Name: I'll Give You the Sun
Rating: 4.294573643410852 (129 reviews)
ISBN: 9781406326499

Jandy Nelson

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 realise 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.

I'll Give You the Sun

1 star. "I'll Give You the Sun"? More like 

I'll Give You One Reason to Not Pick This Up:

Tali ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆

1 star. "I'll Give You the Sun"? More like I'll Give You One Reason to Not Pick This Up: it's BORING.

A story of first love and family loss follows the estrangement between daredevil Jude and her loner twin brother, Noah, as a result of a mysterious event that is brought to light by a beautiful, broken boy and a new mentor. Simultaneous eBook.

allison chen

when i bought this book one summer four years ago, the cashier at barnes & nobles looked at me so happily and sincerely while telling me that it was her favorite. i get her now :') 
bring a twin is really like magic!!! and it only gets infinitely better when you realize that you are your very own person

Shaz

When Jude says: Maybe some people are meant to be in the same story, I feel that.

unfortunately took me months to complete but I loved it. 

Mal 

alexandra

this book is so complex, so poetic, so emotional, and so powerful. it's the kind of book i want to reread a million times, overanalyze, and cover the margins with notes. i felt every sentence's second meaning and it hit me really really hard. it made me feel SO MANY FEELINGS and i can't even pinpoint exactly why.

i'll admit the first few pages were a bit rough. the writing is very different from what i'm used to; everything is a metaphor and i wasn't sure if this was literally happening or if it was all in his head. (it was all in his head.) after i got over that, i began to fall in love with the beautiful and complex prose. the depth of everything is... crazy.

the story is told from two POVs: one twin – noah – at age 13, and the other – jude – at age 16, three years later. there are a lot of layers as to why this or that happened and we truly get to watch the story unfold. it's more complicated than the average "love triangle" or average contemporary issue;  it's much more tangled than that with family issues, romance, sexuality, etc. i had such a strong connection with the two of them even though their voices are COMPLETELY different. and even though they were different, there were still undeniable parallels that connected them as siblings.

what surprised me most about I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN is the family aspect. a lot of the problems arise between the twins and parents themselves and i find everything else is the "subplot." although i really liked the romance, i felt just a biiiiit insta-love-y and too good to be true but eh that's alright.

all in all, this book blew me away. it definitely holds a spot on my favorites of 2016 shelf and it's only been ten days into the new year. although there were parts of the book that felt a little artificial or a little dragged, i think that's all irrelevant compared to the impact it had on my perspective. truly and completely eye-opening. go read it.

Katherine Yang

(I guess I might technically give this a 4.5, but… come on it deserves 5 okay please?)

I first came across this book on a list of top YA LGBT novels, but didn’t get around to it until Lauren told me to read it, so THANK YOU for that :) I don't think the blurb describes well how big the story is. Anyway. The first thing you notice immediately is the writing style, which is wildly imaginative and colourful and magical, reality consistently interweaving with metaphor and transcendent emotion. Neither does it lack humour, too; I laughed out loud more times than I maybe expected to. I can see how the style might be hit-or-miss depending on the reader, but personally, I fell in love. It reminded me of David Levithan’s Boy Meets Boy, Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park, or Aimee Bender’s unreal The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, all stories which reach out and clutch on to the reader, and feel as real as if they were happening to you. It’s beautiful. Maybe a tiny bit self-indulgent. But when it feels like you’re drinking in glorious, bursting words gulp by thirsty gulp, who really cares?

As for the characters and their stories, I have to first talk about how they were structured: to mirror two parts of the story—one of Noah, one of Jude; one in the past, one in the future; both of someone scared and hurting—is so compelling. It manages to craft their complex relationship in a way that a linear narrative might not have been able to accomplish. I was more convinced by the Noah chapters, though Jude was interesting and charming in her own right. Both characters were so well-fleshed out, with personality flaws and inner conflicts and voices that threaten to lift off the two-dimensional page if only it would let them. (Some characters, as in Oscar, I wasn’t so thrilled by, but I’m willing to overlook him for the sake of the other two!) And they have passion too—all-encompassing, dynamic passion. What sticks out are 1) art, and 2) romance. Art is, of course, a huge central theme throughout the book, and Jandy Nelson does it justice, bringing it life and a presence, almost as if it were a third main character. The romance in the story is incredible. I want to wrap up Noah and Brian and hug them tight just for being who they are. Authenticity and rawness are so important, and their relationship is portrayed beautifully, with all the insecurities and yearnings of the journey of teenage love and self-identification.

