I'll Give You the Sun
Written by Jandy Nelson
4.5/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
A New York Times bestseller • Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award • A Stonewall Honor Book
The radiant, award-winning story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, Becky Albertalli, and Adam Silvera
"Dazzling."—The New York Times Book Review
"A blazing prismatic explosion of color."—Entertainment Weekly
“We were all heading for each other on a collision course, no matter what. Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story.”
At first, Jude and her twin brother are NoahandJude; inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them.
Years later, they are barely speaking. Something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways . . . but then Jude meets an intriguing, irresistible boy and a mysterious new mentor.
The early years are Noah’s to tell; the later years are Jude’s. But they each have only half the story, and if they can only find their way back to one another, they’ll have a chance to remake their world.
From the acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere, this exhilarating novel will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.
Jandy Nelson
Jandy Nelson lives in San Francisco. She's a literary agent, a published poet and a devout romantic. She has degrees from Cornell, Brown, and Vermont College of Fine Arts. Visit her at www.jandynelson.com.
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Reviews for I'll Give You the Sun
1,447 ratings93 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My favorite book of all time. A must read 10/10
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A book you’ll keep re-reading and you’ll still have the same feeling every time. Totally heart-warming. It’s amazing how the story runs so smoothly despite it being told in Noah and Jude’s perspective and having different timelines.
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rating: 5/5This book is one of my all time favorites. It is rare for me to rate a book 5/5 ever, but I feel that I'll Give You the Sun deserves it.At first, I was a bit confused by the time jumps, but quickly moved past that. Both Noah and Jude's storylines had me waiting to read the next chapter, but still enjoying whichever I was reading at the moment. It was as if I was reading two separate books simultaneously, except they wove together greatly and left me deeper into a book than I had been in quite some time. The setting, the characters, and the mystery of each story combine together to form a book that is not just a novel, but an experience. I have read many books that leave little impression on me, but this book was incredible.I'll Give You the Sun holds a special place in my heart, and if anyone is reading reviews to decide whether or not to read this book, I implore you to. If you are skeptical of the praise, know that I was too. I picked up this book after seeing a few good reviews of it online. I thought that it would be just another book that people were spreading around online via sponsorships and unworthy hype, but I was entirely wrong. This book is an emotional ride, and brings very real issues and conflicts to the table.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Absolutely amazing. Loved the parallel timeliness and how as you go on everything falls into place. And loved the story so much too.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wonderful book that makes your heart want to rip out of your chest and fly away.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is it. My new favorite. It broke me. It fixed me. READ IT.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Brilliant piece of work from a young author who knows how to paint feelings and inner world's with words.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Me encantó, en un inicio creí que no me iba a gustar pero al final quedé enamorada de los personajes y la manera de narrar la historia.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Can be a little long during some stages but overall very enjoyable.
Loved the narrators of the audio book1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Blew me away. Didn't expect a page-turner from this brother-sister twins coming-of-age, family tragedy story, but I consumed it in a couple of days once I started. All of the main characters are well-developed and multi-dimensional. The chapters alternate between the twins: Jude at 16, which is the present, and Noah at 13-14, the past. I don't know how the author pulled off this sleight of hand, and with such poetic prose, but she did. Now I see why it got the Printz Award for 2015. I'd recommend this to teen bookclubs with more mature teens, adults who read YA fiction, LGTBQ teens and adults. It really packs an emotional wallop. Would make a great movie too.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It's going to be really hard to put into words how I feel about this book. It was so beautifully written, poetic almost. Two twins, Jude and Noah, have a very close relationship, so close they consider themselves one soul. Then some bad shit happens and they are angry with one another for a long time. There are so many issues addressed in this book: love, loss, family, addiction, homosexuality, death, forgiveness, art, and the list goes on. This may very well be the best coming of age novel that I have ever read. I am not a big fan of young adult/teen books, but I couldn't even tell that's what I was reading. One of the most important subjects in this book is how things happen to change who we are and how we are constantly changing and re-inventing ourselves. I think that applies to everyone, not just teenagers. Art also plays a very important role in the book and the fact that we can lose and find ourselves in art. I think the title is pretty significant too in many ways. Some people can give us sun (hope, light, happiness) and some people can take the sun away from us as well. This book is just beautiful. Read it! You won't be sorry!!!