Book Review: I’ll Give You the Sun

I’m currently working my way through award winning young adult fiction and just finished up I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson. This book was published this past year and since it’s relatively new, I’m not sure if it has won any awards yet. It was displayed with the other award winning books at Barnes and Noble so I picked it up. If it hasn’t yet…it will. Trust me.

This book had a few things going against it before I purchased it. It’s told from two different points of view, which I usually hate. It alternated between the two main characters, Noah and Jude, who are twins. Noah’s story occurs three years before Jude’s POV. I usually hate multiple viewpoints because I feel you lose a connection with the current character. Just as I’m starting to get into the character’s story and their way of thinking, it switches and it’s almost like you have to start all over. This book isn’t like that. Both characters provide a wonderful account of the plot. Each chapter is long, so you get a lot of information about their life and what is happening during those years. I found myself enjoying Jude’s or Noah’s POV so much that I wasn’t ready to switch back to the other. Both stories connected at the end, but it was almost as if there were two different stories. It was wonderful!

It does have a slow start. I didn’t get to where I *had* to read the book until about 100th page. From then on, it was a must read. It took awhile for the author to develop the story, but once it was, it made for an amazing read. 

The ending was perfect. Every loose end was tied up and it ended in a way that satisfied the reader. My heart ached for Noah right up until the end. I was especially happy with the way the story lines went together at the end. I was surprised at how a few things were connected. There were definitely a few “Wow! I did not see that coming!” moments. 

I adored the relationship between Oscar and Jude, as well as Noah and Brian. In fact, it was the Noah/Brian saga that I first became obsessed with. The author did a great job of capturing the reader’s attention concerning those two and then ending the chapter on a cliffhanger. There were times when I wanted to shake Brian and smack Oscar and then there were times where I wanted to lock Jude and Noah in a closet until they talked and worked out their differences. I know, I was very involved in this fictional tale 🙂

Recommend to a friend?: Absolutely. Without a doubt! 

Do you have any good YA Fiction recommendations? I’d love to hear them!