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The Sky Above Us
From the author of We Speak in Storms comes a twisty, psychological thriller about three friends searching for the truth in the aftermath of a plane crash.
The morning after their senior year beach party, Izzy, Cass, and Janie are woken by a thundering overhead. Then they and their classmates watch in shock as a plane crashes into the water. When the passengers are finally recovered, they are identified as Izzy's twin brother, Israel, Cass's ex-boyfriend, Shane, and Janie's best friend, Nate. But Izzy can feel when her brother is in pain, and she knows he's not really dead. So she, Cass, and Janie set out to discover what actually happened that day--and why the boys were on the plane.
Told in alternating timelines and points of view, this powerful and captivating novel follows the three boys in the weeks leading up to that fateful flight, and the girls they left behind as they try to piece together the truth about the boys they loved and thought they knew. A spellbinding story about the ripple effects of tragedy, the questions we leave unanswered, and the enduring power of friendship.
The morning after their senior year beach party, Izzy, Cass, and Janie are woken by a thundering overhead. Then they and their classmates watch in shock as a plane crashes into the water. When the passengers are finally recovered, they are identified as Izzy's twin brother, Israel, Cass's ex-boyfriend, Shane, and Janie's best friend, Nate. But Izzy can feel when her brother is in pain, and she knows he's not really dead. So she, Cass, and Janie set out to discover what actually happened that day--and why the boys were on the plane.
Told in alternating timelines and points of view, this powerful and captivating novel follows the three boys in the weeks leading up to that fateful flight, and the girls they left behind as they try to piece together the truth about the boys they loved and thought they knew. A spellbinding story about the ripple effects of tragedy, the questions we leave unanswered, and the enduring power of friendship.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published April 13, 2021
17 people are currently reading
3065 people want to read
About the author
Natalie Lund
3 books90 followersNatalie Lund is the author of the young adult novels, We Speak in Storms, The Sky Above Us (April 13, 2021), and The Wolves Are Watching (Fall 2022). She is a former middle and high school teacher and a graduate of Purdue University’s MFA program. Natalie is a member of SCBWI and is represented by Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary Agency. She lives in Chicago with her spouse and a very talkative cat. You can follow her on Instagram or Twitter at @nmlund.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
April 13, 2021
**there may be some spoilers in this review.
I have extremely mixed feelings about this book. I think it’s incredibly well written and although the pacing is slow, it’s split into multiple POVs and timelines so it at least doesn’t feel stagnant. There’s a plane crash right off the coast after a beach party, and three girls are left to deal with the aftermath of the deaths of the three boys closest to them. There’s a bit of mystery surrounding the crash. Was it a joyride gone wrong, or was it purposeful? Also one of the boys who died was a twin and his twin feels that he’s still alive.
The Sky Above Us explores themes of grief, depression, suicide, dealing with the pressures of high school life, reincarnation, family dynamics, passive bullying, and honestly I don’t know if every topic was handled extremely well. I’m also not a professional of any kind, so I don’t know if I can make that sort of judgement call. I just know that in many instances I felt uncomfortable with what I was reading, but take that as a personal thing.
What I will say is that if you’re looking for a sad and deeply emotional book that’s ultimately about teenagers dealing with loss of all kind. A book that explores them dealing with the periods prior and the period after their losses, then you should pick up The Sky Above Us.
TW: suicide, depression, passive bullying, alcoholism.
AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC
I have extremely mixed feelings about this book. I think it’s incredibly well written and although the pacing is slow, it’s split into multiple POVs and timelines so it at least doesn’t feel stagnant. There’s a plane crash right off the coast after a beach party, and three girls are left to deal with the aftermath of the deaths of the three boys closest to them. There’s a bit of mystery surrounding the crash. Was it a joyride gone wrong, or was it purposeful? Also one of the boys who died was a twin and his twin feels that he’s still alive.
The Sky Above Us explores themes of grief, depression, suicide, dealing with the pressures of high school life, reincarnation, family dynamics, passive bullying, and honestly I don’t know if every topic was handled extremely well. I’m also not a professional of any kind, so I don’t know if I can make that sort of judgement call. I just know that in many instances I felt uncomfortable with what I was reading, but take that as a personal thing.
What I will say is that if you’re looking for a sad and deeply emotional book that’s ultimately about teenagers dealing with loss of all kind. A book that explores them dealing with the periods prior and the period after their losses, then you should pick up The Sky Above Us.
TW: suicide, depression, passive bullying, alcoholism.
AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2021
The Sky Above Us was really sad, heartbreaking, and quite hard to read at times. Right from the beginning things are full of deep sadness and pain. Cass, Janie, and Izzy wake up on the beach after a party and hear the sound of a plane. They look above their heads and a low flying plane goes right by, as they watch it, they realize that the plane looks like it is heading straight into the ocean. They watch with fear as it nose dives and disappears into the ocean. Three people were on that plane, Israel, Shane, and Nate. Israel was Izzy’s twin brother. Shane was Cass’s boyfriend up until recently. Nate was Janie’s only real friend.
The format of this book was very unique as we get the days leading up to the crash and the days after the crash. We get perspectives from all six of the characters and it was so heart wrenching to read. The pain, guilt, secrets, sadness that they all feel but don’t tell anyone. It was such a realistic look at the possibility that it was a suicide attempt and what you leave behind if you do commit suicide. What your family members and friends deal with in the aftermath. It also showed how hard it is to be a teenager, and it brought back some heavy memories of when I was a teenager myself. The weight of always wanting to succeed and to impress your parents, trying to balance everything in your life, thinking about college. It can be a lot on good days, but bad ones are even worse.
I will end with this is not a happy book. I struggled to finish this as I knew no good was going to come at the end. Does that mean I didn’t like it? No, not at all. The author had a way of writing such an intense book full of trauma, pain, and grief that you got sucked in and kept reading. The Sky Above Us will not be a book for everyone, but the writing is superb and the characters are really fleshed out.
