ARC Review: I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

Saturday 2 May 2015

23573418I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
Released: 1st June 2015 (AU)
Published by: Walker Books
Genre: YA Contemporary
Source: Publisher
Pages: 416
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars
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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.
Thank you to Walker Books Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review


A painting is both exactly the same and entirely different every time you look at it. That's the way it is between Jude and me now.

I'll Give You The Sun was a book that I had known was a big hit in the contemporary YA world since its first release. Yet, little did I know just how much I would end up loving it. This is a story which profoundly explores some of the many relationships which exist in this world: mentor to student, parent to child, lovers and of course the inexplicable connection between twins. Through the euphoric highs and crushing lows, this book is not only beautifully written but one that will resonate with all of us readers in some way.

Listen to me. It takes a lot of courage to be true to yourself, true to your heart. You always have been very brave that way and I pray you always will be. It's your responsibility, Noah. Remember that.

The very essence of this story and its impact lies partly in its aptly chosen structure - the alternating POV's between Noah and Jude, with a time difference as well. While in some books this can potentially be jarring, in I'll Give You The Sun it makes the story flow even better than it ever could. The sections are quite long, so you aren't left with a sudden change right when you were getting to know one of the characters. In this case, both Noah and Jude, their connection, their arguments and their reconciliation is so touching. In the face of immense grief and their worlds at times seemingly crumbling, it was inspiring to see how they both had their own unique personalities and growing as people as their experiences shaped them into what they finally became.


I'm over being a coward. I'm sick of being on pause, of being buried and hidden, of being petrified, in both senses of the word. 

Aside from the wonderful character development, what makes this novel stand out for me is the balance between romance and family life, and all the eccentricities in between. From Jude finding those little excerpts from her grandma's homemade 'bible' to the stunning art references, it's these little things which add to the grand, beautifully woven fabric of a story like this. Jude's boy-boycott which may just have to be broken when she meets someone equally struggling to accept the tragedy of his past, and Noah must come to terms with his identity and be ready to share it with those closest to him. By the end of this book it felt so satisfying to see how each piece fit together, each and every character had their place.

Love does as it undoes. It goes after, with equal tenacity: joy and heartbreak. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

I'll Give You The Sun has taken my top spot as my favourite YA contemporary novel of the year, and it deserves each one of the five stars I'm awarding it. It's a tale of finding love, comfort and hope. It gives the message that as life goes on, it is possible to be happy if we're willing to take the risk to live, not just exist.


12 comments :

  1. Gosh, this looks like such a quotable novel. And top contemporary book of the year!? That is very encouraging, as I'm close to reading this one soon. ^_^ Great review--and I'm glad you like it so much.

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    1. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did Kara - it really blew me away!

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  2. The chapters were so long in this book! I always do the thing where I'm like "just one more chapter", but I couldn't do that in this book because they were just too long haha. Not that this was necessarily a bad thing- I do agree that the narrative structure was done pretty well overall. The problem I had with the book though, was the flowery writing- it was very difficult for me to get into the story at first. But then I got used to the writing, and the rest of the story unfolded, and dayum, it was one good book.

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    1. Haha I was almost doing the same thing Nara - but it just ended up making me read more in the end until I couldn't keep my eyes open any more and I really needed to sleep. The flowery writing I think made it a bit harder for me to get into Jandy Nelson's other novel The Sky is Everywhere, but with this one it just worked and I'm glad I ended up loving it, especially when there were so many good quotes to choose from. Thanks for visiting Nara :)

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  3. OMG top spot AND 5 stars?! I better get on with reading this one asap then. So glad to hear that you loved it Eugenia, and that the messages and themes in the book is so touching. I'm curious about this twin dynamic (always wanted to be a twin myself), and how their relationship goes. Wonderful review, I can't wait to start this one!

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    1. I do hope you like it Joy! I found it a truly great read, especially since all the character connections came together in the end, and there were a few OMG moments as well. Looking forward to seeing what you think :)

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  4. I absolutely adored this one. I loved it madly. Insanely even. The writing was just so incredibly lyrical, it took my breath away. The premise, the delivery, the character building and philosophical references, my heart ached at how beautiful it was. It's one of those books that there really aren't any words to capture how it makes you feel. Absolutely wonderful review poppet, makes me want to reread it again already <3

    PS. It's not out until June in Australia :)

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    1. Glad to hear that Kelly! Everything worked together to make this something special.
      Oops! Thanks for letting me know about that (I think I accidentally looked at the UK one instead - but it's all fixed now :)

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  5. Man, this book sounds freaking amazing and I can't wait to pick it up. I just love all the references to art in the book and all the subtle references about different relationships. Wonderful review, I'll have to track this down!

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    1. I really thought it was Jeann - just wow! I hope you get to read a copy :)

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  6. EEP. I keep seeing SO many positive reviews for this book. I am really, REALLY hoping that I love it as much as everyone else. To be honest, it sounds like something I could really and truly fall in love with.

    I love the sound of the balance between romance and family, and I love reading books about twins. Just everything about this book sounds so good, and I hope I love it as much as everyone else when I get around to reading it!

    Great review, Eugenia :D

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    1. I really hope that you love it as much as I did Chiara, it is simply beautiful, heartbreaking, heartwarming and amazing!

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