Book Review: I'll Give you the Sun

SUMMARY: I'll Give You the Sun is a realistic fiction novel by Jandy Nelson. Noah and Jude are twins, previously inseparable, one in the same. But everything changes when they hit adolescence and their word seems to fall apart. Not only is their friendship crumbling, but so is their family, their dreams, and everything that ever mattered to them. Noah, who narrates the younger years, is an artist who has one goal, to get into CSA, the prestigious art high school in their town. But another dream surfaces when he meets a boy who moves in next door. Jude, speaking on behalf of years in high school, feels pressured to be as good as her brother in the arts, and somehow managed to be the only one to actually get into CSA, even though she knew Noah's drawings where way better than anything she submitted. Jude finds herself mentored by a sculpture artist who teaches her how to throw herself into her work, and introduces her into a handsome yet troubled young man who may very well be her split-apart. Not only does her mentor turn out to be an artistic genius, his story has crossed with her own many more times than Jude could ever have imagined. Together, Noah and Jude discover how to roll with the brushstrokes the world throws at you, and how to form new relationships out of broken ones.

REVIEW:
This book was so good!!! I loved it so much, it was overall incredibly inspiring, thought-provoking, and uplifting. Jandy Nelson is not only a genius, but also an artist.

Let's start with characters- I thought each character in this book was full of depth and life and color. Noah was most definitely my favorite. His ever-creative mind and emotional vulnerability were full of insight to his true character. I liked reading about his artistic endeavors as well as his capacity of love for everyone in his life. Jude was also a lovely character- her switch from outgoing and bubbly to quiet and cautious was most interesting in the fact that the girl inside never really changed. It was also empowering when she figured out that she could be herself, and be strong in it. Their father was just rather depressing, always moping around, and I never felt very connected with him, probably because he was written as a very disconnected character. Their mother was likable at first, but I found her very hard to like after they found out her secret. She sort of lost my respect, but the other characters still loved her so I had to like her a little bit at least. That being said, Guillermo was one of the best characters in the book. I liked his outlook on life, his art, his passion. Oscar was ok, he seemed a rather unrealistic character to be honest, but I thought that he fit in the story quite nicely. Brian was awesome, I liked how obsessed he was with stars and science, and I liked how him and Noah fit together perfectly.

The plot of this book flowed nicely, it was interesting how you continually jumped from age 13 to 16. I enjoyed how everything in the book eventually fit together like a puzzle.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the style it was written in. There was so much color and shape involved in the description, and it was so enjoyable to experience those sensations with the character. Also, it was written in a very heartfelt, very vulnerable voice, and the emotions in the book resonate deeply with the reader. Everything in it was very raw and real and not glossed over, but innocent at the same time.

Also, *claps vigorously* it has a happy ending!!! Yay!!! It's been forever since I've read a realistic fiction book with a happy ending and I was ecstatic to not have my heart broken by the end.

Overall, this was a totally awesome book. I would recommend it to all high schoolers, as well as mature junior higher (keep in mind some content is meant for more mature audiences). Such a great read, and shoutout to my friend Layla to recommending it to me :)

What did you think of I'll Give You the Sun? Did you enjoy it? Favorite character? Comment below!