I'll Give You The Sun

Kaila Nesbitt

Meeting your soul mate is like walking into a house you've been in before - you will recognize the furniture, the pictures on the wall, the books on the shelves, the contents of drawers: You could find your way around in the dark if you had to.

Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story. 

Maggie Ryan

Maybe some people are meant to be in the same story

Lindsey Barnett

Anna 

Tuhle recenzi sem píšu bez jakýchkoliv příprav, protože Jandy mě tak psychicky rozebrala, že si nemyslím, že bych dokázala napsat něco srozumitelnýho, takže tím pádem ani nemá cenu si to připravovat.
Tak zaprvé, tahle úžasně strašlivá kniha si zaslouží tak 100x více pozornosti, než získává, protože já jsem o ní slyšela asi tak od 5ti lidí, což je sakra, SAKRA málo. Příběh se vypráví ze dvou pohledů; 13-14 letý Noah nám vypráví o malování ve vlastní hlavě, o malování na plátna, o malování všude. Provází nás jeho nelehkým životem homosexuála, který teprve zjišťuje, kým doopravdy je. Ukazuje nám krásně roztříštěný vztah jeho rodičů. Ukazuje nám postupné odlučování od své nejbližší, svého dvojčete Jude, ze které se stává TA HOLKA. Ukazuje nám, jak pláče a směje se a celá galaxie se na něj obrací a padá a květiny zpívají a vlny třískají a on existuje a existuje a existuje.
Na druhé straně příběh také vypráví 16 letá Jude, ze které se stala neviditelná dívka, která ukradla svému dvojčeti sny, jelikož se narozdíl od něj dostala na JEHO vysněnou uměleckou školu. Jude nám ukazuje, jaké to je přežívat, vždy být jen Polámanou já, Hroudou číslo osm a tou slavnou Catastrophe Jude, které se nikdy žádné dílo nepodaří. Díky ní poznáme sochaře, který sice vypadá jako z kamene, jako jeden z jeho slavných výtvorů, ale jeho srdce je krásnější a laskavější než mnoha lidí. Setkáme se s tajemným Angličanem, kterého ve skutečnosti známe už dlouho, ale vlastně neznáme, a každou stránkou objevujeme jeho, objevujeme Jude, Noaha, jejich rodiče, jejich zemětřesení a jejich hvězdy na obloze. 
Společně s nimi se dozvídáme jedno tajemství za druhým a uvědomujeme si, jak komplikovaná a nádherná věc je Žít. 
✩
S Noahem a Jude jsem společně plakala, smála se, trápila se, vyváděla, malovala, šila a milovala. Přijde mi, jako by to byli lidé, které znám, kteří bydlí hned vedle mě. Jako bych byla Oni. S klidným srdcem dokážu říct, že mě nikdy, opravdu nikdy žádná kniha takhle nezasáhla. Objasnila mi slovo Žít. Milovat. Odpouštět.
A já jsem jí za to neskutečně vděčná.
 Děkuju za to, že jsi mne tak neuvěřitelně psychicky rozbila a zase složila, že jsi mi dokázala otevřít srdce v pravou chvíli. Že jsi mi dala víru. 
Děkuju.
✩
5*/5*

Paula Plaza Ponte 

What an incredible book about art, love, loss, grief, brokenness, secrets and siblings. It was easy to fall in love with Noah. His voice. The paintings in his head. The way he loved. Jude is another story. You love and hate her because she reminds you so much of your own vulnerability, stupidity, insecurity, strength. Guillermo is a gem. Jandy Nelson's writing - mentor text material. Inner thinking and symbolism = gold. I am really glad to read this book. You were right, Mikhaella. Thank you. At some point, I will get this book into many Grade 8 readers' hands. In the meantime, I need to create, paint, draw, write something. And quick. Before the stone giants weep or fall asleep.

ephe

okay, not a long review developed or anything but THIS book is now one of my favorite, he broke my heart, made me feel so much things, i cried at almost every word i read. and jude and noah deserve so so so so much to be happy i love them with all my heart.
please read this book.

