I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy NelsonMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Year read: 2015
I started reading this book way back in March as part of the TBR Pile Reading Challenge at Bookish. That challenge features a read-along every other month with two sets of discussion questions - one on the 15th and one on the last day of the month. I got my first set of discussion questions in and posted them here. I set the book aside to read some other books and never got back to it. I have a copy from the library, so last week, when I saw I was running out of renewals, I decided I wanted to finish it before I had to return it. I'm so glad I did. While the first half of the book is engaging, due to the nature and enormity of the secrets being withheld, it is a bit confusing. There are so many unanswered questions. As the puzzle pieces fall into place in the second half, a rich story of family, fate, and finding your true self is built to a climactic - and happy - resolution.
Both Jude and Noah will, at times, endear you and annoy you. A terrible tragedy has separated these inseparable twins, and it will take an odd series of remarkable events to bring them back together. Most of the supporting cast, including a ghost or two, are well-developed and relatable. I felt that Oscar was overdrawn - all motorcycles, tattoos, checkered past with a James Dean swagger. While the character was a necessary part of the story, I think he could and should have been less of a caricature. That being said, the book is told from a first-person perspective, and we “see” this characterization of Oscar from Jude’s perspective. The author also does a pretty big disservice to another character nicknamed Zephyr. Again, I think this is the result of holding to Jude’s perspective, but it would have been nice to see Zephyr redeemed.
I really like the writing style - once I got used to it. Noah, in particular, writes in colors and art. His descriptions of everyday life are as if he were describing everything as artwork. He says he can see people’s souls - his mother’s is a massive sunflower so big there is hardly room for her organs. Most of his inner dialog is descriptive, and every scene in his life includes a note on how he would paint it: (Self-Portrait: Throwing Armfuls of Air into the Air). I would recommend this to anyone who likes art or is an artist and who enjoys young adult fiction. While there are sexual situations, nothing is graphic. For the average teenage reader, I would recommend grade 9 and up. I would let my advanced 12-year-old son read it, but he would not like it due to the smoochy stuff. (Yay! So happy about that. How long do I have?).
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I started reading this book way back in March as part of the TBR Pile Reading Challenge at Bookish. That challenge features a read-along every other month with two sets of discussion questions - one on the 15th and one on the last day of the month. I got my first set of discussion questions in and posted them here. I set the book aside to read some other books and never got back to it. I have a copy from the library, so last week, when I saw I was running out of renewals, I decided I wanted to finish it before I had to return it. I'm so glad I did. While the first half of the book is engaging, due to the nature and enormity of the secrets being withheld, it is a bit confusing. There are so many unanswered questions. As the puzzle pieces fall into place in the second half, a rich story of family, fate, and finding your true self is built to a climactic - and happy - resolution.
Both Jude and Noah will, at times, endear you and annoy you. A terrible tragedy has separated these inseparable twins, and it will take an odd series of remarkable events to bring them back together. Most of the supporting cast, including a ghost or two, are well-developed and relatable. I felt that Oscar was overdrawn - all motorcycles, tattoos, checkered past with a James Dean swagger. While the character was a necessary part of the story, I think he could and should have been less of a caricature. That being said, the book is told from a first-person perspective, and we “see” this characterization of Oscar from Jude’s perspective. The author also does a pretty big disservice to another character nicknamed Zephyr. Again, I think this is the result of holding to Jude’s perspective, but it would have been nice to see Zephyr redeemed.
I really like the writing style - once I got used to it. Noah, in particular, writes in colors and art. His descriptions of everyday life are as if he were describing everything as artwork. He says he can see people’s souls - his mother’s is a massive sunflower so big there is hardly room for her organs. Most of his inner dialog is descriptive, and every scene in his life includes a note on how he would paint it: (Self-Portrait: Throwing Armfuls of Air into the Air). I would recommend this to anyone who likes art or is an artist and who enjoys young adult fiction. While there are sexual situations, nothing is graphic. For the average teenage reader, I would recommend grade 9 and up. I would let my advanced 12-year-old son read it, but he would not like it due to the smoochy stuff. (Yay! So happy about that. How long do I have?).
View all my reviews
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