The format of this book was very unique as we get the days leading up to the crash and the days after the crash. We get perspectives from all six of the characters and it was so heart wrenching to read. The pain, guilt, secrets, sadness that they all feel but don’t tell anyone. It was such a realistic look at the possibility that it was a suicide attempt and what you leave behind if you do commit suicide. What your family members and friends deal with in the aftermath. It also showed how hard it is to be a teenager, and it brought back some heavy memories of when I was a teenager myself. The weight of always wanting to succeed and to impress your parents, trying to balance everything in your life, thinking about college. It can be a lot on good days, but bad ones are even worse.
I will end with this is not a happy book. I struggled to finish this as I knew no good was going to come at the end. Does that mean I didn’t like it? No, not at all. The author had a way of writing such an intense book full of trauma, pain, and grief that you got sucked in and kept reading. The Sky Above Us will not be a book for everyone, but the writing is superb and the characters are really fleshed out.
February 13, 2021
★★☆☆☆ 2/5
thank you to penguinteen and netgallery for the arc!
this was a beautiful story of loss and grief, but i fail to see how it was a “psychological thriller” and i also had a glaring problem with it.
janie was an autistically coded character, and i felt very uncomfortable with the way the author handled her. she was basically only in the story for other characters to benefit off of her and use her (all while being too “embarrassed” to admit they were friends with her in public. nice, right?) the characters would call her “weird” and say they were “uncomfortable” around her. They would convince her into giving them free stuff, drive them around, etc. it’s not a message that i, an autistic person, enjoyed to see.
another thing is, going from thinking an autistic person is “weird” and “strange” to becoming friends with them as “character development” is overdone, stereotypical, and downright harmful.
thank you to penguinteen and netgallery for the arc!
this was a beautiful story of loss and grief, but i fail to see how it was a “psychological thriller” and i also had a glaring problem with it.
janie was an autistically coded character, and i felt very uncomfortable with the way the author handled her. she was basically only in the story for other characters to benefit off of her and use her (all while being too “embarrassed” to admit they were friends with her in public. nice, right?) the characters would call her “weird” and say they were “uncomfortable” around her. They would convince her into giving them free stuff, drive them around, etc. it’s not a message that i, an autistic person, enjoyed to see.
another thing is, going from thinking an autistic person is “weird” and “strange” to becoming friends with them as “character development” is overdone, stereotypical, and downright harmful.
March 19, 2022
A book about three messed up boys who die in a plane crash and the three slightly less messed up girls they left behind... This was just not it. Every part with Janie in it seemed so awkward, and I just wasn't a fan of most of the characters. The only part I liked was how Izzy could feel when her twin was in pain or upset, it was so sweet. The plot wasn't amazing, it moved too slowly for me. Also, I wasn't a fan of how they handled suicide topics. It seemed like the book was almost encouraging that, rather than working through it. Overall, I ended the book wishing I had DNF'ed it at the beginning, which is never a good thing.
November 2, 2021
Book: 3/5
Audiobook: 4/5
When I read the synopsis of The Sky Above Us by Natalie Lund I was immediately intrigued because who doesn't want to read about teenagers searching for answers? This is a dark read and the general feel to me was pretty pensive and melancholy. There are multiple timelines as well as multiple viewpoints, and I definitely would have appreciated fewer POVs. I got really confused about who everyone was and had a hard time keeping them all separate in my mind, but this mostly happened with the guys as opposed to the girls. I think it was meant to be an emotional read but I didn't feel very attached to any of the characters or their storylines which made this less emotional than I was hoping for.
The conclusion was surprising, and I didn't see it coming, and the book is full of heavy, gut-wrenching topics which I am sure will resonate with plenty of readers. The main theme is suicide so if that's a trigger for you then you might want to skip this. Luckily it isn't a trigger for me, but I definitely got a different story than the one I was expecting. The Sky Above Us is described as a twisty, psychological thriller and honestly, I didn't get that feeling at all. It felt more like young adult literary fiction, and about the only twist was the very end. I did enjoy this on audio though and it is told with almost a full cast of people narrating. Kirby Heyborne, Laura Knight Keating, Brittany Pressley & Maria Liatis were the narrators, and I was happy to have Pressley on the list. She was definitely my favorite of them all, but I did enjoy the other narrators as well. This is just a really hard book to describe without giving anything away, and I recommend checking it out for yourself if you think it sounds interesting.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Audiobook: 4/5
When I read the synopsis of The Sky Above Us by Natalie Lund I was immediately intrigued because who doesn't want to read about teenagers searching for answers? This is a dark read and the general feel to me was pretty pensive and melancholy. There are multiple timelines as well as multiple viewpoints, and I definitely would have appreciated fewer POVs. I got really confused about who everyone was and had a hard time keeping them all separate in my mind, but this mostly happened with the guys as opposed to the girls. I think it was meant to be an emotional read but I didn't feel very attached to any of the characters or their storylines which made this less emotional than I was hoping for.
The conclusion was surprising, and I didn't see it coming, and the book is full of heavy, gut-wrenching topics which I am sure will resonate with plenty of readers. The main theme is suicide so if that's a trigger for you then you might want to skip this. Luckily it isn't a trigger for me, but I definitely got a different story than the one I was expecting. The Sky Above Us is described as a twisty, psychological thriller and honestly, I didn't get that feeling at all. It felt more like young adult literary fiction, and about the only twist was the very end. I did enjoy this on audio though and it is told with almost a full cast of people narrating. Kirby Heyborne, Laura Knight Keating, Brittany Pressley & Maria Liatis were the narrators, and I was happy to have Pressley on the list. She was definitely my favorite of them all, but I did enjoy the other narrators as well. This is just a really hard book to describe without giving anything away, and I recommend checking it out for yourself if you think it sounds interesting.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
September 30, 2020
I enjoyed the multiple perspectives of the book, and I loved getting to know all the characters. However, I felt the beginning was a bit slow!
April 10, 2021
The Sky Above Us is penned as a "psychological thriller" but after finishing this book it did not feel as though it were one. I received this arc with the hopes that there would be some type of maybe magical realism element to it, given that the entire premise of this story follows three boys who crash a plane in the ocean, and the three most important girls in their life witness this tragic "accident", and are left to find out what happened to them. So yes, it did have that mystery element too, but I felt that the conversation surrounding the plot of this story was done poorly.