I guess the only thing I might wish for (aside from the cliches in Oscar’s character—bad boy? motorcycle? James Dean lean? …mmmmmmm) is a more paced ending? I mean okay maybe I also just really didn’t want it to end but I think the ending did feel a little rushed and pushed a little more than it needed to.

I’ll Give You the Sun is captivating, thrilling, heartwrenching—this book deserves every accolade. Honestly don’t even know how else to talk about it. It’s entirely likely that you will lose a whole day reading this; I felt like I was lost in the best way possible. Highly recommended!

Aishling

I always say I’m past enjoying YA books and then something like this comes along and proves me wrong.

I think if this was written by anyone else I wouldn’t have loved it as much, because while the story itself is good, it’s the writing that is absolutely incredible and hooked me straight away. I was in such a slump when I started the book and I said I’d only check out the first few pages to see how I feel but I was immediately drawn in by the writing style and couldn’t stop. The way Noah saw the world was so poetic and artistic, I was obsessed. Jude chapters quite hold the same sort of magic but they were still very good. 

I’m so tempted to buy this in kindle form just so I can highlight every I loved from Noah’s perspective, but I’d probably end up highlighting the entire thing.

I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars

Wow. I cannot stop thinking about this book. So freaking beautiful. One of the best reads of the year, and probably one of my favorite contemporary of all time. The writing is bizarre and exquisite, a swirl of colors and emotions and magic. Although there were amazing parts, some concepts just kind of bothered me a little. 

I was a huge fan of her debut novel  The Sky Is Everywhere and I see a similarity in the themes of both books – life, love and loss.  I really appreciate the complex characters, the twins Noah and Jude. They have very different personalities but it doesn’t hinder them from loving each other.  The frankness and honesty in the portrayal of sexuality issues makes the story very powerful indeed.  The structure also works very well for me, as the alternating POV’s provide an insight to Noah and Jude’s minds and how they think so differently. Not only are the POV’s alternating, but Noah narrates from the past starting from age 13 onwards, and Jude narrates from the present. I think this provides the thrill as the events eventually builds up to the climax of the story. 

A few things that disappointed me though. The prose felt a little too … purple for me. Some passages were very true to life and all, but sometimes, it feels a little too much. I know that the author probably did that to illustrate just how eccentric and creative our characters think, but it just confused and irritated me. Some sentences felt like a very bad case of word vomit – very overwhelming, suffocating even. Another thing that bothers me is that there was so much potential to explore the themes on life and loss and their family relationship, but instead the book centers mostly on love. I don’t mind love too much, but all that raw material was right there. There was rape, homosexuality, divorce, infidelity, so much. Instead, the book revolves too much around love (another thing I noticed in The Sky is Everywhere). 

But other than that the book was really nice for me. I feel like I really connected with the characters, Noah most especially. It’s impossible to ignore that amount of grief and pain, so palpable between the words on the pages. I look forward to more of Jandy Nelson’s work in the future.

