I'll Give You the Sun

Friends, there’s very little that’s as immensely satisfying and fantastic as a book you’ve been anticipating for LITERALLY YEARS living up to your expectations of greatness. This is such a confluence of serendipity and the work of so many people that it’s no wonder it doesn’t happen very often. Thankfully for me and all of you and the whole world, Jandy Nelson’s I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN is one of these books. I will always have a very special spot in my heart for THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE, but I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN was worth the wait. I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN is about twins Jude and Noah. Their story is told in alternating first-person chapters: Noah’s when they are 13 and Jude when they are 16. In the three intervening years, their relationship goes from good but competitive to completely absent. Noah is a gifted artist who is struggling mightily with his identity and following his heart. Jude also struggles with her art and with her guilt over the THING that drove the two twins apart, not to mention that she is trying to figure out her feelings for the charming and enigmatic Oscar. Both of them are trying to come to terms with the relationships they each have with their mother. Their two stories show how the twins were torn apart, and how they overcome their years of misunderstandings. There is always something that feels magical about Jandy Nelson’s books. The way she writes just weaves this spell over me so that the characters and the setting and everything feel slightly fantastical even when they are just meant to be people that any of us could know. This is what always amazes me about her stories, and what makes me feel so connected to her writing. THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE did this over and over again, and I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN did it, too. I have to admit that I was curious about the way I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN was structured before I read it, not so much the alternating points of view as much as the time difference between the two. I was basically SILLY. Jandy Nelson not only pulls it off, but does so in a way that makes your heart break even more for Noah and Jude. Because even though we don’t know the details of how their already mildly contentious relationship (they often are competing for their mother’s attention in Noah’s story) turns into the cold distance of Jude’s, you have this understanding that they’re each missing important pieces. It helps a TON that Noah and Jude themselves are great characters, although I found Noah more empathetic than Jude. Like I spent the entirety of I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN just DYING to give Noah huge hugs all the time. HUGE HUGS. He just broke my heart. He broke my heart when he was a 13-year-old boy fighting himself, and he killed me when he was 16 and still looking for the strength to be himself. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t also feel Jude’s sadness. She is failing out of art school, is a crazy hypochondriac, deliberately wears clothes that are too big, and lives by the wisdom of her dead grandmother, whose ghost slash spirit visits Jude. These twins aren’t very alike, but I loved them TO BITS all the same. I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN wouldn’t be a Jandy Nelson book without some romance, though, and Noah and Jude both get one. Noah’s was incredibly sweet and heartwarming while also being devastating. I ADORED how tentative but all-consuming Noah and Brian’s young love was and the lasting impact it made on Noah. Jude and Oscar have a deep connection as well as a strong attraction, and they made me swoon even when they were fighting it. It helps that Jandy Nelson’s writing is, as always, MIND-BLOWINGLY GORGEOUS. Friends, there are so many meaty emotions going on in I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN. Feelings of love between siblings, romantic love, lost love, misunderstood love, love that saves you, and love that destroys you. This book is also about art and artistry, and about being true. I cannot recommend it enough. I’m ready for more, Jandy. You know, whenever you’re ready.

Jandy Nelson's I'll Give You the Sun is beautiful, breathtaking, bewildering, and a little bizarre, but I can't get it out of my head. Somehow I knew I'd love it and yet it still surprised me. Jude and Noah Sweetwine are twins, so close they often think of themselves as NoahandJude. They can read each other's thoughts and know each other's fears. At age 13, both are artistically creative and emotionally sensitive in their own ways, yet they're also quite different. Jude is a daredevil who loves to surf, take risks, and is rapidly becoming the type of girl who intrigues and attracts all the boys, while Noah tries to live his life unnoticed so he won't be bullied, lives in his own artistic fantasy world, and is fighting his attraction to/obsession with the new boy next door. Yet three years later, Noah and Jude are barely speaking, and everything has changed. Jude lives in constant fear and has isolated herself from the possibility of a romantic relationship, and while she feels a profound need to create art, she can't seem to express herself the way she wants to. And Noah has completely given up art, dives off of cliffs, and become the person no one ever thought he'd be. What happened in their lives, and between them, to change everything so drastically? When Jude meets a charismatic young man she can't stop thinking about, someone with a connection to Noah, and then meets a troubled artist whose talent may help her free her artistic block, these encounters provide answers and yet more questions. "'Or maybe a person is just made up of a lot of people,' I say. 'Maybe we're accumulating these new selves all the time.' Hauling them in as we make choices good and bad, as we screw up, step up, lose our minds, find our minds, fall apart, fall in love, as we grieve, grow, retreat from the world, dive into the world, as we make things, as we break things." I'll Give You the Sun shifts in perspective between Noah and Jude. Noah's narration takes place when the twins are 13, Jude's takes place three years later. Each of them holds half of the answers yet aren't willing to share them with the other to complete their understanding. How can a relationship that was so interdependent, so interconnected, turn so painful? "This is what I want: I want to grab my brother's hand and run back through time, losing years like coats falling from our shoulders. Things don't really turn out like you think." This is a book about the half-truths we tell ourselves and our reluctance to see what is in front of us and say what we truly feel. It's a book about following your heart and accepting the truth, even if it leads you somewhere you're afraid of, and realizing you must live the life that ignites your passions. It's also a book about how simple it is to hurt those closest to us, and how the simplest actions can cause so much pain. Nelson is an absolutely exquisite writer. I cannot tell you how many sentences I read over and over again because they took my breath away. That being said, I found Noah's narration—while tremendously heartfelt and emotionally provoking—a little difficult to follow, because he speaks in a stream of consciousness-type way, as he sees everything in his head as a painting. It took a little getting used to, but it truly touched my heart. Jude and Noah are such vivid, beautiful characters I absolutely loved, even as I wanted to shake them for making the mistakes they did. This is one of those books I wish were so much longer because I didn't want to give up these characters. I hope someday Nelson gives us a glimpse into their lives again, but even if she doesn't, I know she is an author I'll need to keep reading. This one blew me away.