I was not aware that this going to be a book surrounding suicide, and as such, I think that trigger warnings should have been included in this story. In terms of the actual book, I had a few problems with the writing. We are following 6 different POVs: the 3 girls and the 3 boys. Not only are we following 6 POVs, but each pov takes place at a different timeline. This got confusing at times because the voices of the characters never felt distinct enough, and many of them sounded alike. For the first 100 pages, I felt a little bit uncomfortable with the way the POC characters were described and the language used to portray their chapters. A lot of the time, they were described in ways that felt a little bit demeaning. Not only that but also the way that these characters were sexualized. Both of these writing situations were not necessary to the story and didn't move the plot in any way, so it felt like it was thrown in there for no reason.
The discussion around suicide in this book felt off for me. Given that this is a book with a target audience of 12+, I think there should have been a discussion about why these 3 characters felt like they wanted to end their life, what other options they might have had. Unfortunately, there was virtually no discussion around therapy, holistic help, medication, etc., to help with the depression and deep feelings many of these characters were experiencing. Instead, the idea of committing suicide and potentially stepping into another life, based not on any type of true belief or spiritual belief, but instead based on a social forum, seems dangerous and irresponsible to have in a YA book. It was unfortunate because my hope was that, if suicide was going to be a large focal point in this book, I would have liked for some discussion to occur towards the end. Instead, the end of the book felt unfinished and left so many questions unanswered.
The pacing of the story was done well. And there were moments where I found myself continuing reading because I did want to find out exactly what lead up to the plane crash, but it came and then it went and it felt a little bit anticlimactic and I was a little disappointed in that. Overall, I was a little disappointed with this book because I was really excited to read it but it just was not executed well enough to me.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-arc of this book.
I was not aware that this going to be a book surrounding suicide, and as such, I think that trigger warnings should have been included in this story. In terms of the actual book, I had a few problems with the writing. We are following 6 different POVs: the 3 girls and the 3 boys. Not only are we following 6 POVs, but each pov takes place at a different timeline. This got confusing at times because the voices of the characters never felt distinct enough, and many of them sounded alike. For the first 100 pages, I felt a little bit uncomfortable with the way the POC characters were described and the language used to portray their chapters. A lot of the time, they were described in ways that felt a little bit demeaning. Not only that but also the way that these characters were sexualized. Both of these writing situations were not necessary to the story and didn't move the plot in any way, so it felt like it was thrown in there for no reason.
The discussion around suicide in this book felt off for me. Given that this is a book with a target audience of 12+, I think there should have been a discussion about why these 3 characters felt like they wanted to end their life, what other options they might have had. Unfortunately, there was virtually no discussion around therapy, holistic help, medication, etc., to help with the depression and deep feelings many of these characters were experiencing. Instead, the idea of committing suicide and potentially stepping into another life, based not on any type of true belief or spiritual belief, but instead based on a social forum, seems dangerous and irresponsible to have in a YA book. It was unfortunate because my hope was that, if suicide was going to be a large focal point in this book, I would have liked for some discussion to occur towards the end. Instead, the end of the book felt unfinished and left so many questions unanswered.
The pacing of the story was done well. And there were moments where I found myself continuing reading because I did want to find out exactly what lead up to the plane crash, but it came and then it went and it felt a little bit anticlimactic and I was a little disappointed in that. Overall, I was a little disappointed with this book because I was really excited to read it but it just was not executed well enough to me.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-arc of this book.
April 2, 2021
“Measuring grief is impossible, but what you can measure, what I’ve already started to measure, is guilt.”
The Sky Above Us is a tragic story told in alternating timelines by multiple narrators which had the potential to become confusing but didn’t. This is one of those rare times when it all pulled together beautifully and I think this is because each character is so distinctively written and nuanced that even if the heading didn’t tell me who was narrating, I would’ve known just by their voice.
When three boys steal a plane and crash it into the ocean, they leave behind family and friends to grieve them and to question why? The three boys each left behind a girl, one a twin sister, another a secret bestfriend/girlfriend and yet another, a girl who broke one’s heart in to a million pieces. These three girls will come together to try and make sense of the months before the plane crash and what drove the boys to this final act.
I want to note that this is a book about death, suicide, grief and loss - all the feelings that accompany death but focuses hard on those feelings that accompany the suicide of a loved one; primarily the heavy guilt and sense of responsibility that those left behind feel. The search for answers that the girls embark on will lead them to some mysterious and mystical places that will open the door to alternate beliefs and possibilities of life after death.
The Sky Above Us was a compelling read for me and I was captivated by the absolute realness of each sharply written character and the bittersweet nature of the story.
My thanks to Penguin Teen for gifting me a copy for review.
The Sky Above Us is a tragic story told in alternating timelines by multiple narrators which had the potential to become confusing but didn’t. This is one of those rare times when it all pulled together beautifully and I think this is because each character is so distinctively written and nuanced that even if the heading didn’t tell me who was narrating, I would’ve known just by their voice.
When three boys steal a plane and crash it into the ocean, they leave behind family and friends to grieve them and to question why? The three boys each left behind a girl, one a twin sister, another a secret bestfriend/girlfriend and yet another, a girl who broke one’s heart in to a million pieces. These three girls will come together to try and make sense of the months before the plane crash and what drove the boys to this final act.
I want to note that this is a book about death, suicide, grief and loss - all the feelings that accompany death but focuses hard on those feelings that accompany the suicide of a loved one; primarily the heavy guilt and sense of responsibility that those left behind feel. The search for answers that the girls embark on will lead them to some mysterious and mystical places that will open the door to alternate beliefs and possibilities of life after death.
The Sky Above Us was a compelling read for me and I was captivated by the absolute realness of each sharply written character and the bittersweet nature of the story.
My thanks to Penguin Teen for gifting me a copy for review.
