Sometimes, when I read a book, I’m reminded of how powerful words can be. How, with some simple sentences, we can be able to feel everything. Words can make us feel stronger, or break us down completely. I’m absolutely convinced that Jandy Nelson mastered the art of words. She manipulates them like brushes on a blank canva, and draws us a masterpiece.
THE PUZZLE OF A LOST RELATIONSHIP.
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“Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story.”
I have no twin, but I have a sister I’m very close to, so I can safely say that I’ll Give You The Sun completely echoes with me. Jude and Noah used to be close, so close, the kind of twins that can communicate with their minds and separate the world in two, just for the two of them. Told in a dual perspective, we can perfectly grasp the differences between the twins, yet all the places where they meet, or, where they should be meeting. Right from the first pages, we’re immersed into Noah’s perspective of the world, at thirteen years-old. He’s still young, yet the world he paints us in a few pages is completely is own, and we can already see the overwhelming presence of art in his life, both in the characters’ mind, and in the author’s writing. Noah’s shy, he’s awkward, he quite doesn’t fit in, especially at first, yet this boy grows on you from the first pages. Then, after the first part, we’re thrown off in a different world. Jude’s world, at sixteen years old. In between, there’s a gap, a weird, strange period of time where we’re just left wondering, WHAT DID HAPPEN THERE. The whole book is structured in this going back-and-forth, between past and present, with this overwhelming, tempting yet scary gap between the two parts.
TWO TWINS…YET TWO DIFFERENT VOICES.
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“I gave up practically the whole world for you,” I tell him, walking through the front door of my own love story. “The sun, stars, ocean, trees, everything, I gave it all up for you.”
Writing from a dual perspective is a struggle, sometimes, both for the writer and the reader. How can we identify, how can we, reader, be able to love and cherish both characters equally? How can the writer manage to create two very, distinctive, different voices, yet give them the same weight in the story? I’m thrilled to say – and still a little overwhelmed -, that Jandy Nelson managed to do that, perfectly. I’ve read that some people didn’t like Jude that much, and I can understand. But, personally, I found that the author created two distinctive, great, strong voices, with their own personalities, their own background, and their own ways of thinking, even despite the fact that those two characters almost spent their whole lives together. Both Noah and Jude are three-dimensionnal, both of them have their word to say, and I loved hearing it. They felt so real I wanted to take their hands.
WARNING: THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU FEEL THINGS.
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“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.””
I’ll Give You the Sun is a story about grief, about forgiveness, about coming to terms with who you are, what you really want to be. As I read, I was trying to put together the puzzle of the relationship between the twins. WHY aren’t they being so cute together anymore? Just, WHY?! But, as I was reading, I got lost. Into the writing, into the story, but, most of all, into the characters’ lives. Both, especially Jude, are going through an amazing character development. Told in excellent writing, that I could sip like I sip tea -which means, almost ALL the time- I’ll Give You the Sun made me go on a roller-coaster of emotions, I’m still not sure I’m over it. A little dizzy, with a laugh beginning on my lips and a warm feeling in my stomach, I‘ll Give You the Sun gave me all the feelings a great contemporary book is supposed to give you. And even more. I want to read all the gorgeous quotes and plaster them all over my walls, just to never forget how a book can be beautiful and make you see the world like it’s art, too.
OVERALL
Reading this book reminded me of the very famous quote in Rainbow Rowell’s book, Eleanor & Park. “Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn’t supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.” Well, let me tell you. This book is beautiful, and it will make you feel everything. Go read it.
Final rating: It’s a HURRICANE!
Did you read I’ll Give You The Sun? WHAT DID YOU THINK OF IT?! Do you want to read it? I NEED to talk about this book, so feel free to share your thoughts in comments! ?
Jandy Nelson, I’ll Give You The Sun, Published by Walker Books, April 2nd 2015 (first published September 16th 2014).
A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell
Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the D dimensioncharismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah’s story to tell. The later years are Jude’s. What the twins don’t realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.
This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author ofThe Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.
I jist finished this book last week and I’m also out for words! I love your review, it’s so thoughtful. I can tell you connected with the twins really well 😀 the entire book is beautiful, I feel like I want to quote every line. I’m also a huge fan of Noah, I like him and his awkwardness 🙂
Aw thank you so, so much! <3 I want to quote every line, too, everything was just too beautiful. Noah was the cutest ever. I feel like I need another book with him as a character, he was just SO great! 😀
Oh my gosh, Jenna at Reading with Jenna raves about this book all the time. And for my Goodreads challenge question this is the most recommended book to me (I think it was recommended to me at least 5+ times since I’ve set that challenge up). I need to read it! I’m so happy to hear you loved this and that it’s one of those books where the words just moves you! 😀 I actually bought a copy this month. And lovely photo, Marie! I’m missing the green grass over here; we actually may have snow today though! 😀
Well, you’ll be happy to know then that it IS JENNA’s fault (well, more like, THANKS TO her) that I wanted to read this book, ahah! 😀 And I’m so glad I did, it was more beautiful than I thought, I completely fell in love with it. I hope you’ll read it soon! Thank you so much for the photo, can you believe that I took that in December, in France, in my garden, while it’s supposed to be winter? That’s crazy. Oh, I hope you’ll enjoy the snow -if you like it, I find it so, so, beautiful! 😀
This book has been on my TBR for so long now. I really need to get to it … but we have our common problem. WHEN?!
