Review: "The Sky is Everywhere" by: Jandy Nelson

The Sky is Everywhere by: Jandy Nelson
Released: March 9th, 2010
Publisher: Dial
Age: Young Adult
Pages: 272
Overall:
Recommend Level: High
Challenge: 2010 Debut Author (The Story Siren)
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.


Review: There are things I loved about this book and things...I didn't love, but didn't hate. First off, this chick is a spaz, which makes the book funny in some parts and down right sad in others. I laughed, got teary eyed, wondered what would happen, and wished other things hadn't happened.
Lennie is basically trying to figure out how to get by in life with out her sister and best friend, Bailey. Her mother disappeared when she was one year old so the only other family she has is her grandmother and uncle Big. But at the end of her Junior(I'm assuming) year of high school a new kid has come to town, Joe. And he seems to be completely relentless in getting to know Lennie, unbeknownst to her. When the school year ends Joe begins coming over every morning and spending the entire day at Lennie's to the point he becomes more like family.
Meanwhile Lennie is completely torn and lost when she gains feelings for Joe and also her (dead) sister's boyfriend, Toby.
Through poems she writes and drops all over town, and hiding in the closet her and her sister once shared, Lennie tries to figure out who she is now that her sister is gone.
I know it's completely wrong but I was also on the fence between Toby and Joe. There were times I thought "Joe, you're a jackass" and other times I thought "Joe...you're weird, but I love ya." And then there's Toby: "What the hell are you two doing? You're sister just died!" and "I get it, you're lost. I like you together." Twisted, but I was a little lost myself. There were things I liked about both of them.
During the times that it would really hit Lennie that her sister and mother were gone. She'd been avoiding her best friend, and trying to run from her grandmother's help....I really felt something. I even teared up once (or twice).
I completely loved that this book is really really fast paced. I finished it in one day.
Though the ending wasn't exactly what I wanted, I loved it.

One complaint I have is: It seems that Jandy Nelson has the entire book, characters, world of The Sky is Everywhere created in her mind, but doesn't completely let us in. If I hadn't read the summary, I wouldn't have known how old Lennie is. I didn't know she actually worked at the Deli until further into the book when it became obvious why she talked about it so often. I don't remember if we ever really got any insight to where her father is/was. It didn't feel...complete. But because everything else was fun and real, it completely made up for it.

P.S. I'll be honest, if I saw this cover in the library or store, I'd probably pass it up. It kind of looks like a self help book or a book about finding God....which is nowhere near my style!


Plot:
Characters:
Ending:
Writing:
Cover:

(Check out the full list of 2010 Debut Authors I have lined up to read as well as the reviews of the ones I've already read. Just click here!)