The Sky Is Everywhere

“A BRILLIANT, PIERCING story.”

★“This is a passionate, vulnerable, wonderfully complete and irresistible book.”

“Nearly everyone who’s staggered through life in the wake of a loved one’s death will recognize themselves in this brilliant, piercing story. It’s a warm, deeply honest story that resonates with truth.”

“Jandy Nelson has cast the intensity of first love together with the intensity of grief to produce a novel that is unusually rich with both insight and breathless romance. She writes with abandon, setting her characters free to live their excesses, such as the hippie gardener whose flowers have magical properties, the best friend with a penchant for crazy animal metaphors and the inarticulate skateboarder whose pain finds only sexual expression. It’s a headlong sort of book, preferably devoured at a single sitting.”

“Those who think young-adult books can’t be as literary, rich, and mature as their adult counterparts will be disabused of that notion after reading The Sky Is Everywhere . . . First-time author and literary agent Jandy Nelson has created a finely-drawn portrait of grief and first love, with vivid characters and melodic prose.”

“Sky is both a profound meditation on loss and grieving and an exhilarating and very sexy romance. The book deserves multiple readings simply to savor Nelson’s luscious language . . .”

★”Nelson documents Lennie’s stumbling negotiation of her emotional maelstrom with delicacy and shimmering clarity, writing with sorrowful, consoling tenderness of the journey through various stages of bereavement . . . The characterization is clear-eyed and evocative . . . It’s romantic without being gooey and tear-jerking without being campy—what more could a reader want?”

“From the opening paragraph, the author brilliantly navigates Lennie’s course between despair and hope, sorrow and humor . . . Debut novelist Jandy Nelson possesses a rare gift for language and a finely tuned ear . . . a suspenseful and gripping love triangle.”

“In this amazing tale of love and loss, Nelson introduces a cast of characters who make the reader laugh and cry and want to know these people in real life. It’s a wonderful book.”

“Buoyantly written and brimming with humor and life as it plumbs the depths and ambiguities of grief, full of music and the poems Lennie drops all over town, The Sky Is Everywhere explores betrayal and forgiveness through a vibrant cast of characters.”

“An intimate story about coping with loss, Nelson’s first novel is tender, romantic, and loaded with passion.”

★“This honest, complex debut is distinguished by a dreamy California setting and poetic images that will draw readers into Lennie’s world . . .”

★“Extremely difficult to put down. Teenagers of any age should fall in love with the book’s charm, intensity, humor and poignancy.”

“How grief and love run side by side is sensitively and intensely explored in this energetic, poetic and warm-blooded novel.”

“A story of love, loss, and healing that will resonate with readers long after they have finished reading.”

“Jandy Nelson’s debut novel is a heart-wrenching tale of love and forgiveness that will make you laugh and cry all in the same sentence. The Sky Is Everywhere ties themes of wanderlust, betrayal, and forgiveness in a love story more complex than most young adult authors dare to concoct.”

“Jandy Nelson’s debut novel does a wonderful job of exploring Lennie’s contrasting feelings and discovering how life can go on after devastating loss. The book, written for a young adult audience, will be enjoyed by anyone fascinated with the randomness of life.”

“By turns both heart-wrenching and very funny .  . . this page-turner was hard to put down.”

“This book will make you laugh and cry, keeping you up way too late turning pages til’ you finish the last satisfying line.”

“The Sky Is Everywhere is a ‘first-love’ love story that, cloaked in Lennie’s grief for her sister’s recent death, will seep into your heart. The characters spring off the page, so full of life, so clear and confident in who they are, even as they wrestle through life’s angst. Complex, yet pure, it’s easy to fall in love with Lennie when her new budding womanhood learns to dance with Joe, whose music lifts its way into Lennie’s heart . . . Author Jandy Nelson wraps the deep emotions of grief with the delightful emotions of first-love. Her writing sparkles with fresh phrases. A must read when you want to curl up and get lost in ‘what-if’ wonder-love.”

“WOW. I sobbed my eyes out and then laughed through the tears. I have not fallen in love with a story and its characters like this in a long time. Stunning, heartbreaking, hilarious. A story that shakes the Earth.”

“Okay, I admit it. I have a huge crush on this book–it’s beautiful, brilliant, passionate, funny, sexy and deep. Come to think o fit, I might even want to marry this book.”

“Full of heart, quirky charm, and beautiful writing, The Sky Is Everywhere simply shines.”

“Jandy Nelson’s story of grief somehow manages to be an enchantment, a celebration, a romance—without forsaking the rock-hard truths of loss.”

“The Sky Is Everywhere evokes the intensity of desire and agony of heartache with breathtaking clarity.  This beautifully written story will leave an indelible impression upon your soul.”

“An addictive, romantic, heartbreaking and wise tale of one girl’s epic loss—and equally epic self-discovery. Seriously, stop reading this blurb; start reading this book!”

“Jandy Nelson (remember that name), has written a YA novel with the best voice I have read since Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak.”

“The Sky Is Everywhere is the kind of book you don’t just read, you live. From the very first page, I fell deeply in love with its wonderfully kooky characters. In quiet moments I can still hear Lennie’s funny, poignant voice whispering in my ear. A remarkable debut. Wish I’d written it!”