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5If you liked...- I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak OR- Tell The Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt OR- Every Day by David Levithan OR- Eleanor & Park by Rainbow RowellThen you MUST READ I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. Absolutely.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was the best book I've listened to in a while. After it ended I just wanted it to keep going. Absolutely recommend this book, it's heart wrenching and heart warming all at once. Perfect writing!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It is very difficult to write a review for this book because I have similar conditions as the characters it is like this
if you are LGBTQ ....... Must read
if you are Psychopath ...... Must read
if you are a twin ....Must read
otherwise ..... imagine a story so good you are going to believe it even if you know it is made-up you are going to enjoy this beautiful book 11/101 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book all comes together in such a creative and unexpected way. Truly one of the most beautiful and powerful I’ve read in some time.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5As someone in there mid 30s I would definitely say this book was amazing. I'll admit at first I almost just gave up on it but as I kept listening, I became so engrossed in the story. I couldn't stop listening. Writing was great and I love how the audio used 2 different people for each character. Definitely would recommend
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Just listen to it, its amazing. Tho some reveals take a bit long, I figured some of it out before i was meant to be, but most of the time the pacing is fenomenal.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fabulous! I want to read it again! So much emotion. Loved it!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This story is literally a beautiful piece of art, period.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is one of the best books I’ve ever read. I love it! The imagery is amazing, the story is wonderful. There is laughter, heartbreak, and everything else you need for an amazing story.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Meh. Finished on November 17 2019. I expected so much more
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Excellent read, it got me back into reading! 10 /10
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The reason I gave this book 4 stars is that Jude annoyed me through most of it. This book does well as spinning the story and unfolding it slowly overtime drawing all the edges together by the end.
The story did a good job in showing how different perspectives are and how we don't really know those closest to us. It also illustrates how lies have two sides. By the end of the book I understood Jude and she made things right - but I'm still not fond of her as a character because what she did still caused her twin more anguish than anyone deserves. - Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5SPOILER ALERT SO PLEASE DON’T READ BEFORE READING THE BOOK. COME BACK AFTER AND SEE IF YOU AGREE WITH ME. HAHA.
It was an interesting imaginary with the mind portraits and and the luck Bible. That’s all the good part about this book. I have a lot of problem with this book but 3 major points that i cannot get over; the rushed character development, the exaggerated and unrealistic wisdom and values, and the fact that everything was too well-wrapped at the end. There’s no real and relatable empowerment from the two main characters, it’s all just fluff. 14 & 16 year old don’t articulate wisdom as good as these characters, i sometimes have to pause and scream “wait what? The person said this is 14 years old right?!?!” Everyone, i mean EVERYONE sounded like they are 40 year old psychiatrist. And the way the author tries to make a character looks ‘mysterious’ is way overboard. A 19 year old with scars, leather jacket , riding motorcycle, two different color eye AND with english accent… haha give me a break! The author touches on the realistic theme in a family (adultery, divorce and death) but give an unrealistic happy ending to every thing, it made me roll my eyes. In what universe would a husband found out the dead wife cheated on him and said “now it makes more sense”, went on to flirt with other woman and the children went to the guy who broke their family and be friends with him because they pity him and they felt their mother’s love live inside him. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Everyone was just so happy at the end, they literally bought a boat house and sail off to the sunset. Hahahaha i can’t. She also touches on underage sex which should be a big deal and i was looking forward to see where it goes, but ending that theme with the girl spits on the guy and say “i was too young, don’t do it to other girls” then she felt powerful. HUH? That’s it? If that’s where you’re going, why touch the theme in the first place? My eyes hurt from rolling too much while reading this, it felt like it had rolled to the back of the world. A good book doesn’t have to touch on multiple complex subject to make it interesting and “deep” , while tying it all up with rainbows and sunshine in 9 chapters. It doesn’t work like that. Life doesn’t work like that. Perhaps i feel this way because i stumbled upon this book after reading Adam Silvera’s and also My Dark Vanessa by Kate Russell, but this book made me cringe to the bone. Or maybe, i’m just the person who “didn’t see miracles for there to be miracles”. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I will make my daughter read this when she’s older. As someone in there mid 30s I would definitely say this book was amazing. I'll admit at first I almost just gave up on it but as I kept listening, I became so engrossed in the story. I couldn't stop listening. Writing was great and I love how the audio used 2 different people for each character. Definitely would recommend. its such as my site