I read I’ll Give You the Sun to fulfill the prompt of “A book with characters who are twins” for the 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge. I had originally pegged another book to fill this slot, but happened to find this book on sale and switched over to it. It turned out to be a good choice. I’ll Give You the Sun follows the Sweetwine twins: Noah and Jude. Or, as they are often referred to, Noahandjude. They are fraternal twins: Noah a boy, and Jude a girl. The story begins when the twins are 13 and undergoing adolescent growing pains. Noah has discovered he is gay, but is keeping it a secret from everyone. Jude is crushing on an older guy. As the twins start to discover themselves, they begin to drift apart. The chapters alternate between the characters of Noah and Jude, and also bounce back and forth in time. Though they are 13 when the book begins, the story moves them forward to 16, and shows just how their lives have changed in those few short years. Noah is now popular and hanging out with a girl, and the once-popular Jude is now a recluse who talks to her dead grandmother and carries onions in her pockets. There is some mystery behind what has sparked those changes. There are family issues, secrets, lies, and misunderstandings. The author does a good job of showing what Noah and Jude are going through, and displaying the conflicting emotions they feel as they realize they are changing, not only as individuals but as Noahandjude. If you are tired of trope-ridden YA, this book is a refreshing contemporary literary tale that falls just short (in my estimation) of being a perfect read. Why? Because the author uses a word that isn’t a word. Repeatedly. And it is one of my pet peeves. The (non)word is “prophesize.” Seriously. A prophecy is a prediction. A person who makes a prophecy is called a prophet. When a prophet delivers a prophecy, they are prophesying, not prophesizing. This. Is. Not. A. Damn. Word. Which is what was frustrating about this book. I enjoyed the multi-layered story and how I could see all the pieces settling into place, and the possibility of a truly fitting ending for the marvelously quirky and endearing characters, but after the early usage of “prophesize” in its myriad of non-existent verb tenses, I was a little guarded as to whether I could trust the book not to veer off into other uncharted linguistic territory. The fact that a decent editor could have made this an easy 5-star read is frustrating. Or, you know, just typing the word into an editing program and seeing the red line below it. These words are fine if you are building a sci-fi or fantasy world and introducing new terms, but to exhibit such ignorance in a contemporary reality-based novel is pure nonsense. There was one other aspect of the story I found problematic. Without giving away too much, it revolves around Jude’s “Don’t do that again!” speech near the end of the book. I felt it was a little too lenient given the subject. Recommended for anyone interested in mature contemporary YA with quirky characters, family drama, humor, and romance. 4 out of 5 stars.

