about the book
Noah and Jude are fraternal twins. Noah is quiet, isolating himself and constantly drawing. Jude is a daredevil who cliff-dives, wears red lipstick, and does all the talking for her brother. They are talented artists and inseparable.
Until puberty hits.
They’re now competing for boys, a spot at an exclusive art school, and their parents’ attention. And they’re barely talking to one another.
Why? Is it just misunderstandings and jealousies, or is it something larger?
about the author
Born just outside New York City, Jandy Nelson started life as Janice. When she was three weeks old her name suddenly and forever changed to Jandy.
When Jandy was twelve, her family moved to California, and she loved it. As a high school sophomore, she heard poet David Metzer read his irreverent poem “The Red Shoes,” which inspired her to pursue writing.
Jandy studied comparative literature and creative writing at Cornell. She earned a master’s degree in poetry from Brown and a master’s in writing for children from Vermont School of Fine Arts.
Jandy is on sabbatical from her job as a literary agent for authors of adult fiction, a job she has had for twelve years. The idea for this book just popped into her head. She had lost someone, so she knew how grief affects decisions. The book started with the poems and was originally meant to be a novel-in-verse. She named Lennie after the Beatles’ John Lennon.
Jandy lives in San Francisco, California. She loves Marc Chagall, giraffes, rivers, clunky shoes and bracelets, and being in love. She is not too crazy about flying and spiders.
Sources:
Author website
Author biography: Walker
Author interview: Listening to the Ants Scream
Author interview: Penguin
Also by Jandy Nelson:
The Sky Is Everywhere. Dial. 2010.
read more!
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Coping with overwhelming issues following her beautiful sister’s death, shy Lennie finds comfort with two boys. One helps her escape from her grief while the other helps her confront it. Will she turn to the handsome new transfer student…or her sister’s boyfriend?
The Theory of Everything by J.J. Johnson
Sarah has been acting like a different person ever since she witnessed the weird accidental death of her best friend. Feeling that life is random and meaningless, she struggles to make sense of the senseless. An eccentric middle- aged Christmas tree farmer, facing his own crisis, finally helps her accept her unpredictable life.
There Will Come a Time by Carrie Arcos
When your twin dies, are you still a twin? Mark doesn’t know. His twin sister, Grace, died in a car accident when he was driving. He can barely function because of his grief. Then Hanna, Grace’s best friend, convinces him to complete Grace’s bucket list. Maybe honoring Grace in this way will help him overcome his grief. But why is Hanna so complicated?