Books With Heart

I recently finished a book that was not my cup of tea, but I resisted the impulse to write a bad review. Now that I know firsthand how much work goes into writing and finding a publisher, I feel a kinship with anyone who has embarked on the journey. After all, it's only my opinion. This novel may be exactly what another reader is looking for.

 While plodding through the pages, I wished for some cream and sugar to add to the plot. With a a little more umph, this book could have been great. Here's where it fell short:

 1. The heroine has lost her mother, but I never really felt her pain. I'd be willing to bet the author has never lost her own mother, or conducted in-depth research about that kind of devastating loss.

 2. The plot was predictable. I knew very early on that the teenager would grow to love the father she never knew, and get the attention of the cute boy in the end. Because the stakes were never high enough, or a happy ending really in question, there was no compelling reason to keep reading.

 I think writing a book full of heart is painful. You have to open up a vein and bleed all over the page, but those are the kinds of books that a reader will never forget.

 My favorite book with heart is THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson. What's yours?

THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE by Jandy Nelson

I couldn't wait to read THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE, after hearing literary agent, Erin Murphy, speak at the Miami SCBWI Conference. Ms. Murphy reads a lot of YA literature, so if it was her favorite book of the season, that was good enough for me.

However, I didn't expect to fall totally, head-over-heels in love. It may be my favorite book of all time. You see, I have something in common with Lennie, the book's protagonist: we have both lost our only sisters.

Lennie's last conversation with her sister was inconsequential. It was over whether Bailey should wear a blue or a green shirt. My last conversation with Robin was over the phone, but not about anything really important either. There is no warning whenever we're speaking to someone for the last time. In hindsight, that is maddening and seems so wrong.

Lennie talks of choosing the dress her sister will wear forever. What a profound way of putting it. I chose the clothes my sister is buried in also, but in Robin's case, I chose pants. She hated dresses and there was no way I was torturing her with one for all of eternity.

I completely lost it when Lennie laments not being a sister anymore. Robin was born when I was three years old. I don't remember a time prior to being a sister, but the twelve years since her death have been extremely painful. We've celebrated many holidays with an empty seat at the table. She is my son's godmother, and I've marked every milestone without her to share them with.

I don't know Jandy Nelson personally, but somehow she knows what is inside my heart. She wrote it all down to share with sisterless girls everywhere.

It's not enough to have THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE on my Kindle. I need to hold this book in my hands. If you've ever lost someone you love more than life, read this book. You won't be sorry.