Discovering A Great Author

One of my friends has recently got me hooked on a brilliant author, Jandy Nelson. So far I have read two of her books, "The Sky Is Everywhere" and "I'll Give You The Sun", and they were both brilliant. They have emotional storylines, unique characters and a writing style that weaves the characters artwork and poetry into the story.

"I'll Give You The Sun" is written from the perspective of a pair of twins. Noah's section are from when their are 14, and Jude writes about what is happening two years later. Together they tell a story of family tragedy, all mixed in with Noah's artwork, Jude's crazy superstitions, teenage friendships, and first love.

Whilst the book focuses a lot on the family, friend and romantic relations in the story, it also looks at the relationships between artists and their art, a topic I've never seen in teen fiction. While the large number of ideas being discussed in this book makes it very complicated, it is still a fun read. I recommend it to anyone who loves creating art themselves.

"The Sky Is Everywhere" also has a large number of themes, but not quite as many. This book tells the story from the point of view of Lennie Walker, who is grieving the death of her older sister, Bailey. However, as well as grief, this book is filled with family secrets, friendship and a love triangle with Lennie at the centre.

Instead of art, this book looks at the relationship between musicians and their music, as well as what it means to be a musician. It is also filled with the poetry Lennie writes about her sister, which is how she comes to terms with everything that happened in the book. However, the most special part of this book is probably how convincingly Nelson writes about what it is like to be in love. That is what makes it really special.

Have you read any books by Jandy Nelson?