Review of "The Sky is Everywhere" by Jandy Nelson

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson


Genre: YA/Romance/Realistic Fiction

Page Count: 288

Plot Synopsis: "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: This book is incredibly sad. If you're going to read it, make sure that you're in an emotional place to do so. The surprising thing is that the saddest part of the book isn't the ending, it's the beginning. At the start, Lennie is so depressed that it comes out in the words, in her quirky poems - which start and end most chapters- and seems to ooze out from the book itself. The character development as she adjusts to the death of her sister, to her complicated with her deceased sister's boyfriend, and to Joe Fontaine is incredible. The writing itself seems to change with Lennie.


The Sky is Everywhere was phenomenally well written. I loved the poems that Lennie wrote on everything and how where they were found was included. Each was applicable to the chapter that it was a part of and it really made the book just that much better.

It was a beautiful story that was a perfect stand alone novel. It's not very long and comes in just under 300 pages. The character development and the writing are wonderful. Watching Lennie grow and change was so realistic.

Rating: