Her Name in the Sky

This has to be one of the most beautiful stories I've read this year. Truly, this book surprised me in all the best ways. I've been trying desperately to read more LGBT+ books, especially F/F since it's one that is forgotten in the romance genre and is often pushed aside. And most of the F/F books I've read have been pretty good but this book...damn this book was more than "pretty good". I didn't think it was possible for me to connect to a story as much as I did this one. From the moment I started reading I felt like I was reading the intimate story of a friend, someone that I knew and loved and ever single word on the page just felt so real The writing in this book is so freaking spectacular, it's poetic. I feel like I highlighted so many passages because of how deep and real the words these character speak are. And it's not only the serious moments, it's the friendship moments too. The moments when friends are talking abut something silly and yet in that very moment, you can tell how much of a unit the whole gang is, and you feel almost like you are a part of this senior year with them too, scared to graduate, scared of the change and yet hopeful for what is out there. I felt myself rereading so many passages, sometimes just pausing for a moment with this tingling sensation in my nose as i held back tears and just said, “damn”. It’s not often that a book makes me feel like this and I could tell from almost the very beginning that this book was going to be a favorite. This book talks on so many serious topics and I love the way the author interwove religious beliefs into the book. Normally I'm one to stay far, far away from anything concerning religion in my books because it tends to feel like the author is trying to preach to you or push their beliefs but with this book it didn't feel that way at all. Seeing Hannah and Baker struggle with their beliefs, with what you're told your whole life versus what is your reality and now it's left you questioning everything, I feel like that's something every single person who has ever grown up religious can relate to. That moment where you start to question the things you blindly followed as a kid, where you question where you fit into it all and if you belong even if you don't believe everything or you have doubts or even you feel you go against what your beliefs say. Honestly I feel like the writing was so powerful that it made me empathize and relate to every single characters struggle, from Hannah, to Joanie and even to Wally and Clay. I loved every single character so, so much and I saw pieces of myself in nearly every single character. I loved that this book was so character driven and about this group of friends. I love them all so much! I really cannot say that enough because throughout reading I just continued to feel more and more like they were my friends and like I knew them and I wanted so desperately to help them through all their struggles. I really loved Joanie's relationship with Luke and I love that the author spent time developing each of the side characters rather than just making them basic secondary characters that don't really have depth. I could easily see myself reading books for any of the other friends, in fact I'm dying for more of this group. I'd love a Joanie and Luke book, a Wally book or even a Clay book. As for the main couple, Baker and Hannah? I loved them so much my heart aches just thinking of them. I really, truly did not expect to love this book as much as I did. But love it, I did. I honestly cried so much reading this book and I feel like that rarely happens for me anymore. To feel that emotionally invested in a book that I literally want to sob because it hurts me that they hurt. The love and friendship that Hannah and Baker have for each other is deep, soul mate love. The angst is too real in this one but it never felt strung out or exaggerated because the pacing was realistic and perfect. It is very rare for me to spend $5.99 on an ebook but this book was worth every single penny and more. This was the best impulse buy and the best $6 I've spent this year. I cannot recommend this book enough! I really think this is a book that everyone should read and if you're someone who hasn't ventured into many F/F books I think you should start with this book because it's so beautiful that I don't think you could not want to read more F/F after finishing this book. READ THIS BOOK!!