May 1, 2021
Emotionally resonant with strongly rendered characters grappling with impossible loss and tragedy, The Sky Above Us took my breath away with its power. Lund's words speak to our own individual experiences with tragedy and loss: "I want to be a person who loves fiercely, with everything I have." The opening scene catches in the throat, and the constantly shifting timeline is unsettling and then magical. I LOVED this book. I wish I had had books like this when I was a young reader, but I am overjoyed that I have it now!
May 30, 2023
Wowza. The start was good and the end was amazing. It really brought out the FEELS and not so great memories which I think is important and good. However, the lengthy boring middle just made it impossible to give this any higher of a rating. Honestly recommend, but feel free to skip parts cause really not much is THAT important.
February 26, 2020
I was lucky enough to read an early version of this magical novel. The mystery at the heart of this book is captivating! It’s impossible not to keep turning the pages to find out what happened to the boys in the past and how the girls will cope in the present. You’ll fall in love with these sharply drawn main characters in this elegant meditation on grief, love, and all that’s unknowable in this world and beyond.
April 21, 2021
Thank you Turn The Page Book Tours for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Sky Above Us
By: Natalie Lund
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
The Sky Above Us is a riveting young adult novel that is difficult to explain, without ruining the plot, that is. Natalie Lund has written an emotionally impactful story on the inevitability of change, the bonds we share, choices with definitive consequences, the idea of reincarnation and profound human powerlessness in a vast unknowable universe.
Narrated through six teen points of view, in past and present time, readers experience several story threads from different angles. It's actually not that confusing. A dramatic unbelievable thing just happened, and a reckoning has come for everyone. As the teens struggle with universal unanswerable questions of how and why this horrorible nightmare happened, each will realize, too late, the value of something now forever lost and the despair of ignorance, especially in light of new knowledge that might have changed everything.
I won't pretend The Sky Above Us is a happy tale because it's not. The subject matter is heavy, intense and, largely, heartbreaking; however, this is also the kind of read that grabs and stuns you from the start with shocking scenes, mysterious situations, improbablites and the need to know more. I honestly couldn't put this book down until the last page, and I have thought of it often since.
The characters are complex, broken messes who elicit sympathy and tear at your heart. Being so young and deeply embroiled in a major tragedy is terrible. I believe each character had a path to take, and throughout the book, we learn of the actions and choices that led to this particular path. The question is whether different choices would have led to a different path, and if so, for better or worse? Was this chaos always destined to happen, or not? Do you believe in life after life after life and in the possibility that you were once someone else?
Despite the doom and gloom tone of my review, The Sky Above Us is well worth reading. This is the type of story that gives you something, possibly bizarre, to reason over and consider in new and different ways. You are asked to just be open to these crazy possibilities. If you can do that, I highly recommend trying this compelling book!
The Sky Above Us
By: Natalie Lund
REVIEW ☆☆☆☆
The Sky Above Us is a riveting young adult novel that is difficult to explain, without ruining the plot, that is. Natalie Lund has written an emotionally impactful story on the inevitability of change, the bonds we share, choices with definitive consequences, the idea of reincarnation and profound human powerlessness in a vast unknowable universe.
Narrated through six teen points of view, in past and present time, readers experience several story threads from different angles. It's actually not that confusing. A dramatic unbelievable thing just happened, and a reckoning has come for everyone. As the teens struggle with universal unanswerable questions of how and why this horrorible nightmare happened, each will realize, too late, the value of something now forever lost and the despair of ignorance, especially in light of new knowledge that might have changed everything.
I won't pretend The Sky Above Us is a happy tale because it's not. The subject matter is heavy, intense and, largely, heartbreaking; however, this is also the kind of read that grabs and stuns you from the start with shocking scenes, mysterious situations, improbablites and the need to know more. I honestly couldn't put this book down until the last page, and I have thought of it often since.
The characters are complex, broken messes who elicit sympathy and tear at your heart. Being so young and deeply embroiled in a major tragedy is terrible. I believe each character had a path to take, and throughout the book, we learn of the actions and choices that led to this particular path. The question is whether different choices would have led to a different path, and if so, for better or worse? Was this chaos always destined to happen, or not? Do you believe in life after life after life and in the possibility that you were once someone else?
Despite the doom and gloom tone of my review, The Sky Above Us is well worth reading. This is the type of story that gives you something, possibly bizarre, to reason over and consider in new and different ways. You are asked to just be open to these crazy possibilities. If you can do that, I highly recommend trying this compelling book!
May 31, 2021
This is definitely not a thriller.
It is a hard book to review, because it discusses hard topics, but in a slow kind of way.
It's a story of 6 teenagers. Three of them crash a plane and die. And the three girls that are left alive, have to deal with their grief, guilt and figure out their next steps in life.
This book is about grief and how different people deal with it. There are a lot of talk about mental health, and how it affects kids/teenagers and adults. How it can break someone down little by little. How other people tend to ignore the things that are hard to talk about - like seeing a person you love suffer, seeing someone struggle with mental health.
So many trigger warnings: talk of suicide, depression, alcohol use and abuse.
In the end I thought this book discusses all of these topics in a good way. It's true and real, even if it had a bit of imaginary creativity with the soul jumping and past lives. It is definitely not a thriller, even if we follow the story to the end to figure out what really happened to the boys, and what they chose in the end.
It is a hard book to review, because it discusses hard topics, but in a slow kind of way.
It's a story of 6 teenagers. Three of them crash a plane and die. And the three girls that are left alive, have to deal with their grief, guilt and figure out their next steps in life.
This book is about grief and how different people deal with it. There are a lot of talk about mental health, and how it affects kids/teenagers and adults. How it can break someone down little by little. How other people tend to ignore the things that are hard to talk about - like seeing a person you love suffer, seeing someone struggle with mental health.
So many trigger warnings: talk of suicide, depression, alcohol use and abuse.
In the end I thought this book discusses all of these topics in a good way. It's true and real, even if it had a bit of imaginary creativity with the soul jumping and past lives. It is definitely not a thriller, even if we follow the story to the end to figure out what really happened to the boys, and what they chose in the end.
