, the dichotomy between desire and love, and almost explodes with heartbreak, love, and passion for life. But take my word for it, read this with a box of tissues – you will need them.