"Her Name in the Sky" is the best love story - the best book - I've read in decades. This is a stunningly good novel of falling in love and coming of age. The writing is beautifully lyrical and is reason enough to buy the book. "Her Name in the Sky" so much more than exquisite language. I loved Hannah and Baker and the chance to share their lives. They share a love that we all hope to have at least once in our lives. While there are rough patches there are soaring transcendent moments of love. Ms Quindlen draws her characters sharply and clearly, without a missed stroke. They are typical teenagers with all of their rough edges, genuineness, duplicity, love, kindness, and sometimes lack of judgment. They are also endearing and the sort of people you had as friends in high school if you were lucky. I read the book obsessively to see how the lives of Baker, Hannah, and their friends would develop and intertwine and I read with the bittersweet knowledge that each page I read was another page closer to the inevitable end of the book. "Her Name in the Sky" moved me to tears, to enormous smiles, to outright laughter with the characters again and again. I became jealous and would not even read the story in the same room with anyone else. (I can't ever remember ever having that intense of a reaction to a book.) I didn't want to share this rich life-changing experience or have to try to explain the complexity of the story if someone asked why I was crying. Having lived in the South and having a number of relatives and friends down there still, the descriptions of life down there were spot on. When Ms Quindlen describes a party of high school seniors and juniors, she brings it to life and gets the details right. Some reviewers have emphasised that this is an LGBTQ+ story. Please don't pigeon-hole this as just an LGBTQ+ story. That is true but it is much much more than just that. Even if you are not interested in LGBTQ+ stories you owe it to yourself to read this because it is a wonderfully told story of a love that any of us would dearly want to have. As someone who is LGBTQ+ in a Catholic family, the descriptions of the added pressures of society and the Church on LGBTQ+ relationships ring true. "Her Name in the Sky" is the best love story - the best book - I've read in decades.

I believe this is the author's first novel and it shows. Some wooden prose, sometimes verbose, it could have benefited greatly from a good editor. That said, there are passages where the author seems to definitely be in touch with her muse and the results are breath taking, e.g., when Hannah and Baker lose their virginity to each other. The chief value of this book, and why is should be read, is how it illustrates the danger of teaching people to believe in myth and then imbuing that myth with some allegedly divine authority that applies to all people at all times such that people are separated into "normal" and "abnormal", "saint" and "sinner", "saved" and "condemned"; and the destruction this wreaks on the lives of people who, because of their indoctrination, strive to live in accordance with the teachings of the myth. The false shame and guilt, the anxiety and depression and fear Hannah and Baker struggle with is very real for many LGBTQ kids as is the hatred, humiliation, ridicule, persecution and violence at the hands of the "believers"; all in the name of some deity and the teachings of some religious institution. Sadly, the truth is that many LGBTQ kids do not find the happy ending and acceptance by family and friends that Hannahbear and Bake do, especially in religious families and social groups. Instead they are disowned, thrown out of homes, attacked verbally and physically by peers and family, and told they are "unnatural", "abnormal" and "condemned to hell". Is it any wonder why so many of these kids struggle with self destructive behaviours and suicidal thoughts? Given the level of venom and hatred being expressed these days toward LGBTQ people and LGBTQ kids in particular, this is a book everyone should read.

Yes, this book really is worthy of all its 5-star reviews. There are so many good things about it that I hardly know where to start and am afraid that I might not be able to stop, but here goes. Although my adolescence is far behind me, this book's depiction of teenage life seems completely and utterly realistic. The teenagers in this book are good kids who do well in school and have loving relationships with their families and parents, and yet they are also involved in an entirely separate world, mostly unseen by adults, in which sex, drinking, and sometimes ugly behavior are for the most part handled by the kids themselves in a completely matter-of-fact way, without adult involvement. The depiction of the high school parties, with their anomie, aimlessness, and puzzling mix of dullness, excitement, danger, and fun, is spot-on. The relationship between Hannah and her sister Joanie is beautifully rendered, in all its facets; while their behavior can sometimes be petty -- even downright mean -- they also humorously tease each other and clearly love each other; ultimately they valiantly protect, defend, and support each other. Likewise, the relationship between the two protagonists is portrayed in an entirely multidimensional way. Driven by anger, fear, and shame, each girl at times behaves in ways that are truly hurtful; and yet despite -- or perhaps BECAUSE OF -- this, they are deeply sympathetic characters. Hannah's feelings of hopelessness, anger, fear, and despair vis-à-vis her sexual orientation are remarkably well evoked. The writing throughout the book is extraordinarily good; notably, there is a very moving, lyrically described love scene which somehow manages to be both oblique and explicit at the same time - a seemingly impossible feat that Quindlen accomplishes through her skilled use of language and metaphor. The topic of religion is handled in a thoughtful and nuanced way, appearing to represent a very honest portrayal of the conflicts that can arise in this environment; having little religious background myself, I found it quite enlightening. Running throughout the book is an ingenious and quite beautiful pairing of sex and the forbidden fruit, sin and salvation, and holy communion and human love. The dialogue -- often humorous, sometimes harsh -- is consistently believable and realistic. While at the beginning I wondered a bit about where the book was going with its depictions of teenage repartee and partying, by the end it is clear that there is not one extraneous plot element: everything contributes to scene-setting and character development; EVERYTHING FITS. In addition to being a very sensitive and honest LGBT coming-of-age story, this is a truly lovely book about redemption, forgiveness, and love; I recommend it without reservation. Thank you, Ms. Quindlen, for sharing your wisdom, insight, humor, compassion, and remarkable writing talent with us; I very much hope we will be hearing more from you.