Daniel Spruill

This was the first YA book I’ve read in about three years, and oh man have I missed this genre. The writing was exquisite, but what got me the most was the way in which the plot was constructed and deconstructed for the reader. Absolutely brilliant. It left me beaming and wishing to exist in that world for just a little longer, a feeling I haven’t had from a book in quite a while. Absolutely beautiful.

chloe rae

Wow. My heart is still racing and I just want to cry because of how incredible this book is. This novel just reminded me of why I read; why I love stories and characters and passion and LOVE. I'm going to start crying. This book is revolutionary; this book is life-changing. 
I'm a mess of emotions. I have been putting off reading this book for actual years (for no reason) and I finally picked it up, at just the right time I needed to. Isn't it crazy how that happens sometimes?
I don't know how to process how much I loved this book. Ok, let me think. I guess the main contributor for me is the characters. The main characters, twins Jude and Noah, are unlike any I've ever read. They're just so...original and authentic and WONDERFUL. How does Jandy make her characters so insightful and messy and flawed yet loving and wild and sweet? I just LOVED them. I loved them so much, I feel like they're my siblings or best friends. I was right there aching with them, breaking along their side. Everything felt so personal. This book ate me up whole and I barely noticed.
The pure amount of love in this book is astounding; all shapes and forms of love and how chaotic and insane it is. I can't tell you how affected I am by this book. Thank you, Jandy. You are one of my favorites.

Zahra

Beautiful and heartbreaking, Jandy Nelson really has her way with words. I was truly captivated by the story, loved how it told from both Jude and Noah's perspectives. 

It was quite confusing at the beginning, but once i got a grip on it, I couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what's gonna happen next! And oh my Clark Gable, i just wish i have a twin along with the bond like one that is shared between Jude and Noah. It was wonderful reading through their stages of development, how they broke apart and find the way back to each other. 

And Nelson did a good job wrapped it all up. The ending was totally worth the read and i am a completely happy, satisfied reader here.

Julia Moran 

I started reading this book late 2017 when I was around 13, my dad died in early 2018 and it just hit too close to home and stopped reading, but the story never left my mind. Three years later I decided to pick it up from the beginning and this story just resonates with me on a different level than when I started reading because now I understand the whole process of grief, learning to cope with it and eventually, very slowly healing. This a beautifully written book that wonderfully explores the complicated world of being a teenager, losing a parent, how that breaks a family and the difficult journey to healing . Thank you for this book, trully.

Kenna

probably more like 1 and 1/2 but couldn't decide. the end of this book ruined any enjoyment i had reading it. it felt as though nothing that happened in the book mattered because all the characters got what they wanted and forgave each other by some sort of magic. like why was this book even written if all of the characters were going to act as though all the events didn't even occur by the end. i will admit, i am a hater.

I CAN'T EVEN EXPLAIN HOW BEAUTIFUL THIS BOOK IS OH MY GOD

paula

this book.. just made me finally let myself feel the blob and mess of emotions (i keep denying that i had inside) 

it made me cry with anger and stare at grief right through in my mirror. i still don’t know how to explain it

Alexka

Melissa Palmer

Book #41 Read in 2015
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (YA)

Noah and Jude are twins who are extremely close...at least until they turn 13. Jude begins to battle with her mother over fashion and makeup. Noah realizes that he is falling for Brian. A tragedy strikes their family and secrets keep the twins from being there as each other's support through this trying time. Noah narrates their 13th year; Jude their 16th year. What a difference three years can make. This book was a good read. Noah and Jude were complex and interesting characters. This book had good writing with elements of romance, humor and good plot twists in it.

http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com

Denaiir

Really loved this story, would give it 4.5 if possible. 
I loved the characters (basically all of them, which is quite rare) and how the storylines all fit together.
The start was good but it got better and better, I loved the ending. 
I was really engrossed in the descriptions of the characters' various forms of art and would love to see a movie adaptation.

