Thursday, October 28, 2010

Review: The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Title: The Sky is Everywhere

Author: Jandy Nelson

Rating:

Who Should Read It? EVERYONE! This book is beautiful and fluid and it will wrap itself around your heart.

What I Have to Say:
Words cannot express how utterly beautiful this book was. I would need a guitar. A whole band. And a singer with the voice of an angel. And even then that wouldn't be enough. All of the animals and trees and flowers would have to join in. The sky would have to join in. That's how beautiful this book was. How fluid and graceful and marvelous this book was.

I don't know if I really need to say anything else because what it comes down to is this: this book was good!

Lennie was charming and witty and intelligent and creative and completely and utterly screwed up. Life had sent a lot of crap her way, and while I wouldn't say that she took it in stride, what we ended up with was a beautiful mess. Life sent her a curve-ball, and she batted back in that quirky, unique way that only teenagers have mastered (and that they promptly forget when they reach 20). She digs herself in deeper and deeper until the only thing left to do is come out.
And the reader gets to be with her there the whole way through, digging with her. Nelson has crafted one unique human being with beautiful relationships and heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. I can't decide if I like Lenny best with her grandmother, her dead sister, her dead sister's boyfriend Toby, or Joe. Because all of the relationships are just perfect for what they are.

I will stop now. I could keep raving and glowing about this book for a long time, but I don't want to take away from the experience of actually reading it. I feel like I've probably already brought your expectations up to high. Just know this: this book was great, and you should read it.

Summary: 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.


Cover Story: I love this cover, and I think it is incredibly appropriate for this book. I love the beauty and the colors and how it makes me feel the exact same way that the book made me feel!

I reviewed this book as a part of the International Book Tours ARC review program. Check it out!

8 comments:

Blodeuedd said...

I like raving, it just makes me see how much you liked it :)

Felicity Grace Terry said...

Wow! As good as all that. How can I do other than add this to my wish list?

Nikki (Wicked Awesome Books) said...

Agreed! This is by far the best book I've read all year long. I loved it in so many ways :D

Liz @ Cleverly Inked said...

Ditto DItto Ditto, I loved this book too

Jenny N. said...

I agree, this was one of my favourite debut books this year.

Tales of Whimsy said...

PS I've always loved this cover.

Tales of Whimsy said...

I love when reviews turn us in to fangirls :) Great review!

Simcha said...

I thought I remembered you reviewing this book a while ago, but maybe you just mentioned that you were going to review it. Well I certainly want to read it now, after seeing how much you liked it

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