Beautifully written novel about Hannah and Baker’s journey through hell to arrive together on the other side and embracing their love. The story brought back my youth and attendance in catholic school. I was a late bloomer and didn’t recognize who I was until I was twenty-two. My high school years were in the 60’s, so, being a Lesbian was not even on my radar. All I wanted to do was play softball. Who knew that was the gateway sport to being a Lesbian? The secondary characters were fascinating. Baker and Hannah’s parents were remarkable with their unconditional love and support for the two young women. When I finally came out to my mother, she declared I wasn’t Gay as I was just fat and unattractive to men! Thankfully I never bought into her ignorance and hate. I’m doing just fine. Life as a Lesbian is good even though the societal views are filled with hate and misogyny. I unequivocally, heartily, and enthusiastically recommend this and all of Kelly Quindlen’s works. You will not be disappointed. She has a gift of holding your attention while illuminating humanity’s flaws. Kelly’s style of storytelling is full of courage and empathy. Thank you. Peace 🙏🏼

This book...this author...holy crap. Everything about it rings true. The way the book reads is almost stream of consciousness through the eyes of the protagonist, Hannah. At its core, Her Name In The Sky is about finding courage. Courage to acknowledge who you are as a person, courage to fight through the pain that coming-out often entails, courage to fight for something so inherently buried within us all: the power to love and be loved in return. Kelly Quindlen goes for gold with this book...foregoing the typical formulaic mush that has stereotypically defined lesbian fiction. Yes, there is angst (and lots of it), but there is also triumph, and truth, and discovery, and growth. The characters all serve a purpose and in a way symbolize our very humanity. There is cruelty and ignorance in Father Simons and Michele, empathy and passion in Joannie and Hannah, fear and acceptance in Baker and Ms. Carpenter, jealousy and forgiveness in Clay and Wally. If youre looking for a sappy, simplistic time-filler, well...look elsewhere. Though it has it's nastolgic, relatable, humorous moments, the majority of the novel touches on complex issues such as same sex-attraction, religion, and the lenghts we go to to keep ourselves free of confrontation. Nothing about falling in love is easy, especially when you fall--hard--for your also-female best friend. How the two main charccters deal with that attraction is both liberating and heartbreaking. The author's prose is truly poetic. Her words are powerful, piercing, beautiful and magical simultaneously. Read this book, people. You'll be glad you did.