April 21, 2021
This is one of those books that I feel like could have been great with a different approach. Unfortunately, I have two main issues with it. One, I do not get any of the psychological thriller vibes that I should be. What this is about is grief. Two, is the way this book handles suicide. Obviously, this is a big part of the plot; however, the way it is handled feels uncomfortable.
I received an ecopy of this through Netgalley; however, all opinions are my own.
I received an ecopy of this through Netgalley; however, all opinions are my own.
April 3, 2021
The morning after a bonfire party, Izzy, Janie, and Cass wake up to a plane crash on the beach. The passengers were Izzy's brother, Cass's boyfriend, and Janie's best friend. The story follows the girls in the aftermath of the crash, dealing with their grief and pain, and their journey to find out what why the boys were in that plane, and also follows the boys in the days leading up to the flight. It is an exploration of grief and loss the girls experience, as well as the hopelessness and desperation that led the boys to that fateful plane ride.
I enjoyed reading this book and getting to know the characters through their emotions and struggles. However, there were several things that didn't sit quite right with me about it.
First off, the book is described as a twisty psychological thriller, which I would not agree with at all. There are no real twists, the plot follows a pretty well marked trail, and there are no thriller aspects about it. It is emotional and sad, but not mysterious or thrilling.
Second of all, the book deals with the topic of suicide, and I was a bit uncomfortable with the way it did so, and have seen other reviewers say the same. The suicide of three teenage boys is painted as a beautiful and liberating way for them to escape the very normal pressures of teen life (grades, girl drama, sports), and the reincarnation plot line almost seeks to soften the blow of that and make it "not really suicide because technically their souls might still be here".
I've also seen some commentary on Janie being coded as autistic and how that was not done very well either, although I cannot speak to that topic personally.
Overall, with those flaws in mind, I did enjoy my time spent with these characters and the feelings they were working through. I would just say to go in with awareness of the actual genre and nature of the content.
Thank you Penguin Teen for a review copy of this!
I enjoyed reading this book and getting to know the characters through their emotions and struggles. However, there were several things that didn't sit quite right with me about it.
First off, the book is described as a twisty psychological thriller, which I would not agree with at all. There are no real twists, the plot follows a pretty well marked trail, and there are no thriller aspects about it. It is emotional and sad, but not mysterious or thrilling.
Second of all, the book deals with the topic of suicide, and I was a bit uncomfortable with the way it did so, and have seen other reviewers say the same. The suicide of three teenage boys is painted as a beautiful and liberating way for them to escape the very normal pressures of teen life (grades, girl drama, sports), and the reincarnation plot line almost seeks to soften the blow of that and make it "not really suicide because technically their souls might still be here".
I've also seen some commentary on Janie being coded as autistic and how that was not done very well either, although I cannot speak to that topic personally.
Overall, with those flaws in mind, I did enjoy my time spent with these characters and the feelings they were working through. I would just say to go in with awareness of the actual genre and nature of the content.
Thank you Penguin Teen for a review copy of this!
April 11, 2021
3.5 stars. This is a beautiful story about grief, but it was marketed as a psychological thriller (and it just isn’t) so that definitely tainted my expectations. THE SKY ABOVE US does a great job of covering the anxiety + hopelessness so many teens feel.
April 2, 2022
Wow..this one was sad and amazing!
April 11, 2021
An achingly beautiful story of heartbreak and loss.
When three teen girls witness a plane crash on a beach after a party, it shatters their lives. Not only do they know the victims, but it’s the people who are most important to them. Izzy lost her twin, Israel. Cass lost her ex-boyfriend, Shane. And Janie lost her best friend Nate, who’d only hang out with her when no one from school could see.
Israel had been interested in past lives, but when Izzy swears their souls have moved into three dolphins, her friends think she's losing it. The other girls agree to help her find out why the tragedy occurred to help her cope. Each one is searching for a sense of meaning. What led three teen boys to steal a plane and take it for a spin? The answer to that question will test the three girls’ friendship.
These characters are vivid, unique and feel like real people. The book alternates between past and present, giving you glimpses into each teen's heart. I especially enjoyed Janie gaining confidence and becoming an even larger part of the friend group as the time went on.
I would describe this book as an emotional thriller. You needed to know the answers to "why" just as much as the girls did, so it kept me turning pages. I read this in one sitting.
Even though this book dealt with some tough topics - depression, suicide - I loved the note of hope. The bittersweet ending will leave you with tears in your eyes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the advance review copy of this book.
When three teen girls witness a plane crash on a beach after a party, it shatters their lives. Not only do they know the victims, but it’s the people who are most important to them. Izzy lost her twin, Israel. Cass lost her ex-boyfriend, Shane. And Janie lost her best friend Nate, who’d only hang out with her when no one from school could see.
Israel had been interested in past lives, but when Izzy swears their souls have moved into three dolphins, her friends think she's losing it. The other girls agree to help her find out why the tragedy occurred to help her cope. Each one is searching for a sense of meaning. What led three teen boys to steal a plane and take it for a spin? The answer to that question will test the three girls’ friendship.
These characters are vivid, unique and feel like real people. The book alternates between past and present, giving you glimpses into each teen's heart. I especially enjoyed Janie gaining confidence and becoming an even larger part of the friend group as the time went on.
I would describe this book as an emotional thriller. You needed to know the answers to "why" just as much as the girls did, so it kept me turning pages. I read this in one sitting.
Even though this book dealt with some tough topics - depression, suicide - I loved the note of hope. The bittersweet ending will leave you with tears in your eyes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the advance review copy of this book.
March 10, 2021
Trigger warnings and discussions below contain spoilers.
Please note: I debated sharing this review as I know reviews that criticise the book can be upsetting to those who put their heart and soul into this book. However, I felt that due to the nature of my concerns I couldn’t not share my review. Please know I do it only to help.
The Sky Above Us is not a thriller. This book is an exploration of emotions in the lead up to and aftermath of suicide. As someone who is bereaved by suicide, I was upset by the way suicide and suicidal thoughts were discussed and, one might say, romanticised. This book just makes it seem like it was the only choice for the boys and placed guilt and responsibility on the girls.
