Emily Henry’s sophomore novel ventures boldly into YA science fiction territory, crafting a haunting meditation on loss, family bonds, and the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary. When the Sky Fell on Splendor follows seventeen-year-old Franny Schmidt and her tight-knit group of friends, The Ordinary, as they investigate what appears to be an alien encounter in their small Ohio town of Splendor—only to discover that sometimes the most profound mysteries are deeply, achingly human.
A Small Town Haunted by Tragedy
The novel opens with a masterfully painted portrait of Splendor, Ohio, a community forever scarred by a steel mill explosion five years prior. Henry’s prose captures the weight of collective trauma with remarkable sensitivity, showing how an entire town can become suspended between past and present. Franny’s brother Mark lies in a coma from the accident, serving as both the heart of her motivation and a constant reminder of how quickly life can fracture.
The opening chapters establish Henry’s gift for character development through seemingly mundane moments. When The Ordinary ventures out to investigate strange lights at an electrical substation, what begins as typical teenage ghost-hunting transforms into something far more complex. The teens encounter a mysterious disc-like object that seems to grant them supernatural abilities—or so they initially believe.
The Ordinary Made Extraordinary
Henry’s greatest strength lies in her portrayal of The Ordinary’s friendship dynamics. Each member feels authentic and distinct:
- Franny, our narrator, carries the burden of being her family’s emotional caretaker while grappling with mysterious electrical powers
- Arthur, Franny’s twin, desperately seeks significance and adventure to escape his feelings of helplessness
- Remy, the sheriff’s son, experiences prophetic visions that drive the plot’s urgency
- Nick, whose father died in the mill accident, uses humor to mask his pain while discovering an inexplicable connection to piano music
- Levi, the aspiring filmmaker, documents their adventures while struggling with sleepwalking episodes
- SofÃa, the newcomer from New York, brings skepticism and emotional intelligence to the group
The author excels at showing how trauma bonds people together while simultaneously isolating them. The group’s unspoken pact to never discuss the accident feels authentic to how teenagers might handle overwhelming grief. Their ghost-hunting YouTube channel serves as both escapism and a way to reclaim agency in a world that has shown them how powerless they truly are.
Science Fiction as Metaphor
Henry uses science fiction elements not merely for spectacle, but as powerful metaphors for adolescent experience. Franny’s growing electrical abilities mirror the overwhelming emotions of teenagehood—the fear of losing control, the potential for both creation and destruction. The mysterious scars that appear on the teens’ skin serve as visible reminders of how trauma marks us, literally and figuratively.
The introduction of “Black Mailbox Bill,” an enigmatic figure who contacts Franny via email claiming knowledge of alien encounters, adds layers of paranoia and uncertainty. His character represents how vulnerable people can be to those who claim to understand their unique experiences, particularly during times of crisis.
Masterful Plot Construction
Where Henry truly demonstrates her maturity as a writer is in the novel’s intricate plotting. What initially appears to be a straightforward alien encounter narrative gradually reveals itself as something far more complex and emotionally resonant. The revelation that their “alien” consciousness is actually Molly Hastings—a young girl who died years before the mill accident—transforms the entire story from science fiction into magical realism.
Wayne Hastings, Molly’s father and the man initially positioned as the antagonist, becomes one of the novel’s most compelling characters. His journey from grieving father to suspected terrorist to fellow traveler in loss demonstrates Henry’s skill at subverting reader expectations. The discovery that Wayne has been building not a weapon, but a massive sculpture inspired by his connection to his deceased daughter’s consciousness, provides one of the novel’s most powerful emotional moments.
Technical Brilliance and Minor Flaws
Henry’s prose has matured significantly since her debut. Her ability to weave together multiple POVs through shared consciousness experiences showcases technical ambition that largely succeeds. The scenes where characters experience Molly’s memories are particularly well-crafted, balancing clarity with the dreamlike quality such experiences would possess.
However, the novel occasionally struggles under the weight of its ambitious plot. The FBI investigation subplot, while adding tension, sometimes feels disconnected from the more intimate character work. Additionally, some of the science fiction explanations for the teens’ abilities feel underdeveloped, particularly in comparison to the carefully constructed emotional journey.
