I'll Give You The Sun
"At first, Jude and her twin brother NoahandJude: inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, whilst daredevil Jude 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 and irresistible boy and a mysterious new mentor. The early years are Noah's to tell; the later years are Jude's. But they each only have half of the story, and if they can find their way back to one another, they'll have the chance to remake the world.”
I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson took my entire heart and split it in two; just like the world seems to be divided between these two twins. I am an absolute sucker for two differing points in time being told individually, side by side, chapter by chapter; coming together at the end for a riveting conclusion. Taking that idea and further splitting it between two characters (twins, in fact) who share the very same soul is incredible and artistic and beautiful.
Jandy Nelson continues to shock and awe me with her writing style. Each and every paragraph is filled with so much spirit and excellent execution of prose. I fall in love with her quirky, delightfully human characters with each and every introduction. Reading through Jude and Noah's individual perspectives was like building the characters for the sun and the moon; and later crafting an eclipse.
Reading Noah and Jude's story felt like watching the two of them grow up in real time. I felt their love for art, confusion of hate for sibling rivalry, and their momentary distance from one another. Separate, they are static to the signal. When together, they are so bright and full of song. They felt reckless, destructive grief at the same time. They fell in love at the same time. And, when they let themselves; they made true and utter amends at the same exact time.
I wish I could tell you more, but you'll just have to read it for yourself. This is not a plot I can spoil, but it is a story that I highly recommend.