Reading this book makes me feel like all the other books I have given five stars, were written with the colors in a box of Crayola's, while this was written with all the spectacular, blazing colors of the cosmos. Colors I didn't even know existed before reading it. At the center of the story are fourteen-year-old twin siblings and their nearly self destructive competitiveness. Noah’s artistic genius, his weirdness, and the almost Asperger-like characteristics that accompany the fervor and hyper-intense way in which he paints, views, feels, and interacts with the world are the heart of this story. His beautiful, not quite so gifted, though still deeply talented twin, Jude, provides for the beat of that heart. Everyone else orbits around them until betrayal, the angst of budding adolescence, and tragedy come together and, like a nuclear fission, cause an explosion where the combined mass of the exploded parts is something less than its whole once was. Noah chooses to become normal and, hiding his paints and the truth of his sexuality, he joins a track team and hangs out with girls. Jude cuts off three feet of her flowing blond hair, chooses to become invisible, and keep only her adorably eccentric, spiritually attuned grandmother who happens to be three years dead, as her only friend. In the end this is part fairy tale, part love story, and part ancient legend all rolled into one blindly bright and musical, lyrical story about identity and family, truth, lies, love, darkness, and ultimately salvation even in the face of catastrophic loss This is a novel that quite literally took my breath away. It is stunning and explosive, never quiet. Everything about it is big and loud, and yet even with all that bigness, it fills you with something quiet. It was as if I was reading synesthestically, if such a thing even exists—as if all my senses combined to create a new, more intense sensation (synesthesia being that phenomena where letters, numbers or objects are joined with another sensory perception such as smell, color a flavor). It’s like Jandy turned letters and periods, commas and question marks into colors and magic, creating some sort of new and brilliant symphony of words. It was an astounding experience. I knew nothing about this novel when I got it. I’ve been on a reading binge of YA literature and it was in the pile of books I have been devouring. So, I had no expectations and I hope this kind of effusive praise does not take away from someone else’s reading experience. It’s just that it’s impossible to read this and not write this review. It’s just the kind of reading experience that has to be shared. I read that she in on her third novel. I have of course, now bought her first. When it is released I will buy the third. Whether Jandy Nelson can create this kind of reading experience three times, I don’t know. Doesn’t matter to me, actually. Having done it once bespeaks of the kind of genius she wrote into Noah. If the other don’t meet up, I’ll happily read this one three times.

I don't think I can properly review this book without just throwing flails and gifs and barbaric yawps into the air. It's that lovely, that exquisite that any review I write will just pale in comparison to the writing in the book. That said...I want you to read this book, so I have to try. I'll Give You The Sun is probably one of the most literary and imaginative YA novels I've ever read. Everything works - the writing is expressive and nuanced, with unique imagery. You can really tell that Jandy Nelson thought and thought, and thought again about every word in the novel. Every metaphor, every description fits in with the themes of breaking and remaking, family and relationships, art and inspiration. It's an incredibly tight novel, and it's one that could easily have been placed in the literary fiction section of a bookstore. The themes of I'll Give You The Sun are explored exquisitely - and the plot follows in a very sophisticated manner. This is a definitely a form-follows-function book - but it's done so damn brilliantly that you'll be in awe. The premise/form of the book is that Noah and Jude, fraternal twins, each have their own side of the story, Noah at age 13 and Jude at age 16. As a reader, we see both sides and how mistakes and choices change and shape each of them. The brilliance comes through how each reveal is made - to the reader and to the characters. And what makes the book even more complex is how each of those reveals follows the themes of breaking and remaking, of splitting apart and coming together that shape the characters and the novel. The characters and relationships between them are full and clearly realized. I already mentioned the premise of the book, but let me just say that Noah and Jude are probably the most flawed and complex teen characters I've read EVER. I honestly can't think of more broken, fragile and alive characters that exist in YA fiction. We get every crazed, messed-up thought in their heads, all of their stupid actions, all of their esoteric behaviors...and it's just gorgeous to behold. I'll Give You The Sun has one of the most realistic - and sexy - LGBTQ relationships I've ever read. This sounds weird to say, but in most YA I've read, I've never had to fan myself at a gay relationship - maybe that says more about what I read than what I don't read. This book, however, had what I imagine to be a very realistic gay relationship in its teens, and it's tumultuous and hard and beautifully steamy at a few moments. The portrayal of art and the way it touches people will leave you inspired. I am probably the worst artist in the world (I can't even draw a straight line), but I was amazed and gratified by how art shapes the characters, how it changes and hurts them, and how it strengthens them. Art is almost like a secondary character in this book, and the way that Noah and Jude create and destroy is not just a metaphor for what they do but it almost turns into a way of living for them. The romances are soul-crushing and soul-illuminating. Here's the thing: when Noah and Jude meet their respective partners, it's pretty much instantaneous intrigue. It's not quite total insta-love, but it's close. You guys know how I feel about insta-love (and one of them is a bad boy!)...but somehow, Jandy Nelson's writing can break all my rules and make me believe. I'm just going to give you one unbelievable passage, and you tell me you're not intrigued and kind of in love: I know he's taking a hundred pictures, but I don't care anymore. A hot series of shivers is running through me as he continues clicking and saying: Yes, thank you, this is totally bloody it, perfect, yes, yes, sodding hell, God, look at you. It's like we're kissing, way more than kissing. I can't imagine what my face must look like. "You're her," he says finally, putting the cover over the lens. "I'm sure of it." "Who?" I ask. But he doesn't answer, just walks down the aisle toward me, a lazy, lanky walk that makes me think of summer. He's completely unwound now, went from high gear to no gear the moment he covered the lens. As he approaches, I see that he has one green eye and one brown eye, like he's two people in one, two very intense people in one. Jandy Nelson perfectly understands how closely entwined joy and sadness are. Guys, Jandy Nelson KNOWS. She understands why exquisite happiness is sometimes achieved only through understanding loss. She understands how grief can engulf and change and break a family, and how art can save and remake us. I don't know how else to explain the mingled feelings of happiness, bittersweet joy, and infinite sadness that engulfed me while reading except to say that Jandy Nelson is the YA Walt Whitman. The Final Word: I could go on and on about I'll Give You The Sun, but honestly, it won't hold a candle to the book itself. If you like literary novels, if you want all the feels, this book needs to be on top of your TBR list. Read it now. Bask in the beauty. And then give it to a friend, because a book this good demands to be shared.

