Book review of I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Oh my goodness gracious. I can't remember the last time I devoured a book as quickly as I did with this book. It's so good. Like, stare at a wall with my mouth gaping open GOOD.
This is Nelson's second novel, but she writes as if it's as easy as breathing. I picked this book up because I've seen it on YA popular books lists a few times and--sorry!--the cover is pretty. I have seriously zero regrets about using my designated AP-procrastion time on this absolute GEM of a book.
The story follows fraternal twins Noah and Jude (Noah's a boy, Jude's a girl...took me a while to figure that out), who make me want to go searching for my long-lost twin. They are inseparable, but maybe not always in a good way, until a falling out around age 13. They have a bit of a role-reversal as Noah (the more geeky, arty, alternative twin) becomes mainstream and Jude (who hems and haws at being "That Girl," according to her free-spirit mom) devolves into a superstitious eccentric.
This is a book about identity. And love. And loss. And truth...these are some heavy themes that are delivered and guided by crazy amazing writing. Nelson somehow manages to turn prose into poetry. I liked that it didn't remind me of anything else and that I'm, ten hours after finishing, still drooling over how much I liked it. I'd probably describe it as "John Green meets Perks of Being a Wallflower"--if that's not a winning endorsement, I don't know what will be.
This is Nelson's second novel, but she writes as if it's as easy as breathing. I picked this book up because I've seen it on YA popular books lists a few times and--sorry!--the cover is pretty. I have seriously zero regrets about using my designated AP-procrastion time on this absolute GEM of a book.
The story follows fraternal twins Noah and Jude (Noah's a boy, Jude's a girl...took me a while to figure that out), who make me want to go searching for my long-lost twin. They are inseparable, but maybe not always in a good way, until a falling out around age 13. They have a bit of a role-reversal as Noah (the more geeky, arty, alternative twin) becomes mainstream and Jude (who hems and haws at being "That Girl," according to her free-spirit mom) devolves into a superstitious eccentric.
This is a book about identity. And love. And loss. And truth...these are some heavy themes that are delivered and guided by crazy amazing writing. Nelson somehow manages to turn prose into poetry. I liked that it didn't remind me of anything else and that I'm, ten hours after finishing, still drooling over how much I liked it. I'd probably describe it as "John Green meets Perks of Being a Wallflower"--if that's not a winning endorsement, I don't know what will be.