The Sky is Everywhere is the tale of Lennie Walker, a seventeen year old bookworm, who has always lived in her sister Bailey’s shadow. However, when Bailey suddenly dies, it becomes clear to Lennie that she must learn to live her own life. If this isn’t enough drama to contend with, Lennie finds herself caught in the middle of a love triangle between Toby, Bailey’s boyfriend, and Joe Fontaine, the new boy from Paris, who captivates Lennie with his huge smile and musical talent. Nelson manages to create the perfect balance between love, grief, music and wanderlust, with some botanical magic to finish, always ensuring to retain the utterly honest tone of Lennie.
Despite the often heart-breaking moments, Nelson allows a thread of comedy to run through the book, reminding us that both grief and love are not always easy to deal with, and not always for the reasons one might think! I found the book used very similar phrases and imagery as in Nelson’s other book, I’ll Give You the Sun, which detracted slightly from its originality, but overall I found it to be a refreshing take on typical teen fiction. There is always something wonderful about the unconventional situations that surround Nelson’s characters, and in The Sky is Everywhere this has been polished to perfection.
Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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