I'll Give You the Sun

Jandy Nelson

Sep 2014 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

A New York Times bestseller • One of Time Magazine’s 100 Best YA Books of All Time • 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
"Powerful and well-crafted . . . Stunning." —Time Magazine

“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.

This radiant, award-winning novel from the acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

Ratings and reviews

I happen to have read this book about eight times, and it is absolutely amazing. it is told from both the perspective of Jude, and the perspective of Noah. if you read this book, I garuntee that you will cry, laugh, scream, and jump for joy, along with countless other displays of extreme emotion. the words ahead spoil the story. my personal favorite perspective is that of noah, the incredibly interesting and artistic boy who falls madly in love with Brian, the boy next door ,who he refers to as a bengal tiger. the way he describes things is so vivid that you will feel like you are in the story, witnessing each and every event in the book from afar. his words are moving, that of a true artist. he tells brian that he will give all ten of his fingers to kiss him only once. his passion for art is so emphised through his words that you can tell he lives and breathes art. his twin, Jude, tells the story in the later years. after her mother and grandmother die, she ends up going to the most prestigous arts high school in california, where her brother should be, but is not. she has visions of her grandmother, and talks to her every day. she does not believe that this is abnormal, as 26% of the worlds population sees ghosts. she has her high school magor in sculpting, and all of her pieces break in the kiln. she believes that her mother is breaking her sculpture to get revenge on her for doing something that is revealed a the end of the book. she believes that stone will be harder to break, and she feels the desperate need to make a sculpture of her mother. she goes and is mentored by a famous stone carver. she is oblivious to the fact that before her mother died, he was her lover. she meets an english boy with two different colered eyes and falls deeply in love with him. at the end everything mysteriously connects.

Absolutely amazing book. Every detail was well thought out and vivid. You can almost see the sights, smell the scents, and hear the sounds. Just.... Wow. I'd recommend this book to anyone who is going through internal conflict. Also if you've read "all the bright places" and enjoyed the chapter set up you'd love this book.

This is just a story about the good and bad things in life, but it’s told so explosively. The writing is amazing in my opinion. I felt, saw and lived every scene. I was teary. I was smiling. This book removed me from my world completely while I read it and left its feelings behind after I finished it.

About the author

Jandy Nelson, like her characters in I’ll Give you the Sun, comes from a superstitious lot. She was tutored from a young age in the art of the four-leaf clover hunt; she knocks wood, throws salt, and carries charms in her pockets. Her debut novel, The Sky Is Everywhere, was on multiple Best Books of the Year lists, was a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick, earned numerous starred reviews, has been translated widely, and continues to enjoy great international success. Jandy has a BA from Cornell, an MFA in poetry from Brown, and another MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Currently a full-time writer, Jandy lives and writes in San Francisco, California—not far from the settings of The Sky Is Everywhere and I’ll Give You the Sun.