I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN, JANDY NELSON
I briefly mentioned this rather spectacular novel in my previous post, promising to share a review with you guys when I had finished because there was absolutely no way on earth that I couldn't not write one. Well dear readers, that time has come around after I spent a good 2+ hours on Tuesday completely glued to my copy of 'I'll Give You The Sun', unable to pull myself away from the incredibly compelling story until I'd reached the end. I think this has to be one of the few books I've read that I just know has left and made a profound lasting impression on me, and I will certainly be holding it dear to my heart for many, many years to come. Heck, I've even been debating picking it up and reading it all from start to finish all over again, something practically unheard of for me, because the story was so good that I feel I haven't savoured it enough properly yet. There's so much to marvel at in Jandy Nelson's phenomenal novel that it's inevitable you're unfortunately going to skim past some parts in an effort to try and comprehend the brilliance of the overall picture. I feel like it's the kind of novel you can read over and over again, the story just as dazzling as ever, and you'll still be finding something new you hadn't fully appreciated before and the story will still continually be blowing your mind. Translating how I felt when reading 'I'll Give You The Sun', how much I adored this book, and what I feel makes this book so good, is quite a hefty task because no matter what I write down here on this post, it's just not going to do the book the justice that it so rightly deserves.
To give you a brief overview of the story, before I either get too carried away with my rambling or give too much away, 'I'll Give You The Sun' focuses predominantly on the relationship between twins Noah and Jude Sweetwine over the course of three years, and the other important relationships each has with various people in their lives. The main theme of the novel is love and the many different ways it expresses, manifests and shows itself, and Jandy cleverly intertwines this in the expertly woven, intricate strands that comprise the main story arch, which is told via dual narrative. The alternating voices of Noah, who offers his perspective on the events that happen to both himself and Jude between the ages of 13 and 14, pre tragedy, and Jude, who offers her perspective on the events that happen to both at age 16, post-tragedy, are both contrasting and yet so similar. It's almost like viewing two sides to the same person which in a sense, as twins, they are, and I loved how it provided such a rounded perspective of the events that happen to both. Therefore in 'I'll Give You The Sun' we are invited to view both the past and present, as well as glimpse at the future, and the overall story is subsequently delivered to us fragment by fragment via various narrative from throughout the years. So as the end of the novel approaches (cry cry cry), all loose ends are perfectly tied up as together Noah and Jude, from the ages of 13 and 16, each help to fill in the missing pieces and complete the telling of their emotional, captivating, mesmerising, heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting story.
To give you a brief overview of the story, before I either get too carried away with my rambling or give too much away, 'I'll Give You The Sun' focuses predominantly on the relationship between twins Noah and Jude Sweetwine over the course of three years, and the other important relationships each has with various people in their lives. The main theme of the novel is love and the many different ways it expresses, manifests and shows itself, and Jandy cleverly intertwines this in the expertly woven, intricate strands that comprise the main story arch, which is told via dual narrative. The alternating voices of Noah, who offers his perspective on the events that happen to both himself and Jude between the ages of 13 and 14, pre tragedy, and Jude, who offers her perspective on the events that happen to both at age 16, post-tragedy, are both contrasting and yet so similar. It's almost like viewing two sides to the same person which in a sense, as twins, they are, and I loved how it provided such a rounded perspective of the events that happen to both. Therefore in 'I'll Give You The Sun' we are invited to view both the past and present, as well as glimpse at the future, and the overall story is subsequently delivered to us fragment by fragment via various narrative from throughout the years. So as the end of the novel approaches (cry cry cry), all loose ends are perfectly tied up as together Noah and Jude, from the ages of 13 and 16, each help to fill in the missing pieces and complete the telling of their emotional, captivating, mesmerising, heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting story.
Although I am a mahoosive book worm, always have been and always will, and there's a 95% chance I will very much like the book I am reading, there are only a few novels I've read that have made a profound impact on me. A small collection of stories I've discovered and read, mostly on a whim, and upon putting them down I realise that what I've just read has somehow swam through my body and touched my soul in the best possible way. It's changed me, helped me, blown my mind maybe, made me feel like I'm finally understood or put into words exactly how I feel. A few books come to mind already such as Perks of Being A Wallflower, Catcher In the Rye, One Day, Harry Potter... but 'I'll Give You The Sun' has stormed in like a soaring star across the sky to grapple with Perks for that coveted number one place in my imaginary list of favourite books. It's just utterly brilliant, and I think that one of the main reasons I adored this book so much, aside from the millions of other reasons, was because for the first time ever I found a book that I felt understood me completely, 100%. And that was because within the book's main characters, Noah and Jude, I saw so many qualities, likes and characteristics that reminded me so strongly of myself.