I’ll Give You the Sun grabbed me right away with its raw and poetic storytelling. Jandy Nelson’s writing is vivid and deeply emotional, drawing you into the complicated world of twins trying to understand each other and themselves. The dual perspectives add layers that slowly reveal secrets and feelings in such a powerful way. This book is as much about love and loss as it is about creativity and finding your voice. If you’re into heartfelt, character-driven stories that explore family dynamics and the messy, beautiful process of growing up, this one’s definitely worth your time.

My book arrived damaged

This was a surprise read for me. I had heard great things and noticed a lot of 5 star reviews but I kept away from all of that as much as I could. All I knew about ‘I’ll Give You The Sun’ was that the main protagonists were fraternal twins, a boy and a girl, where the male grapples with his identity. I think the biggest surprise for me was the interconnectedness of this novel. Just about every point, seemingly irrelevant or not, has meaning. A symbolism, a prophecy, a reason for being. And because of that this novel has a strong interwoven web of plot and arc that kept surprising me at every turn. And Jandy Nelson’s writing style was a delight. Such a lovely turn of phrase where the narrative deals a lot with art – Jandy’s writing was akin to art itself without being egotistical. Told in alternating perspectives by our two leads - the twins: Noah, 3 years in the past, and Jude, his sister in the present. I think the theme that is most heavy in the narrative and rings true for all the characters is that we are all fallible and struggling to find our way through this messy life, and find that safe place where we are expressing our true authentic selves. Add into that all the dramatic and familial themes that can happen like love, sex, sibling rivalry, coming of age, the deconstruction of childhood innocence, and ‘I’ll Give You The Sun’ really shines. Going into this novel with little prior knowledge I guessed at the main plot fairly early on, but it was never solidified as the diaphanous nature of symbolism and art weighing heavily on the narrative, there was always some doubt. But those early guesses came to ring true, but there was so much subtext and many, many arcs that grew around this main thread which provided such serendipity. I was transfixed. There was one spot about halfway through the novel in a chapter from Jude’s point of view where the pacing lagged a little, but in hindsight it was setting up a number of plot points for the rollercoaster ride to the conclusion. ‘I’ll Give You the Sun’ wraps up nicely, a bitter-sweet ending with a strong sense of hope. It’s been a while since I last got a book hangover from a contemporary, and I highly recommend this. It has a delicate hand on some difficult topics and an interesting lens through which to view the world. I treasure this reading experience.

I took the book on vacation with me, and found the first 15-20 pages a bit difficult to get into. I persevered and finished by hugging the book close to my chest, inspired, humbled and determined to raise the bar on my own creative and love life!

Great read!

AMAZING!!!, very funny, hearthbreaking, love it! Love the characters especially Noah :D, but the story is the best part, love the destiny and the coincidences :D

Good

...in cambio del dolore e del senso di colpa che soffoca e rinserra la gola in una morsa. Ti darò il sole, in cambio del buio, del silenzio che schiaccia e opprime, del vuoto che ingoia e divora. Ti darò il sole e tu rivedrai le nuvole e gli alberi, le stelle e gli oceani. Perché la morte distrugge ogni cosa, ma e l'emozione fa esplodere la vita che torna a scorrere intorno a noi... Un romanzo di formazione, un inno alla creatività e alla forza irrefrenabile della gioia.