The Sky is Everywhere

Reader: Briana G
Age: 16
Title: The Sky is Everywhere
Author: Jandy Nelson
Publisher: Dial Books
Pub Date: 3/00/10
Galley: Yes
Nominate for Teens’ Top 10: No
Recommend: No
Compelling Aspect of the Book: I wasn't compelled by it at all, I didn't find the plot, characters, or setting enticing. The most interesting thing in the book was the plant that matched the main character's mood/state of being.
Did you finish: No
Were you disappointed with the book at all: I just thought the whole idea was rather drab. I didn't get into it at all. The characters were flat, and I know that the main character's sister just died, but just because she's in a monotone mood doesn't mean she should be a monotone character, she needs more depth. I honestly just didn't buy the her falling for her sister's boyfriend thing. As a plot it’s a little weak, maybe as a minor conflict, a brief episode, but not as a basis for the main conflict of the book. When I stopped reading I was left feeling dry and bored, and thinking the main character is an idiot. Its one glimmer of promise is it wasn't quite the normal plot—it wasn't boy meets girl, they fall in love and the conflicts that come along—well, it was, but there was more to this plot.
Did it reflect the contents: The cover was why I initially picked it up. I thought the heart design was intriguing, and the color palette pretty. I don't think that the cover truly reflects the book, I ended up thinking it was a pretty binding on a poor book.
Quality: 2Q Needs more work
Popularity: 3P Some teen appeal