Review by heresmika - Her Name in the Sky

heresmika 's review for:

Her Name in the Sky by Kelly Quindlen

4.25

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

can’t write an actual review because this book broke me. their love was so pure and everything that happened was fucking horrible. the author’s writing was wonderful and managed to write about their feelings in a way that i was aching for them.

“And in the dim light of the room, with the fan guiding currents of air across the leaves of the book and the phantom taste of King Cake on her tongue, Hannah is wrapped in magic.”

“They spend every weekend together, wrapped securely in the knowledge that it is still early in the semester, that they do not have to worry about college and new lives until spring is in full bloom, that for now they are simply six high school kids allowed to plan their lives around Friday night hangouts and Saturday night parties. Hannah knows the terrain of her kingdom: she knows what it is like to steal away to Waffle House to meet her friends late at night, to lie on the floor at Clay’s house and throw ice cubes at him when he tries to make them all talk about sex, to spend her Friday afternoons riding in Baker’s car with the country station playing and the vanilla scent of the car freshener seeping into her clothes.”

“Hannah looks through the windshield and begs the sky that her life will always be like this—large and loud and brimming with youth, but always followed by the quiet drive home and the promise of ending the night with her favorite person in the world.”

their relationship is so tender and sweet and soft :’)

“But it doesn’t stop her heart from longing. It doesn’t stop her from thinking about Baker with every song she hears and every beautiful sky she sees. It doesn’t stop her from dreaming about hugging Baker, holding her close, promising her that everything is okay.”

“Han?” Joanie says, her voice fragile. Hannah can imagine her face, sad and anxious like it was the time Hannah fell off her bike and sprained her wrist when she was in first grade and Joanie was in kindergarten. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”

i love the sibling relationship in the book! even though they are fighting, and they both said things they regret, they still support each other when it is needed. they care about each other despite everything.

this is so fucking sad

“Is it okay? The question bleeds forth from her and she imagines it rising into the sky, delivered on wind and air and atmospheric pressure until it reaches God. Is it wrong? Were we wrong?”

“Please make it stop. Please take it away. Why can’t you just take it away. What am I doing wrong. Why did you give me these feelings. Please help me. Please.”

“THEN LOOK ME IN THE EYE,” Hannah roars, “AND TELL ME, WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY, THAT HOW I FEEL ISN’T WRONG, THAT IT’S NOT BAD, THAT IT’S NOT DISGUSTING AND PERVERTED AND FUCKED UP—” “IT’S NOT!” Joanie screams, shoving Hannah hard.

about wally: this book is so sad :/ i kinda hate how she has to lead him on, but she feels like that’s her only choice of being safe in that world.

wally <3 “But you know,” he says, his expression changing to the one she has seen him wear when he learns something new in class, “one of the reasons I find you so amazing is that you’ve always seemed to know who you are. So if you’re now learning more about who that is, then how can I be anything but happy for you?”

michele is such a bitch, never wanted to fight a character this badly.

i hate clay so much. hannah is better than me because i wouldn’t forgive someone - who used to be one of my best friends - rallying a crowd against myself. the fact that he started a fight and blamed her for everything fucking sucks.

my heart was breaking for baker, but i hated what she put hannah through. i wanted her to grow a spine and at least talk to her.