[Revie] I'll Give You the Sun - Jandy Nelson

Title of Book: I’ll Give You the Sun
Author: Jandy Nelson
Publisher: Walker Books
Publication Year: 2015
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 429

From the author of The Sky Is Everywhere, a radiant novel that will leave you laughing and crying - all at once. For fans of John Green, Gayle Forman and Lauren Oliver. Jude and her twin Noah were incredibly close - until a tragedy drove them apart, and now they are barely speaking. Then Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy as well as a captivating new mentor, both of whom may just need her as much as she needs them. What the twins don't realize is that each of them has only half the story and if they can just find their way back to one another, they have a chance to remake their world.

I’ll Give You the Sun is a very popular young adult contemporary book by Jandy Nelson. I’ve seen this book around the blogosphere and booktubes and many people seem to love it. Because of that, I feel intimidated by this book. What if I don’t like it like anyone else? Which is why I decided to wait until the buzz goes down before reading this book.

When I first pick this book to read, I didn’t know what it’s about. It does good to me though, because with contemporary it’s a bit difficult to write unpredictable plot twists. So I won’t talk much about the plot of this book because I don’t want to spoil it for you. All you need to know is that the main characters in this book are Jude and Noah. They are twins and they’re not identical. As a twin, they were tight. Until a tragedy happened and they grew apart. 

This book is told from two perspectives, Noah and Jude, on two different timelines. Noah’s side of the story is told from when they were 13, before the tragedy happened, then move forward until the tragedy happened. Noah’s chapters are like an introduction to the characters and the set up for the tragedy. While Jude’s side of the story is told after the tragedy happened, this is three years later. Jude’s chapters are like the aftermath and how she and her family deal with the tragedy. It’s interesting to read this book from these alternating timelines, because this way you can see how each character grows and how the tragedy affects them. 

At first, we would think that Jude and Noah are so different from each other. One is artsy, quirky, and feels like doesn’t belong. The other one is popular and fits just fine with the crowd. But as the story progresses, we’ll see that the two are actually the same. They both are funny and complex character which makes them enjoyable to read. Aside from Noah and Jude, there are also a few characters that play important role in the story. It would seem like a lot, but it wasn’t confusing and they will come together in the end. Later in the book we’ll find out how they are connected to each other. 

The plot twist in this book is predictable. Not right away, but there’s moment leading up to it, then it hit you and you realize what really is happening to these characters. Like I said, it’s difficult to write a surprising plot twist in contemporary books. But I think this book does okay. I’m fine with its predictability because it still feel emotional anyway. My problem with this book is the cheesy dialogues. They are not scattered throughout the book, but they come in some defining moments that they kind of ruin it for me. Other than that, this book is fine.

All in all, I’ll Give You the Sun is still a good book. I did enjoy reading it. It triggered some emotion, not a bad one, which is a good sign. Because you don’t want a book that gives you nothing and forgettable, if you know what I mean. I recommend this book for contemporary lovers. I do still need to read Nelson’s other book, though, and I’m looking forward to it.