Hannah Yang

HOLY OH-MY-CLARK-GABLE.


I don't even have the words. Where did all my words go. Aldjlasdfjaslf. I! Loved! This! (So damn much.)

I'll Give You the Sun navigates the lives and relationship between twins NoahandJude. They used to be incredibly close. Now they're not, but there's no simple explanation for why. Perhaps it was their many, many betrayals towards each other, or their Mom's death, or the fact that Jude is living Noah's ex-dream. Now, they barely even talk.

Noah has always been the artsy one. An artistic genius, but also a bit of a freak. His drawings and paintings are incredible. He was a shoo-in for CSA, but when he doesn't get in, his dreams are crushed and he destroys everything he's worked for. Now he's not a revolutionary like he's always wanted to be, he's normal. 

  When he found out I got in and he didn't, he destroyed everything he'd ever made. Not even a doodle remains. He hasn't picked up a pencil, pastel, stick of charcoal, or paintbrush since.
Jude was the daredevil. She flirted and went to parties and kissed guys. Now, not so much. Now she's occupied with following Grandma Sweetwine's "bible", talking to ghosts, diagnosing herself with diseases no one's even heard of, and honoring her boy boycott. And failing the art school she knew Noah would have rocked at.

Noah and Jude were likable and relatable characters. Although they seemed so different, I mostly felt like they were the same person, slightly misaligned. I loved reading from both of their perspectives. When I read the blurb, I expected the first half of the book to be just Noah telling the earlier years, and the second half to be Jude's turn. I am so glad it didn't turn out that way because the alternating chapters through time were incredible. Absolutely amazing. The order in which we readers found things out was perfectly placed.

What's even more amazing (and perhaps my favorite part about this all) is that everything was connected, everything made sense, and by the end all the loose ends were neatly tied together. It was the best ending I could ask for. Everything was resolved. The world was remade.

The other characters were vibrant and amazing and wonderful too. Oscar especially. Oscar and Jude's conversations made me giggle to no end. And they're so adorable together I could die. I don't think I'm spoiling anything because of course they had to get together!! #JudexOscar, anyone?

  "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."
But even though their love was done to perfection (same thing goes for (view spoiler)[Brian and Noah (hide spoiler)]), there were so many bumps on the road. So many obstacles to overcome to reach that perfect, happy ending. Oscar changes quite a bit from his first encounter with Noah to his relationship with Jude, yet the changes aren't too dramatic. They make sense. He is recovering, after all.

Not to mention Guillermo Garcia. 

  "But honestly, I do not think you make a good trade." He shakes his head. "You say you are so sad, maybe this is why. No sun. No trees."
"I lost the stars and the oceans too," I tell him.
"This is terrible," he says, his eyes widening inside the clay mask of his face. "You are a terrible negotiatior. You need a lawyer next time." There's amusement in his voice.
I smile at him. "I got to keep the flowers."
"Thank God," he says.
The relationships between Guillermo and Jude and Oscar were perfectly done. They're like a mini family. They fit together so perfectly, and the fact that they are all broken in different ways (yet so similar!) is just. Wow. They're all connected by their relationship to Jude's mom. In fact, I should talk more about that.

Although dead for all of Jude's sections, Noah and Jude's mom played such a huge part in making this story work. Her complicated relationships with, well, everyone managed to connect them all in a very unique way. Though I don't exactly relate to her free spirit, she's an incredibly well done character. 

I could honestly go on and on because this book was wow, ka-effing-pow. But at the same time, I'm rendered speechless, I have no words to describe just how much I loved this. I reaaally needed this book right now.

Not to mention, the beautiful writing. I'm sure it's not for everyone, but I'm a sucker for poetic, lyrical, gorgeous words spilled out on a page. The writing was positively cosmic. The dialogue was perfect too. I liked how the inner thoughts were more vivid and prose-filled, while the dialogue was usually more simple and often humorous.

