First let’s talk about the plot in general. It’s a good enough plot to make you want to continue reading.
In short, it's the story of two twins, Noah and Jude, who used to be really close. Something happened and now, they barely speak to eachother.
Without putting my personal feelingsinto it, I can say the the author created her story in such a way that you would want to continue reading. Now putting my personal feelings into it: the plot was flipping AMAZING! Every time a chapter ended, I wanted to skip the next POV to see what happened next. But then I started reading the next POV and I didn’t want to stop.
This was one of the great element of this novel; the point of views.
Reading a story told by two person who end up meeting somehow at the end is nice. Reading a story told by two person who are part of each other’s story is really nice. Now add to that the fact that the two person are siblings, even better right? Because you don’t read a lot of stories about siblings. Now for the last straw, add the fact that the story is told in different time frame: one where the siblings are 12 and another one where they are 16 and you get a freakishly great story telling!
Now, let’s talk about the characters. I, for instance, had a preference for Jude. Since I’m 16 - her age in her point of view, and a girl, I could relate to her much more than Noah. BUT! I could also relate to Noah. That’s the magic of Jandy Nelson’s writing. I just got attached to every character. Their passion for art, their teenage struggle, their dreams and their pains… Everything was just so real!
And let’s be honest: anything with a good looking English Guy is destined to be pretty good! And I have to add that while he may be a ''bad boy'', he is not cliché. Trust me when I say that this cliché annoys me to the point where I don’t want to finish a book. But Oscar… I couldn't help but fall in love with him.
As for the story itself, I loved the themes explored by the author: first love, family, homosexuality, art!
This last one really did get to me. Every book has a focus like that. I mean that every main character has a passion for something and it is present throughout the book: music, dance, photography, cinematography, art, and the list goes on. In my reading experience, art like the one explored in I’ll Give You the Sun is not often seen in books. In this on, I absolutely adored the way it was included in the story: as part of the plot, the characters, the description… I just loved it.
Not gonna lie, the way the author uses art to describe things is not for everyone. Some people will hate it. But I loved it.
If after 20 pages you like the book, it probably will become one of you favorite. But if after 20 pages you don’t like it, it’s probably just not for you, and that’s fine too. But give it a try before choosing your category ok?
Sophie
Sophie
