When this book arrived in the post, I was so so so excited to read it – because I have read The Sky is Everywhere twice – that I stopped my revision and ran downstairs as soon as I was told I had mail. And then I sat down and read it. When I was about half way through, I had to go out for an hour. But for that whole hour I just couldn't stop thinking about how much I wanted to finish this book, and about how lovely it was; it really was a beautiful book. So then I came home and finished it.
I'll Give You the Sun is the story of Noah and Jude, two inseparable twins who are torn apart by a family tragedy. Narrated by both twins at two different stages in time, the book shows the two leading completely different lives, both hiding secrets that are too unbearable to tell one another, both in love with different boys, they are somehow united at the end of the story, where all the small tales and twists of the novel are moulded into one.
For me, a good book is one that leaves you craving more, one that you can't stop thinking about. The characters consume your thoughts. This book made me cry, it made my heart ache, it made me smile and laugh. And that's how I know it was a good book.
When you have such high expectations, the second book of an author you love is rarely as good as the first. But I'll Give You the Sun lived up to every expectation. I loved the front cover, I loved the title and the bright yellow orange background. I loved that with Jandy Nelson's books, you not only get the story and the words, but you get images and different fonts, so that this book is a visual experience, as well as a literary one.
The words flowed like a poem. Everything was so easy to visualise, so real. The storyline is so crisp and different, so easy to read and not stop reading, and though I did guess some of the plot twists, that built the suspense, and made it unpredictable, interesting, and unique. It has left me with so many thoughts and images and wonderings about the book. And although I find happy ever afters cringy and cliche, I can't think of a better ending for 'I'll give you the sun'. It was a pleasure to read!
One of the best books I have read in a long time. The book is for fans of romance, but also for people who don't tend to read this genre, because the relationships explored in this book aren't just the romantic kind. I think I might just start reading it again!
• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop.
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