A Book That Helps With Loss: The Sky is Everywhere

Viri Reyes, Staff Writer

Truth be told, I picked up this book because I am a huge fan of I’ll Give you the Sun by Jandy Neslon. I thought there was no way the author would let me down with this book and she didn’t.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Neslon is the story about a girl named Lennie and how she learns to cope with the passing away of her older sister Bailey. Lennie is lost in grief and sorrow, surrounded by everything that belongs and reminds her of her sister, from the orange walls in the bedroom they’d share, to the clothes hanging in the closet that still smell like her, and Bailey’s boyfriend Toby who is also missing someone he doesn’t know how to live without. Luckily, Toby is there, the only person Lennie can relate to and find comfort in being around because he too is nothing without Bailey.

Bailey was the outgoing one with such a bright future ahead of her, and she was the one that always encouraged Lennie to break out of her shell. Now that she’s passed away, Lennie’s back to her timid, and sad self. When Bailey comes back to school after taking months off to grief the loss of her sister, a new boy shows up at school and catches Lennie’s eye, making her world turns upside down.

From the way Lennie writes poems that she dedicates to her sister on receipts, and then throws them into the air as a way to get rid of memories that haunt her, to finding someone that makes her believe life isn’t as bad as it seems is so beautiful, learning to cope with grief and loss is extremely hard. If you’re going through it, maybe picking up this book might help you. I know it’s just a book, but reading about situations similar to yours can make you feel less alone sometimes. This book will make you cry, laugh, smile, frown and basically you will feel all of your emotions. This book really reminds its reader that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. The book is just too perfect to miss out on.