While I completely and wholeheartedly believe we need books in our young people’s hands that talk about suicide and mental health and dark thoughts, and acknowledging them and removing stigma, I believe they also need to be books that help teens navigate this. Not a book that says, you’ve hurt your knee, your girlfriend cheated on you, school’s hard, it’s all bad, bad thoughts, bad thoughts, but it’s okay because you can become a flipping dolphin. And your sister or girlfriend will be fine with it because you became a flipping dolphin. Yes, right at the end there are a few mentions of the implications, and yes, one might infer from the story that everyone is sad and wrecked, but hey, you’re a flipping dolphin (or, not, maybe we are not actually sure about that), so it’s all good.
I’m not trying to hate on reincarnation but there are so many things in this book that are just not addressed - like the guy on the forum who is targeting Israel and encouraging him to suicide. And how the girls are left feeling to blame and having to make the ‘right’ choices to ‘make up’ for their brother/ boyfriend/ friend. There is no positive discussion about actually getting help or the benefits of therapy, other options, staying safe online, or positive and healthy relationships. Nothing.
There were a few other things that I also didn’t like about this book. It is written from the perspective of the six main characters. The three girls and the three boys. The girls’ chapters are from after the crash and the boys’ are from before. Having six perspectives was incredibly confusing and it took me a while to figure out what was key to each character so I could tell them apart. I didn’t like any of them. Side note, this book also discussed an orca in an aquarium as if it is totally fine and normal and okay for that creature to be confined in such a way. It’s not. It’s in the context of a film script, but it still normalises it. Finally, there are also a lot of open plot holes and things that are never finalised and that left me unsatisfied (in between being angry, of course).
Finally, in no way do I agree with the publisher’s decision to market this for ages 12 and up. I’ll be giving it an age 14/15 and up rating and you can find my trigger warnings and content guide below.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
Please note: I debated sharing this review as I know reviews that criticise the book can be upsetting to those who put their heart and soul into this book. However, I felt that due to the nature of my concerns I couldn’t not share my review. Please know I do it only to help.
The Sky Above Us is not a thriller. This book is an exploration of emotions in the lead up to and aftermath of suicide. As someone who is bereaved by suicide, I was upset by the way suicide and suicidal thoughts were discussed and, one might say, romanticised. This book just makes it seem like it was the only choice for the boys and placed guilt and responsibility on the girls.
While I completely and wholeheartedly believe we need books in our young people’s hands that talk about suicide and mental health and dark thoughts, and acknowledging them and removing stigma, I believe they also need to be books that help teens navigate this. Not a book that says, you’ve hurt your knee, your girlfriend cheated on you, school’s hard, it’s all bad, bad thoughts, bad thoughts, but it’s okay because you can become a flipping dolphin. And your sister or girlfriend will be fine with it because you became a flipping dolphin. Yes, right at the end there are a few mentions of the implications, and yes, one might infer from the story that everyone is sad and wrecked, but hey, you’re a flipping dolphin (or, not, maybe we are not actually sure about that), so it’s all good.
I’m not trying to hate on reincarnation but there are so many things in this book that are just not addressed - like the guy on the forum who is targeting Israel and encouraging him to suicide. And how the girls are left feeling to blame and having to make the ‘right’ choices to ‘make up’ for their brother/ boyfriend/ friend. There is no positive discussion about actually getting help or the benefits of therapy, other options, staying safe online, or positive and healthy relationships. Nothing.
There were a few other things that I also didn’t like about this book. It is written from the perspective of the six main characters. The three girls and the three boys. The girls’ chapters are from after the crash and the boys’ are from before. Having six perspectives was incredibly confusing and it took me a while to figure out what was key to each character so I could tell them apart. I didn’t like any of them. Side note, this book also discussed an orca in an aquarium as if it is totally fine and normal and okay for that creature to be confined in such a way. It’s not. It’s in the context of a film script, but it still normalises it. Finally, there are also a lot of open plot holes and things that are never finalised and that left me unsatisfied (in between being angry, of course).
Finally, in no way do I agree with the publisher’s decision to market this for ages 12 and up. I’ll be giving it an age 14/15 and up rating and you can find my trigger warnings and content guide below.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Find more reviews, reading age guides, content advisory, and recommendations on my blog Madison's Library
April 11, 2021
⭐ ⭐ 1/2
I'm not even sure how to rate this book or how I feel about it. I kept going between 2 and 3 stars so ultimately I'm giving this a 2.5.
First of all, I want to say this is in ZERO way a psychological thriller. Psychological, minus the thriller. I'm not really sure why it was given this genre and it was super misleading as I went into it.
I enjoyed the dual time lines of this story as that's something I always enjoy in books. Before the plane crash, the days leading up to the crash and after the plane crash. It follows 6 characters; the boys and the girls. The boys in the plane crash and the girls who knew them. Admittedly, I had a VERY hard time with these characters. The writing style was sort of the same for all 6 of them so I had to think before each chapter who belonged to who and who was who. Until about midway, I struggled pretty hard with this.
I didn't love the whole reincarnation thing. I don't necessarily believe in it, so that whole situation was very far fetched to me. The whole accident thing and dolphins and..
Lastly, TRIGGER WARNING, I feel this romanticized suicide a bit too much for my liking. Let's just go into the hole and live another life and all things will be so perfect! Suicide is such an important subject matter to have. For teens AND adults alike. I do NOT recommend this book for teenagers, who it's aimed at.; especially if they struggle with mental health. My daughter is 15 and struggles with depression and there's no way I would want her to touch this. Again, it's IMPORTANT for these discussions to happen. It's okay to write books on them. It's just not okay to romanticize it. It's not the "cool" thing to do. Or to encourage your friends to do, and even help them do it.
Ultimately, I would not recommend this book for the age group it';s intended for. I gave it 2.5 stars because it did hold my attention and I wanted to see what happened in the end. I just feel so much of the book could have taken a different route for a "lesson" vs the way it went,
Thank you to Penguin Teen for the advanced readers copy!
