Where to begin with my review? For me, reading The Sky Always Hears Me was like eating a delicious new flavor of cake: you know you love it, but you’re not quite sure which ingredients were used. After some savoring of the writing, I believe these are key to the recipe:
-Morgan’s voice, which hooked me as soon as I read the first chapter on the author’s website. Smart, sarcastic, and saturated with a restless yearning for something more than a tiny little town in Nebraska she calls Central Nowhere. John Green hasn’t written from the point of view of a girl yet, so far as I know, but if he did, I have a feeling it might sound like Morgan… full of wit, angst, and longings that so powerfully evoke what it means to be a teen.
-The people in Morgan’s life: her alcoholic dad, the grandma she loves, the girl who kisses her, the coworker guy she has a crush on. All of these characters grow and reveal their many facets, complicating Morgan’s life and making for an intertwined story firmly rooted in deep, scream-at-the-hills emotions.
-The setting of Central Nowhere. This book is best read outside, in the grass, on a windy day, where you can imagine Morgan venting her frustrations and desires. That’s how I did it, anyway, and it made the experience all the more vivid. I also love the descriptions of the grocery store where Morgan works. I don’t know why, but I’ve always had this strange fascination with expertly described details of everyday life that usually escape the eye of the author.
Disclaimer: I am a fellow Flux author, though my book won’t be out until 2010. I am also, however, a choosy reader. There’s no way I would actually go out and buy a book unless I thought I’d devour it, and I try my best to be an honest reviewer. So, honestly, I am recommending that you read The Sky Always Hears Me: And the Hills Don’t Mind, in the hopes that you find it just as good.