Review: The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey 
dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in 
town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding. 

This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie’s struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.


Review: I have read many a review in which people said they cried and sobbed their eyes out in this book. Perhaps it's my cold heart of stone, but there was no crying on my part. That is not to say that this book wasn't sad, because it definitely was. 


This incredibly moving book has a very real plot that I think everyone can relate to, because everyone has lost someone or something they love. Through Lennie's descriptions and poems I got an actual sense of what Bailey was like. At first I thought the relationship between Lennie and Toby was very strange, but then I started to understand why it was going on. Possible spoiler so highlight to read. I was happy to see that both Lennie and Toby came to their senses and broke things off, but managed to keep a relationship like that of siblings. 


One of the things that, for me, was different in this story was the "love" between Joe and Lennie. It seemed to happen really fast and I didn't see any real basis for it, yet it still seemed real and believable and like a natural relationship. The only downside to this book is that I would have really enjoyed reading more about Lennie's friendship with Sarah.


In The Sky Is Everywhere, Jandy Nelson set out to serve up a realistic story of a girl dealing with her grief and the love and loss that comes with it, and I believe that she delivered.