February 6, 2021
TW: suicide, suicidal ideation, self-harm, alcohol usage
Wow. WOW. Okay, I am so glad I finally got around to this. This book deals with grief in such a fascinating way.
The Sky Above Us follows three girls: Izzy, Cass, and Janie, all who have some relation to three boys who wrecked in a plane accident one night: Shane, Israel, and Nate. The story follows accounts from the boys before the accident leading up to it and the girls and how they deal with the aftermath of the accident. The Sky Above Us brings the concept of other lives, or reincarnation into play, which I found really intriguing.
I love the writing. It’s simple, yet conveys so much good detail in a straight-to-the-point manner. I also love how Spanish was used! I’m a Spanish student, so I always love putting my Spanish knowledge to the test and seeing if I can understand what is being said.
The pacing was great. I had absolutely no issues. It moved fairly quickly, so nothing dragged and the plot was always being developed, or new pieces of information were being revealed. The pacing kept me hooked all the way through.
I highly recommend that you pick up The Sky Above Us to experience a story of anguish and grief. I mean it really will break you. Trust me.
**Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin who provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review**
Wow. WOW. Okay, I am so glad I finally got around to this. This book deals with grief in such a fascinating way.
The Sky Above Us follows three girls: Izzy, Cass, and Janie, all who have some relation to three boys who wrecked in a plane accident one night: Shane, Israel, and Nate. The story follows accounts from the boys before the accident leading up to it and the girls and how they deal with the aftermath of the accident. The Sky Above Us brings the concept of other lives, or reincarnation into play, which I found really intriguing.
I love the writing. It’s simple, yet conveys so much good detail in a straight-to-the-point manner. I also love how Spanish was used! I’m a Spanish student, so I always love putting my Spanish knowledge to the test and seeing if I can understand what is being said.
The pacing was great. I had absolutely no issues. It moved fairly quickly, so nothing dragged and the plot was always being developed, or new pieces of information were being revealed. The pacing kept me hooked all the way through.
I highly recommend that you pick up The Sky Above Us to experience a story of anguish and grief. I mean it really will break you. Trust me.
**Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin who provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review**
May 13, 2021
Interesting. As someone who spent a lot of time researching both mental health, and young adult media, I was surprised at how deep and emotional this book ended up being. A lot of times this book felt more in the genre of Sarah Dessen than a traditional triller. The characters have to deal with so much, and it can weigh on the reader if they aren't expecting that emotional depth. I did feel a little overwhelmed with multiple different perspectives, shifting back and forth. It was hard to follow at some times, but overall it was an interesting way to lead up to the main event.
I was surprised to see the concept of reincarnation in this book. It's not a traditional choice, and while it didn't quite all make sense to me, I was interested to see something very non-traditional religious in this book.
Overall, a solid book, a 3.5, I rounded up to 4. The author writes interesting characters, good setting, it just felt like this book was trying to tackle too much, and I got lost in it at times, but I did enjoy the twist ending, and the book cover is stunning. Overall, give it a go, but be warned it is emotional and deals with heavy topics like mental health and grief.
I was surprised to see the concept of reincarnation in this book. It's not a traditional choice, and while it didn't quite all make sense to me, I was interested to see something very non-traditional religious in this book.
Overall, a solid book, a 3.5, I rounded up to 4. The author writes interesting characters, good setting, it just felt like this book was trying to tackle too much, and I got lost in it at times, but I did enjoy the twist ending, and the book cover is stunning. Overall, give it a go, but be warned it is emotional and deals with heavy topics like mental health and grief.
September 8, 2020
Wow I was not ready for the direction this book took.
The Sky Above Us is about three girls, Izzy, Cass, and Janie trying to find answers about a plane crash. The three boys in the aircraft were Izzy’s twin brother, Cass’ ex boyfriend, and Janie’s best friend. The book jumps back and forth between the past and the present as well as between the six characters’ point of views. It took me a while to get use to the time jump, but after a couple chapters I was hooked.
This book was glued to my hand as I desperately wanted to know why the boys were on the plane and why it crashed. I enjoyed all the characters and learning about their individual struggle and how their lives intertwined. Natalie Lund did an excellent job of writing about grief, friendship, and mental illness. I was also pleasantly surprised by the weaving of reincarnation into the story. I enjoyed reading this book.
The Sky Above Us is about three girls, Izzy, Cass, and Janie trying to find answers about a plane crash. The three boys in the aircraft were Izzy’s twin brother, Cass’ ex boyfriend, and Janie’s best friend. The book jumps back and forth between the past and the present as well as between the six characters’ point of views. It took me a while to get use to the time jump, but after a couple chapters I was hooked.
This book was glued to my hand as I desperately wanted to know why the boys were on the plane and why it crashed. I enjoyed all the characters and learning about their individual struggle and how their lives intertwined. Natalie Lund did an excellent job of writing about grief, friendship, and mental illness. I was also pleasantly surprised by the weaving of reincarnation into the story. I enjoyed reading this book.
April 20, 2021
2.5/5 ⭐️
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for this ARC. The Sky Above us is told through the perspectives of 6 different teens 3 who died in a plane crash and 3 who were close to them respectively. We jump from before and after the crash as the 3 surviving teenagers try to deal with their grief by attempting to understand what happened the night of the plane crash. I think that first and foremost, this book did a really good job of capturing the grieving process. The difference in how the 3 teenagers left behind took on their grief felt very true to life. I did have an issue kind of seeing how this book constituted as a thriller, as there was no real suspense, but that's a pretty common problem I find in most YA thrillers so it's not entirely surprising. I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did in the end but I just felt like 6 povs made it hard to attach myself or really care about any of the characters and also made them feel very 2 dimensenial. I think if there had been a focus on just a few of the characters and really fleshing them out this book would have been a lot more impactful.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for this ARC. The Sky Above us is told through the perspectives of 6 different teens 3 who died in a plane crash and 3 who were close to them respectively. We jump from before and after the crash as the 3 surviving teenagers try to deal with their grief by attempting to understand what happened the night of the plane crash. I think that first and foremost, this book did a really good job of capturing the grieving process. The difference in how the 3 teenagers left behind took on their grief felt very true to life. I did have an issue kind of seeing how this book constituted as a thriller, as there was no real suspense, but that's a pretty common problem I find in most YA thrillers so it's not entirely surprising. I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did in the end but I just felt like 6 povs made it hard to attach myself or really care about any of the characters and also made them feel very 2 dimensenial. I think if there had been a focus on just a few of the characters and really fleshing them out this book would have been a lot more impactful.