Her name in the sky I have a lot (good things) to say about this book. I loved it, and I loved the story as well. Hannah Eaden is one of the most fully realized characters I have read in a long time (and mind you, my favorite novels are Anna Karenina, Jane Eyre, and Persuasion). She’s kind of heroic, I actually admire her (probably have a bit of a crush on her), and would probably want to be a bit like her. There is some sex, but they are not ‘sex scenes’ per se, rather love scenes, expressed physically/sexually – and this is one of the few times that I can honestly say that about descriptions of sexual acts in a love story. I imagine that some who are less familiar with Catholicism might find some of the religious imagery and weight of religious discourse a bit overwrought, and maybe even a bit unbelievable – but it’s believable to Hannah and Baker, and that’s important, it shapes how they think about themselves and each other. I also like how it’s so locally grounded in Baton Rouge – the descriptions are clear and evocative, it’s always best when writers write what they know. There are moments that I’ve read and reread already several times, because they are so poignant. I wish there were a hardcover version of this book, because that I would buy.

4.5 This took me a minute to get into because I'm a few years older than the target demographic, but if I had read this as a teenager, I would have absolutely adored it. With a professional editor, I think the more rambly scenes could have been cut down and the dialogue could've been a little more realistic, but the story reads genuine and it was easy for me to connect with. I also believe this was completely self-produced, so if this was a self-edit, the author did an amazing job. Pros: - would have absolutely loved this if I were still in the target demographic - even being older, I enjoyed it enough to finish in two days - really sweet characters. loved their dynamic - the friendships and conflict ring genuine - it was funny and light while also being incredibly real Cons: - campy and less-than-realistic dialogue, especially in the first few chapters - a few formatting and technical errors (but again, for a self-edit, the author did really well) I think gay teens who were raised in the Bible Belt will love this book.

l'angst che piace a me

読み始めは、単なるティーンエイジャーの生活を描く学園物語かと思いましたが、話が進むに連れ次第に話は深くなります。はやり宗教の影響もあるでしょう、思春期の子どもたちは時たま残酷になれます。大人向けの本かもしれませんが、同じ年頃の子どもたちに読ませたらどのような感想をもつのだろう、人の痛みをわかる大人になれるかもしれないなど、色々考えさせられる良い本に巡り会えました。

*UPDATE* This is the second time I have read this book in a year and I genuinely think this would make a good film, not just because we obviously need more LGBT films out there but because this is quite a sensitive subject in terms of sexuality and faith. I'm not personally a person of faith but I felt so sad for the protagonist, which is a real feat for a work of fiction. The writer obviously knows her stuff. The book was really easy to get into and I really liked the dynamic between the group of friends. It was well written and built up a sense of drama and emotion. Really quite touching.

The staunch religiosity of all the characters in the book infuriates me, but it makes for good queer drama!

Es ist beeindruckend, wie man dem Thema Coming Out im letzten High School Jahr immer wieder neue Facetten abgewinnen kann. Klar geht es hier um die Gefühle, welche die 17-jährige Hannah und die 18-jährige Baker füreinander haben und wie unterschiedlich die beiden damit umgehen. Viel wichtiger ist in diesem Buch die Auseinandersetzung darüber, ob diese Gefühle gut oder schlecht, von Gott gewollt oder verderblich sind. Dabei ist der Hintergrund der Geschichte an einer katholischen Schule in Louisiana ein sehr gutes Beispiel. Die Autorin beschreibt sehr einfühlsam die Gefühlsverwirrungen, die Ängste und die Scham, denen Hannah ausgeliefert ist. Und doch ist sie mutig und vor allem von Liebe zu Baker erfüllt. Und dies, obwohl Baker ihre Gefühle unterdrückt und Hannah immer wieder im Stich lässt, weil Baker der Mut fehlt, sich zu ihr zu bekennen. Ein beeindruckendes Plädoyer für die Liebe. Aber auch für die Freundschaft. Das Buch ist ungeheuer spannend, mit viel Einfühlungsvermögen und Gefühl geschrieben. Und dabei immer wieder religiöse Anspielungen und Symboliken verwendet. Für mich ein sehr empfehlenswertes Buch, in einer Reihe mit 'She came at dawn', 'She's my ride home' oder 'Suddenly'