Therefore reading each's perspective through the book's dual narrative, was a real joy not only for the brilliant story each recalls in their own words, but because there was the accompanying feeling that these characters were just like me. It was almost like relief I suppose, and if Noah and Jude were real, we'd be best friends, y'know, that kind of thing, and I love how a book can do that for you, make you feel like you belong somehow. That there are people out there who perceive the world and act, think, talk just the same way that you do. And what's more, via her incredibly sophisticated, enticing, dazzling, humorous language, through the lenses of both Noah and Jude Jandy pushes through such intriguing yet contrasting perspectives, observations, insights regarding the story at hand, to which I again found myself relating to and also being enlightened by. So amongst the many things I gained from reading this book, one of the best is that I now find myself looking at things in an entirely new way, and I love it.
If you saw 'I'll Give You The Sun' sitting on a book shelf, and you read the intriguing blurb, you might easily pass over purchasing it, thinking the book was another young adult novel, aimed at young teenagers of similar to ages to the main characters in the book. Don't, I repeat, don't do this.'I'll Give You The Sun' is a complete and utter masterpiece irrespective of the age which you read it at. Heck I was 19 and it's completely changed me. Like I said previously, it's so hard to put in to words just why this book is so good, because there's just so much about it that contributes in some shape or form. 'I'll Give You The Sun' is a novel that you need to read in order to completely understand this, but I strongly urge you to go out and get a copy because it honestly will blow your mind. The characters and their intertwining relationships, the incredibly clever and brilliant story line, the dazzling perspectives, the phenomenal use of language and literary devices, the lasting impression, the new perspectives, the exploration of important themes and issues.... it's all just stunning and I'm not really sure how much more I need to gush to make you sit up, take note, realise I'm not harping on just for nothing, and get this book in your life. Like I've said numerous times, 'I'll Give You The Sun' has completely blown my mind in the best way possible, and I truly hope it does the same for you too.
You can buy the novel here.
Therefore reading each's perspective through the book's dual narrative, was a real joy not only for the brilliant story each recalls in their own words, but because there was the accompanying feeling that these characters were just like me. It was almost like relief I suppose, and if Noah and Jude were real, we'd be best friends, y'know, that kind of thing, and I love how a book can do that for you, make you feel like you belong somehow. That there are people out there who perceive the world and act, think, talk just the same way that you do. And what's more, via her incredibly sophisticated, enticing, dazzling, humorous language, through the lenses of both Noah and Jude Jandy pushes through such intriguing yet contrasting perspectives, observations, insights regarding the story at hand, to which I again found myself relating to and also being enlightened by. So amongst the many things I gained from reading this book, one of the best is that I now find myself looking at things in an entirely new way, and I love it.
If you saw 'I'll Give You The Sun' sitting on a book shelf, and you read the intriguing blurb, you might easily pass over purchasing it, thinking the book was another young adult novel, aimed at young teenagers of similar to ages to the main characters in the book. Don't, I repeat, don't do this.'I'll Give You The Sun' is a complete and utter masterpiece irrespective of the age which you read it at. Heck I was 19 and it's completely changed me. Like I said previously, it's so hard to put in to words just why this book is so good, because there's just so much about it that contributes in some shape or form. 'I'll Give You The Sun' is a novel that you need to read in order to completely understand this, but I strongly urge you to go out and get a copy because it honestly will blow your mind. The characters and their intertwining relationships, the incredibly clever and brilliant story line, the dazzling perspectives, the phenomenal use of language and literary devices, the lasting impression, the new perspectives, the exploration of important themes and issues.... it's all just stunning and I'm not really sure how much more I need to gush to make you sit up, take note, realise I'm not harping on just for nothing, and get this book in your life. Like I've said numerous times, 'I'll Give You The Sun' has completely blown my mind in the best way possible, and I truly hope it does the same for you too.
You can buy the novel here.
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