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October 25, 2022rtc!
May 18, 2024
3.75 stars The author certainly has a good grasp of how teenagers think and feel and act. The characters were all beautifully written. The story was a bit morose and the ending wasn’t as satisfying as one might hope, but it was fitting.
November 21, 2020
https://youtu.be/PONeUtUnSv4
My Spoiler Free Review Above
My Spoiler Free Review Above
April 13, 2021
This is my second five star read in a row from Penguin Teen. I wasn't sure what to expect from The Sky Above Us but what I got was a well-written, poignant look at what it means to be in high school when simultaneously your whole life is in front of you and life-changing decisions need to be made at every turn. This book was full of gorgeous, heartfelt moments.
The Sky Above Us begins with a senior year beach party. That morning Janie, Cass and Izzy wake up on the beach only to see a small plane plummet into the ocean--and learn that their nearest and dearest, Izzy's twin brother Israel, Janie's best friend Nate and Cassie's ex Shane, were on that plane. The story follows the girls as they try to figure out what motivated the boys to steal the plane and what happened during the flight, as well as alternating timelines where the boys tell their stories leading up to that moment.
Although there were times in the beginning when it is was difficult to keep all the narratives straight and remember the relationships between everyone, I quickly came to know and love each character. This story deals beautifully with love, loss and grief and doesn't read like YA at all.
"'We're just trying to get the full picture at this point, ma'am.'
And what if there isn't one? Or what if there is, but he took it with him?'"
Five glowing stars. I recommend this one to fans of All the Bright Places & Neverworld Wake.
The Sky Above Us begins with a senior year beach party. That morning Janie, Cass and Izzy wake up on the beach only to see a small plane plummet into the ocean--and learn that their nearest and dearest, Izzy's twin brother Israel, Janie's best friend Nate and Cassie's ex Shane, were on that plane. The story follows the girls as they try to figure out what motivated the boys to steal the plane and what happened during the flight, as well as alternating timelines where the boys tell their stories leading up to that moment.
Although there were times in the beginning when it is was difficult to keep all the narratives straight and remember the relationships between everyone, I quickly came to know and love each character. This story deals beautifully with love, loss and grief and doesn't read like YA at all.
"'We're just trying to get the full picture at this point, ma'am.'
And what if there isn't one? Or what if there is, but he took it with him?'"
Five glowing stars. I recommend this one to fans of All the Bright Places & Neverworld Wake.
June 24, 2021
Three boys steal a small airplane and crash into the ocean to their deaths leaving behind Isabela, Israel’s twin, Cass, Shane’s ex girlfriend and Janie, an outcast and Nate’s secret best friend. Told from the teens’ points of view THE SKY ABOVE US takes readers on the boys’ journeys before the crash and the girls’ afterwards.
THE SKY ABOVE US scratches a lot of important issues like grief, goals, finding oneself, friendship, family and mental illness without addressing any of those topics in a meaningful manner.
I couldn’t keep Nate and Shane separate in my mind and constantly had to remind myself who was who, although they had separate stories and personalities. Character building was the strongest aspect of THE SKY ABOVE US, the pace felt incredibly slow and lacked tension. I can’t see why anyone would call the story a psychological thriller.
Some reviewers called THE SKY ABOVE US an emotional read, but the story didn’t evoke a lot of feelings for me. Perhaps if there were fewer points of view I could have hung on to one or two stories to more fully embrace.
THE SKY ABOVE US scratches a lot of important issues like grief, goals, finding oneself, friendship, family and mental illness without addressing any of those topics in a meaningful manner.
I couldn’t keep Nate and Shane separate in my mind and constantly had to remind myself who was who, although they had separate stories and personalities. Character building was the strongest aspect of THE SKY ABOVE US, the pace felt incredibly slow and lacked tension. I can’t see why anyone would call the story a psychological thriller.
Some reviewers called THE SKY ABOVE US an emotional read, but the story didn’t evoke a lot of feelings for me. Perhaps if there were fewer points of view I could have hung on to one or two stories to more fully embrace.
November 16, 2020
Loss. Grief.
It’s never easy losing a loved one. The pain that comes from the emptiness you feel, is very hard to bear. Three deaths. No answers.
I was not expecting such a heavy story. I didn’t feel like this story was a thriller. A lot happens within each person’s life and we get a peek into what each person is dealing with. The choices they make/made and how they affected everyone around them. Mental illness is mentioned and I liked that. Too many shy away from that topic but it is a real thing affecting many people every day. While I enjoyed the story, I felt like there was too much going on. Too many characters. I didn’t connect with many of them.
This is a good YA story and while I expected a thriller, I got a different kind of story and I enjoyed it. This is my first Natalie Lund book and I enjoyed her writing. I will look for more works by her. I give this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
It’s never easy losing a loved one. The pain that comes from the emptiness you feel, is very hard to bear. Three deaths. No answers.
I was not expecting such a heavy story. I didn’t feel like this story was a thriller. A lot happens within each person’s life and we get a peek into what each person is dealing with. The choices they make/made and how they affected everyone around them. Mental illness is mentioned and I liked that. Too many shy away from that topic but it is a real thing affecting many people every day. While I enjoyed the story, I felt like there was too much going on. Too many characters. I didn’t connect with many of them.
This is a good YA story and while I expected a thriller, I got a different kind of story and I enjoyed it. This is my first Natalie Lund book and I enjoyed her writing. I will look for more works by her. I give this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
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