The pacing in the middle sections can feel uneven, with some chapters feeling rushed while others linger perhaps too long on introspective moments. While Henry’s character work is generally excellent, a few supporting characters—particularly some of the adults—occasionally feel more like plot devices than fully realized people.
Themes That Resonate
The novel’s central theme revolves around the idea that love transcends death, but Henry explores this concept with refreshing complexity. Rather than offering simple comfort, she examines how the dead live on in our memories, behaviors, and the very fabric of who we become. Molly’s consciousness, scattered among the teens, represents the ways that lost loved ones continue to influence and guide us.
The title itself becomes a metaphor for how grief can feel like the sky falling—overwhelming, destructive, and transformative. Yet Henry also suggests that sometimes what falls from the sky brings gifts we never expected. The teens don’t just receive supernatural abilities; they receive the opportunity to understand loss from new perspectives and to find healing through connection.
Emotional Weight and Healing
The novel’s emotional climax occurs when the teens realize that Wayne Hastings isn’t their enemy but a fellow traveler in grief. The scene where Nick plays Molly’s song on the piano while the others finally understand Wayne’s true motivations represents some of Henry’s finest writing. The moment transcends the supernatural elements to become purely about human connection and the universal need to be known and forgiven.
The resolution, while tying up most plot threads satisfactorily, might feel somewhat rushed to readers expecting more exploration of the supernatural elements. However, Henry’s focus remains firmly on the emotional journey, which ultimately feels like the right choice for this particular story.
Literary Connections and Recommendations
When the Sky Fell on Splendor shares DNA with other YA novels that blend supernatural elements with coming-of-age narratives, but most closely resembles A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness in its use of fantastical elements to explore grief. Like Ness’s work, Henry’s novel understands that sometimes the most important truths can only be expressed through metaphor and magic.
Fans of this novel should consider:
- The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – for its blend of supernatural mystery and complex friendships
- We Are Okay by Nina LaCour – for its nuanced portrayal of grief and healing
- The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness – for its focus on “ordinary” teens dealing with extraordinary circumstances
- Bone Gap by Laura Ruby – for its magical realism approach to trauma and recovery
- The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan – for its unique take on how the dead communicate with the living
Emily Henry’s Evolution
Comparing this work to Henry’s debut The Love That Split the World and her previous novel A Million Junes, it’s clear that When the Sky Fell on Splendor represents a significant evolution in her storytelling. The supernatural elements feel more organic to the narrative, and her character work has gained considerable depth. While her later contemporary romances like Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation showcase her range, this novel demonstrates her ability to handle complex, emotionally heavy material with both sensitivity and skill.
Minor Criticisms
While the novel succeeds on most levels, there are areas where it falls short of its ambitious goals. The science fiction elements sometimes feel underdeveloped, particularly the explanation for how the teens’ abilities work. Readers seeking hard science fiction may find the handwavy explanations unsatisfying.
Additionally, while the FBI subplot adds tension, it occasionally feels like it belongs in a different novel. The agents feel more like plot devices than characters, and their investigation doesn’t always mesh seamlessly with the more intimate character work.
Some readers may also find the pacing uneven, particularly in the middle sections where the mystery elements sometimes overshadow the character development that makes the novel most compelling.
Final Verdict
When the Sky Fell on Splendor succeeds brilliantly as both a supernatural thriller and an intimate exploration of grief, family, and healing. Henry has crafted a novel that respects its young adult audience while tackling complex themes that will resonate with readers of all ages. While it may not completely satisfy readers seeking either pure science fiction or contemporary realism, it creates something unique in the space between.
The novel’s greatest achievement lies in its understanding that the most extraordinary moments often emerge from the most ordinary circumstances—that six teenagers filming ghost hunting videos in rural Ohio can stumble upon truths about love, loss, and connection that are genuinely profound. Henry reminds us that we are all just ordinary people capable of extraordinary love, and sometimes that’s enough to heal even the deepest wounds.
For readers willing to embrace both its supernatural elements and its emotional complexity, When the Sky Fell on Splendor offers a reading experience that is both entertaining and deeply moving. It confirms Emily Henry as a writer capable of handling diverse genres while maintaining her distinctive voice and emotional intelligence.
