To the loners, who feel they can do no right and feel awkward wherever they find themselves: read this book. To the popular kids, who everyone thinks fit in everywhere, but aren't sure themselves: read this book. To the little sister who hates being compared to her older brother and the older brother who wishes he could be as innocent as his younger sister; read this book.
Whoever you are, read this book.
I'll Give You the Sun is the story of Noah and Jude, twins who have always been extremely close but as teenagers suddenly find themselves ripped apart by the secrets they aren't willing to share.
The story goes back and forth between their voices-Noah, who has started to have "left out butter" feelings for the boy next door and is constantly painting in his head, and his sister Jude, the more verbose, wilder, surfer.
I fell in love with Noah immediately because he shared his "Invisible Museum" of paintings that gave mei nsight no other character was privy to. And then I loved Jude, for her (sometimes unwanted, but always present) protection of her brother and her desire to live her life out loud.
The raw emotion of the characters plus the quirky, yet beautiful writing style of Jandy Nelson that blurs the line between figurative and literal language made me long for the end of the day when I could snuggle up with these characters and hear more of their story.
VERDICT: This book should absolutely grace the shelves (and displays!) of all high school media centers. The characters are relatable, genuine and also realistically flawed. Given some of the language and sexual references, I would say it would be less appropriate in a middle school setting, but it could be the right fit for the right kid...
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