  "Not bad," he says. "It's like we're at the beach."
I resume the position beside him. "Or in our coffins."
"What I like about you is how you always look on the bright side."
Which can be compared to Noah's sections that are more like,

  I get up on my elbows. The sky's gone blue: azure, the ocean bluer: cerulean, the trees are swirls of every hella freaking green on earth and bright thick eggy yellow is spilling over everything. Awesome. Doomsday's most definitely been cancelled.
which isn't even a sufficient example, but that's the gist of it.

Ugh. No matter how much I say in here, I won't be able to show just how much I love I'll Give You the Sun. It's a heartbreaking, heart-healing love story, a family story, a broken story, a story about dreams and what's right and wrong and finding your way to the best people. It's incredible, breathtaking, a journey. Absolutely beautiful. I recommend this with all my heart, all the flowers, trees, oceans, moon, stars, sun, everything.

And here are a few of the reviews on the back of the book that also help describe my feelings (just a little);

  "Jandy Nelson is a rare, explosive talent. Her prose is vivid, breathtaking, and drenched in passion, and reminds me why words can change the world." - Tahereh Mafi

"This book will tear through you like a hurricane, leaving you in ruined awe. - The Huffington Post

"Will pluck at your heartstrings." - People

Jazelle H

I am so beautifully heartbroken by this book. It was truly a gift. Thank you.

Fernando Bolaños

In the last couple of years this has become one of my favorite books. The story just completely resonated with me. I could see my twin sister and me in Noah and Jude. And the story is so beautiful, moving, touching, The way the writer gets to expose the feelings of the characters in each chapter is simply beautiful. Completely recommended.

Victoria

One of the most beautiful books I've read in my life.

Originally reviewed Nov 01, 2016 | Imported from my Goodreads account

Alberto

Beatrix Haase

Oh my lord this was the cutest book ever. I absolutely loved the characters and I loved the ending when everything fell into place. Dear lord, this is one of my favorite books. 

xoxo,
Bebe

25 September 2018
Did not finish just because I want to read new books right now!!! Not a bad book at all though!

Alexa M

i would give the sun, stars, oceans, and all the trees for THIS. DAMN. BOOK.

i actually loved this one. it made me warm inside and the siblings are both so different... i love them.

Ivy X

I liked it because the characters were likable at times and detestable at others. However, it was hard to hate them for a long period of time because their actions were understandable. At the same time, I felt that both Jude and Noah probably had some psychological problems. I mean...Jude could very well be schizophrenic. I mean she's constantly talking to the ghost of her grandmother, carrying around a bible filled with different theories by different people and follows it religiously, and always believes her mother's ghost is out to ruin her artwork. It was an interesting way of learning about the past and present. Noah talked about what happened in the past while Jude talked in the present showing the changes from then to present and also showing what had happened during that transition of time.

Jeannette Ordas

This book was just what I needed - sweet and charming and so lovely. The magic realism bits weren’t my fave but I can forgive them because the stories were so captivating.

Talia Dominguez 

This boook is AMAZING!!!! 
SO SAD AND MELANCHOLIC BUT AT THE SAME TIME FUNNY AND REVEALING!
THIS BOOK TALKS ABOUT FAMILY, LOSS, BETRAYAL, LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT, SECRETS, JEALOUSY, AND COMPETITIVENESS.
I seriousely love every person in this book from Guillermo to the jerk; michael!
I've never read a story sooo appealing about two twins blaming eachother for the death of their mother. SO SAD! I FIND IT AMAZING H9W THE TWINS MET OSCAR, SOFIA, AND GUILLERMO ALL AT DIFFERENT POINTS OF THEIR LIVES UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES!!! JUST AN AWESOME AND AMAZING BOOK TO READ!!!

I'll Give You The Sun

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