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Monday, November 9, 2015

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson Review + Twitter Chat with a Giveaway


I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Format: Hardcover, 371 pages
Publisher: Dial Books/Penguin Random House
Publication Date: 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 charismatic 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 of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.


My expectations before reading I'll Give You The Sun were pretty low, as they usually are since I'm not a huge fan of contemporary YA (though that's been changing lately). I was told by numerous people that I'll Give You The Sun is amazing and that they were overwhelmed with feels when reading. Unlike those people, I didn't cry while reading it but I definitely enjoyed the book. Nelson's plot execution and writing style is complex and on-point. It has everything I need for me to get into a contemporary novel—a swoony male lead (because oh my god, Oscar is amazing), a main conflict that is not overly dramatic (which also cannot be easily resolved), and the writing is emotive and engaging. I'll Give You The Sun is a beautiful story about people dealing with tragic circumstances that tear them apart and their journey to find their way back to one another and the closeness they once knew. 




1) Oscar. . . it was true love at first page. Let me break it down for you—he's a broody British model, he drives a motorcycle, AND he's funny. I totally fell for his charm, and his James Dean lean ;)



2) I am really impressed with Nelson's writing. I'll Give You The Sun is written using the dual points of view of Noah and Jude, and they both have very distinct voices. Jude has a more artistic way of seeing the world, while Jude is your typical sassy teenage girl. 

3) Nelson writes a very accurate portrayal of sibling rivalry—at its best and its worse. She perfectly depicts how siblings can love each other while also being jealous of one another. Jude and Noah's relationship is truly complex, and at times, it's very beautiful.

4) The plot of the book is extremely well-executed. All of the main characters are well-developed, and the way the plot jumps back and forth through time and adds layers to the story you thought you knew is brilliant.




1) At the beginning of the book, I had a hard time getting into the story. I'm not a big fan of overly poetic writing (though in this case, it really worked) and I was worried that eventually, I'd be annoyed with it; thankfully that didn't happen! I just couldn't tell what the story was actually going to be about at first.


I shutter myself in while they talk more specifically about what kind of ghost Mom would make. If Mom died, the sun would go out. Period.
"I see," Guillermo Garcia says, "So how long did these negotiations last? To divide the world?"

"They were ongoing."

He crosses his arms, again in that battle stance. It seems to be his preferred pose. "You are very powerful, you and your brother. Like gods," he says. "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 negotiator. 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.
Guillermo shakes the bag at me. "Your first lesson: My studio is not a democracy. Have a donut."
            ~This entire scene is hilarious, but it's too long for me to add here for you guys so you'll just have to read the book. 
Oscar seems like he has natural disasters under the skin too. But give me a break. Male leads in love stories need to be devoted, need to chase trains, cross continents, give up fortunes and thrones, defy convention, face persecution, take apart rooms and break the backs of angels, sketch the beloved all over the cement walls of their studios, build sculptures of giants as homages.

They don't flirt shamelessly with the likes of me when they have Transylvanian girlfriends. What an effing jerk.
I completely forgot about Sophia. It seems he did too, from the way he's still looking at me. What a louse. A lousy louse. Such a scalawag rake bounder miscreant scamp playboy player guyslut!


Hey guys, my book club The Rambling Readers are hosting a Twitter Chat this Friday, November 13th at 7PM EST in celebration of it's new paperback edition (the cover on the right side of the above graphic). For those of you who haven't read the book, that's okay! It's a spoiler free chat with I'll Give You The Sun themed questions. I hope all of you guys join us with the hashtag #RReaders, it's going to be a lot of fun! One lucky participant in the chat will win their own copy of I'll Give You The Sun with some swag! 

Check out the other girls in my book club:






We really hope that you guys will join us! See you there <3 

4 comments:

  1. I don't really like contemporary books but this one has been recomended to me many, many times.. I'll probably still pass on it, because if it's not 5 stars as a contemporary, it'll be like a 3 for me.. great review!

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    1. I hear you. Contemporaries are not something I usually gravitate towards. This one was a good one but I prefer fantasy =)

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  2. I am sold by Oscar! He sounds like such a babe! James Dean lean. ;) haha. Even the quotes seem cute! I think I'll definitely add this to my TBR! Sweet review!

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    1. Oscar is freaking adorable. I hope you read it and love it!

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