gokemedia.com - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5"Thou shalt remake the world." Words I am going to live by.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A truly beautiful and moving story told in a fresh and ever-interesting and evolving way. I can’t recommend it enough, and the audio version is the perfect way to consume it.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5At age 14 Noah and his twin sister Jude are as close as they can be. They’re both visual artists. Noah is constantly and compulsively drawing, sketching everything he can. His emotions and thoughts appear to him as shades of color. Jude works in three dimensions, sculpting women in sand on the beach of their home on the coast of California: giant sand women that the sea, surf, and tide will wash away. But at age 16 the family scene shifts suddenly from Little House on the Prairie cozy to a dysfunctional family drama worthy of Wuthering Heights. Noah and Jude are totally estranged. Noah, formerly the shy introvert, now has an active social life and no longer confides in his sister. Jude, going to a special arts school, now spends her time talking to her dead grandmother in her head and grieving. What happened? Was it because they both had a crush on the same boy, or is it something deeper than sibling rivalry that’s torn them asunder? The inner monologues of the two twins alternate in time as well as point of view with cyclonic intensity, as they deal with loss, feelings of betrayal, grief, love and intense romantic and artistic passions worthy of a grand opera. Like a suspense thriller, the Strum und Drang of their struggles are slowly revealed by Nelson, coming to a grand climax that is sure to appeal to the book’s target audience.But it was a bit too much for me.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Every month the book club I’m in select a book based on the color of the rainbow. For the month of April our color was Yellow. We ended up selecting I’ll Give You the Sun for our book of the month.
I was afraid of this book. There is so much hype surrounding this book that I was afraid to be let down. That would totally suck to say the least. For me, this book lives up to the hype and I’m pretty sure my heart grew like ten sizes at the end of this book.
Our Story
I’ll give you the sun is told in switching point of views from twins Jude and Noah. Noah’s point of view is when he’s thirteen years old. Jude’s point of view is when she’s sixteen years old. You’re probably wondering how the hell does that working two different times telling one story. Trust me it works and it works so beautifully!
Jandy does an excellent job of telling Noah and Jude’s story. We see how every decision they made somehow affected them in the future. We’re not told in a rush about how things have happened we’re left to see for ourselves. Everything comes together at its own pace, the story isn’t a fast read. It takes its time so that you can really grasp the story. I thought Jandy’s storytelling was beautiful. I felt heartbroken, sad, hurt, betrayed and at the end I felt peace. You know how wonderful it is to feel so many emotions in one book but to feel like your heart grew like 10 sizes after reading this book.
Our Characters
In every set of twins, there is one angel, one devil.
Noah – when we first meet Noah he is 13 and you seriously cannot help but love him. Noah loves to draw and I loved how Jandy incorporated art in both Noah and Jude’s chapters but most importantly how art was portrayed in Noah’s feelings and thoughts. It was absolutely magical for me. I loved how I could visualize and feel everything he was feeling.
“Jude is my favorite of all saints,” he says. “Patron saint of lost causes. The saint to call on when all hope is gone. The one in charge of miracles.”
Jude – at the beginning of the book I HATED Jude. I just could not stand her. I didn’t want to read her chapters because she would make me so mad. But now that I have finished the book, Jude really grew on me. I really loved how Jude grew as a character. I even loved her crazy superstitions, honestly I believe like most of them so I connected to Jude in that sense. I also loved the quote I put above Jude’s name. Saint Jude is my favorite saint for everything mentioned above. After reading that, Jude really became my favorite.
The Writing
The writing in I’ll Give You The Sun is absolutely beautiful. I loved how artsy and how Jandy really incorporated art into the whole entire book. I also loved how Jandy really tied up every loose end and neatly made it into a bow and handed it back to me in this beautiful present. The chapters are extremely long and sometimes the sentences were extremely long. But other than that, it is an excellent read.
Overall
After reading I’ll give you the sun, I’m sure my heart grew a couple sizes. I loved this book so much. I wish I could erase this book from my mind and reread it again. Now, I do have to say that this book does tackle the issue of LGBT so if this is not something you support you will not enjoy this book. Other than that, I highly recommend. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Very good story, great characters and the narrators are amazing.