Madison Meeks – Media Director

mvm7037@psu.edu

“I’ll Give You The Sun” by Jandy Nelson follows the lives of a set of twins, Jude and Noah, through the ups and downs, and as they grow apart and have their separate lives. “I’ll Give You The Sun” is perfect for anyone who loves to be taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

The first half of the book is taken from Noah’s point of view when he is thirteen years old. His sister Jude and him have grown apart as part of their sibling rivalry, which is competing to receive their mothers’ attention. Noah discovers that Jude has artistic ability and he does everything that he can to keep their mother from finding out since he has his artistic ability. 

Noah has another secret he is trying to keep from his mother. Noah goes through heartbreak after his mother finds out about his relationship with a neighborhood boy named Brian, Brian ends the relationship with him. Noah then finds out that their mother is having an affair with a local sculptor. After fighting with their mom, the twins’ mother dies in a car accident. At the end of the first half of the story, Noah is still torn about the end of his relationship with Brian and is lost after thinking he was rejected from art school.

The second half of the story is from Jude’s point of view, which is the later years of the story. It is revealed that Jude had thrown out Noah’s art school application instead of making sure that both applications were sent. Jude is also revealed to not be coping with the death of her mother. Throughout the story, Jude falls in love with a boy named Oscar, who is treated like a son by the sculptor, and the twin’s mother was having an affair. Jude realizes that working on art helps her cope with her mother’s death. Later, the twins talk about their differences and tell each other the secrets that they have been keeping. 

“I’ll Give You The Sun” by Jandy Nelson is perfect for book lovers who love stories that bring characters together. It is also a good book for people who love stories that will take them on a rollercoaster of emotions.