WHEN?! That is the question I’ll never be able to answer to. But put this one VERY HIGH on your TBR, you won’t regret it, I promise. It’s just too pretty for words.
I hear you! I’ll try to get a copy fairly soon, but no promises 🙂
With all the books we need to read, I completely understand that you can’t promise anything, ahah 🙂 I can’t wait for you to get that book, I’ll remind you about it…a lot, ahah 😀
Fair enough. You can do that if you want 🙂 hahaha
I WILL be very subtle about it, don’t worry, like, HEY Kat, remember that book you NEED TO READ ABSOLUTELY RIGHT NOW?! :p hahaha
Yeah, that’s real smooth, Marie! 😉
Haha, I know right 😉
I LOVE this book! I so glad you enjoyed it. It was just perfect. Have you read The Sky Is Everywhere? That one’s amazing too. Jandy Nelson knows how to make you have allll of the feelings.
It was perfect, really, there are no other words. No, I haven’t, but since I loved I’ll Give You The Sun so much, I need to add it to my TBR! Thank you so much! 😀
I’ve seen so many reviews and videos about this and it has a beautiful cover. Yet to read it, but enjoyed your review! 🙂
Thank you so much! And believe me, the inside is even more beautiful than the outside! I hope you’ll read it 🙂
Okay I already wanted to read this book, but now I NEED to read it! This is such an awesome review. I love how you described it 😀
Yes you NEED to read it! It’s an amazing read, I’m sure you’ll love it! 🙂 Thank you so much Michelle! <3
Also I love the photo you took <3
Aww thank you! For once, I was happy with the photo I took, haha! :p
I loved this book so, so much when I read it last year. I completely agree with everything you’ve said! I think it’s an absolutely beautiful book, and I loved the style. The characters were perfect, and I just loved every aspect!
I’m so glad you loved this, Marie! Great review too <3
Denise | The Bibliolater
Aww I’m so happy to hear you loved that book as much as I did. It’s such a wonderful read, I want to re-read it again already, ahah! Thank you so much Denise! <3
Aaaahhh what a lovely review, Marie!!! ? You’ve made me so much the more excited to read this book, which is saying something seeing how I’ve been absolutely CLAMORING to read this book ever since I heard of it. ❤️ It sounds amazing! Can’t wait to read it!
Aww thank you so much Analee, I’m so glad! This book is a must-read to me, now, so…GO READ IT! I’m sure you’ll love it! 😀
This is such a wonderful book review! This book is one of my favorites of all time, and you really captured everything I love about it. Jandy Nelson is a master at writing beautifully and crafting realistic characters — she uses with so much power and brilliance. Have you read her other book, The Sky is Everywhere?
Oops, just read your other comments; if you haven’t read The Sky is Everywhere, you totally should! Same beautiful writing and amazing characters 🙂
No I didn’t, ahah, but I will put it VERY HIGH on my TBR, I’m sure I will love it, too! <3 Thank you!
Thank you so much Isabella! She really is! It was my first Jandy Nelson book, and I completely fell in love with it! <3
So glad you did 🙂 It’s one of my favorites of all time! (I don’t know if this is bad on my part but everytime someone says they don’t like this book I take, like, personal offense. )
Oh noo, it’s not, at all! I tend to take it personally, too, when someone says they don’t like a book I completely LOVED. It’s hard when someone criticize a book I loved, ahah, it’s so, sooo hard.
Book nerd problems. To the max. So many friendships irreparably damaged 😉
Hahaha, exactly!
Thanks for this review… I’m in a book rut & this was on my list… I think I’ll take your review as a sign it should be next ?
Aww, you’re welcome! I really hope you’ll read that book next, it’s so, so worth it! 🙂
This book has been sitting on my shelf, looking at me, judging me, basically screaming READ ME! Haha and I’m getting aroud to it soon, plus your review made me more excited about it so thank you !
Haha, well it’s screaming, READ IT for a reason 😀 I’m so happy to hear that, this book was just so good. I hope you’ll love it as much as I did! 🙂
I couldn’t agree more with you on how you see this book! It does deal with a lot of important and deep topics of siblings, identity creation, and definition. I love the two voices! I thought that Jude was nuts but I think that we all look for stuff to believe in to help us survive life. I like how this book depicted love so purely and so colorfully! I made me fall in love all over again!
I hope you could check out my review! Share the love! <3
Agree! It was such a fantastic book and I fell in love with its characters and how alive they felt <3 <3 I'm so glad you enjoyed it just as much 🙂
Thank you for your sweet comment! 🙂
As a Twitter friend told me, this book will stick with me for a long time <3 We have to spread the love and being able to talk about the book that I like this much makes me feel good! haha
Thank you for sharing! <3