I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

I'll Give You the Sun

by Jandy Nelson

From the critically acclaimed author of The Sky Is Every­where, a radiant novel that will leave you laughing and crying – all at once. For fans of John Green, Gayle Forman and Lauren Oliver.

From the author of The Sky Is Every­where, a radiant novel that will leave you laughing and crying – all at once. For fans of John Green, Gayle Forman and Lauren Oliver. Jude and her twin Noah were incredibly close – until a tragedy drove them apart, and now they are barely speaking. Then Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy as well as a captivating new mentor, both of whom may just need her as much as she needs them. What the twins don't realize is that each of them has only half the story and if they can just find their way back to one another, they have a chance to remake their world.

Reviewed by shannonmiz on

5 of 5 stars

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This is a hard book to write a review for. First, the book is emotionally heavy, in a good way. I don’t think this is the kind of book you read if you are looking for action, adventure, or surprises. This is the kind of book you read if you are looking for feelings, emotions, character development and growth, just beauty all around.

Secondly, the stories are all so intertwined, it is hard to fully explain a lot of my feelings without giving anything away. Though I suppose I wasn’t exactly surprised at any of the outcomes, they certainly still left my emotions reeling.

Having two different POVs from two separate time periods was pretty interesting, but it worked. Noah at thirteen and Jude at sixteen were both at their most sympathetic, so it made sense. Both artists in their own ways, they feel things quite strongly. They often act impulsively, and they often act and even think dramatically, but it fits their personalities. I loved them both, and I don’t think I could pick a favorite. I related to Jude more, but she was a sixteen year old girl, and I have been a sixteen year old girl, so it made sense. That didn’t mean that Noah’s story was any less compelling. They each made me laugh, smile, and of course, cry.

The supporting characters were so incredibly fleshed out also. It’s so easy to become immersed in a story when you care about every single person in that story. I could have read a full length book on any one of the characters in this book and been inspired. Their stories were unique and lovely and heartbreakingly real.

The aspect of I’ll Give You the Sun that made it most appealing to me is that in these characters, I think virtually everyone could find something that they connected to: an emotion that they’d felt, a situation that hit close to home, a relationship that needed saving.

Ultimately, this book was about love and loss and family and friendship and life. Just the beauty and the mess that life offers. It’s rare to find a book that makes you reflect so deeply and feel so strongly, and Jandy Nelson has managed to do just that with I’ll Give You the Sun. In a word, it was magnificent.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 October, 2014: Finished reading
  • 16 October, 2014: Reviewed