I’ll Give You the Sun

Description

Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun is a very notable novel for young adults, as it captures the life story of Jude and Noah as twin siblings who were once inseparable but grow apart from each other because of several life-changing events. The novel has a double timeline that unfolds at two different periods: Noah from when they are 13 years old, and Jude from when they are 16, slowly revealing the fracture that develops between them and the secrets they both hold.

Major themes are:

Sibling Relationships: The relationship between Noah and Jude forms the backbone of the novel. Their closeness, rivalry, and misunderstandings bring out the complexities associated with sibling relationships.
Art and Creativity: Art constitutes a prime aspect, especially Noah’s love for painting and Jude’s interest in sculpting. It is portrayed as a means of expression as well as healing.
Loss and Grief: The novel follows how the twins react to the death of their mother and the losses through loss of her. It reveals their relationship and their identity affected because of this loss.
Identity and Sexuality: Noah is sexually lost; Jude has a conflict with being who she is, and the family’s expectations weigh on her shoulders.
Forgiveness and Healing: Noah and Jude, in both cases, have to confront the pasts, the secrets, the mistakes that guide them toward a reconciliation and healing process.
A beautifully written novel of love, loss, forgiveness, and the transformative power of art and family. The themes are all deepened by the lyrical prose.