Sixteen year old twins Sabine and Blythe have just lost their father to a brief but intense illness. After their father's death, their mother uproots Sabine and Blythe's life to move to a ramshackle mansion in the small, historic community of Thornewood with a man named Charlie. The girls don't know exactly who Charlie is, but he seems close to their mom and remains a mystery to be solved. Blythe happily settles into their new life and the academic rigors of their new school. Sabine, however, is rolling with anxiety and the mystery of Charlie is not helping. Sabine is determined to get some of her life back, starting with solving the mystery of Charlie.

Wider Than the Sky is an emotional, contemporary, young adult story. From the beginning, I was engaged with the mystery of the death of Sabine and Blythe's father as well as who Charlie was to him. As soon as that becomes apparent, the story turns to an emotional rollercoaster of dealing with grief, family secrets and finding yourself in turbulent times. The story is told mostly through Sabine's point of view and her character stands out with her quirky poeting and finding her footing with new friends and relationships. Sabine reacts to the situation as I would expect any 16 year old girl to react, with shock and push back. Blythe's character seems to react oppositely with blind acceptance of their strange situation. I was more surprised at their mother's approach of just keeping everything a secret and thinking that two sixteen year old girls wouldn't figure things out. I liked Sabine's transition to acceptance of the large change in her life and the meaning of her parent's relationship. Blythe's character highlights the fragility and resilience of the teenage spirit as she comes to find herself. ( )

A stunning debut perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson, Rainbow Rowell, and Gayle Forman, to name just a few. Sabine and her twin sister, Blythe, lose their father and must navigate the world after--from a new home, to a new school to a new life in the wake of loss. But when they discover their father's secret other life, it forces them to take a hard look at what family, love and forgiveness really means. There's mystery, romance and beautiful writing - everything needed to make this an un-put-downable read. I highly recommend. ( )