The New York Times Bestselling story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, Nicola Yoon, Jonathan Tropper, Emma Straub, and Rainbow Rowell “We were all heading for each other on a collision course, no matter what. Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story.” At first, Jude and her twin brother are NoahandJude; inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them. Years later, they are barely speaking. Something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways . . . but then Jude meets an intriguing, irresistible boy and a mysterious new mentor. The early years are Noah’s to tell; the later years are Jude’s. But they each have only half the story, and if they can only find their way back to one another, they’ll have a chance to remake their world. This radiant, award-winning novel from the acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once. Printz Award Winner Stonewall Honor Book "A wild, beautiful, and profoundly moving novel. Jandy Nelson’s writing is so electric, so alive, her pages practically glow in the dark." —Ransom Riggs, New York Times bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Hollow City "Jandy Nelson is a rare, explosive talent, and one of the best writers working today. Her prose is vivid, breathtaking, and drenched in passion, and her stories remind me why words can change the world." —Tahereh Mafi, New York Times bestselling author of the Shatter Me series. "I love this book. Jandy Nelson is my new writing hero. Read this book. She'll be your favorite author as well." —Holly Goldberg Sloan, New York Times bestselling author of Counting by 7s "Jandy Nelson’s writing is poetic and mesmerizing. More importantly, Nelson weaves a novel that seeps into your bones like fire on a cold day . . . I’ll Give You the Sun is a novel that promises a story like nothing else and then delivers it.” —Garret Freymann-Weyr, author of Printz Honor book, My Heartbeat "This is a stunning, artfully woven story. My heart burst open at the blazing, unforgettable end. Magnificent." —Nova Ren Suma, author of Imaginary Girls and 17 & Gone "An extraordinary book! I've never read anything like it. Lyrical-unique-passionate-magical-tragic-hopeful—Nelson's characters will fly off the page and into your heart." —Nancy Garden, author of Annie on my Mind

Isabela H 

I loved the style in which the book was written, especially the decision to tell different parts of the story from different points of view. It was incredibly touching to watch the two siblings struggle to find themselves and find each other in the wake of such devastating loss.

my favourite book as of 30/10/2021. Enough said.

Sylvia de Graaff

i've never smiled harder while reading a book. it felt like sunshine was being radiated off of the pages and that my serotonin levels were skyrocketing from just reading this. 

this book made my heart explode and i felt like i was on top of the world. i would protect noah and jude at all costs and they deserve the world. also, oscar could run me over with his motorcycle and i'd thank him.

Sarahi Flores

Let me just say this...
This book, I'll Give You The Sun, has met my expectations.
The way the authors write this story and of course there's quite memorable quotes I couldn't help but keep tabs on just because they are worded perfectly. This books is mainly for art lovers and I don't think I ever read a book about that and it feels good to dive in to a different kind of genre and style.

Francis Buggey

i cried twice. the angst was a little bit much at times but wtf this was so good? 😭

Flavia Louise

4.75 stars
Jandy Nelson crafts stories that catch the odd moments of life in their quintessential. She describes passion so adequately, especially in this book. She makes me feel with and for the characters and be in the story at all times. Noah and Jude seem as real to me as people I have known before.

Eleanor Luhar

Read the original review: https://bookmarkedreading.wordpress.c...

(Self-portrait: Book Remakes Girl)

Oh my Clark Gable. I'll Give You the Sun is simply amazing. It's a piece or artwork in itself, a definite new favourite of mine.

Alternating between twins Noah and Jude, I'll Give You the Sun is two alternating stories that twist together in ways so unexpected and so perfect that you'll undoubtedly want to read to the end without putting the book down. The Invisible Museum of Noah, aged 13 to 14, and The History of Luck, 16-year-old's Jude's story, are amazing on their own, but then they start to fit together so tremendously, and every little thing makes so much sense... I can't describe how amazing I found this book.

Jude and Noah were close; Noah was always painting, inside his head and out, and Jude was out being a badass daredevil, and building her flying women in the sand. But a horrific accident involving their mother sends them both tumbling, and the relationship between them is ruined.

But although all hope seems lost, the now-boycotting Jude finds the answer in such an unexpected way and suddenly everything falls back into place.

And Noah, after having his heart ripped out by his own actions, has to decide between telling the truth about his mother or keeping her secrets hidden beneath lies.

I love the style and layout of this book. The cover alone is wonderful, but the pages themselves are all so unique and interesting, I loved it at soon as I turned to the first page. It's not too busy or intricate, just simple little doodles and such giving each page a bit of character. And every cover I've seen is nice and minimalistic too. (If you want to look the book up and see the over editions and covers you can look at it on Goodreads.)

A story of family struggles, individual troubles, love and heartbreak, I'll Give You the Sun is simply beautiful. I'm dying to read it again, even after finishing it just ten minutes ago! A full 5 stars for this gorgeous book.

I'll Give You the Sun

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