I’ll Give You the Sun

Description

In I’ll Give You the Sun, Jandy Nelson pens an unflinchingly honest and poignant coming-of-age story about twin siblings Noah and Jude, their struggles with adolescence, family, and of course, art. The story is divided into two timelines: a narrative from the 13-year-old Noah and another from the 16-year-old Jude.
Summary
No one has told Noah that he is an artist, but he has decided to become so. He strongly believes that he has a deep relation with the world in which he lives and is actively discovering his sexuality. He has fallen for a boy, Brian, and is struggling with his own feelings and all the pressures and expectations from his family.

Initially, Jude appears confident and a rebel, but soon enough, everything in her life conspires against her so that she would undergo her own private pain through tragedy-a shift in the nature of the life of their family. She has to pull back and avoid art, as well as her twin brother.

It goes into love, loss, forgiveness, and the healing power that exists in art. As the twins come face to face with the past and confront their dreams and their connection, they discover very significant pieces about identity, acceptance, and the bonds that tie them together.

Themes:

Sibling Relationship – It is really the deep, and in many instances tumultuous bond between Noah and Jude, which forms the heart of the story.
Art and Creativity – Art is a lifeline, a means of dealing with emotional pain.
Identity and Self-Discovery – Telling the stories about who they are as twins, and what kind of artists they will become and whether they will become people of the same sexual orientation.
Grief and Healing. The story unravels how loss impacts families and how they heal.
I’ll Give You the Sun had lyrical writing, vibrancy of characters, and depth of emotions that make it the poignant exploration of the complexity of love and family.