“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 Noah, are 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. Description taken from Goodreads |
Jude and Noah are as close as you’d expect a pair of twins to be, but their relationship isn’t perfect. Resentment and jealousy over each other’s artistic talent fuels a sibling rivalry that has all but torn them apart by the time they’re sixteen. I’ll Give You the Sun explores the divisions in Jude and Noah’s relationship through both twins points of view, but set two years apart. This time travelling method of storytelling is highly effective at upping the intrigue surrounding the cause of the final rift between the twins. Jandy Nelson’s writing style is a feast of expressive exaggeration and metaphor. I read the first few pages and my jaw literally dropped. I was wowed and stunned, but I think this may get on some reader’s nerves. The plot and interconnectedness of the characters are so good that I can’t help but picture Jandy Nelson cackling and rubbing her hands in glee at the fine mystery she’s spun for her readers.
I’ll Give You the Sun is a great book with which to dip your toes into LGBT fiction. Noah’s fear and discomfort within himself over his homosexuality is a narrative that I believe many readers could identify with. This aside, I adored his first-love experiences far more than Jude’s romantic interests.
I’ll Give You the Sun is a YA book that truly goes beyond its genre. Anyone could read it, and everyone should.