Title: I’ll Give You the Sun
Author: Jandy Nelson
The story follows Noah and Jude, fraternal twins in a dual narration (Noah in the past and Jude in the present) detailing their experiences and how they become divided like strangers after their mother’s death. The story also shows art as the main drive that leads to their separate lives and some ghost apparitions that adds whimsical tone to the story.
Noah has always been the art master in the family. His sketches are all promising. And when his twin Jude gets accepted to the prestigious art school instead of him, he is devastated. He has forgotten everything there is to know about art. He has changed. He becomes somebody else. From being revolutionary weirdo, imaginative, and introvert, he now goes out with girls (he used to like boys) and does sports. His spirit has gone but his secret remains… It seems Noah and Jude swap personalities. She misses his twin. Their dad has never been OK either. He goes for work and always goes for a walk. Death of spirit. Death of family. How can Jude ever resurrect it?
Noah at 13 1/2 meets a guy that poses nude at art class, the same guy Jude meets three years after. He then meets, on the same day, a 14 year old boy, a newcomer in the neighborhood who collects stones that he calls meteorites and other earthly things that he considers some extraterrestrial objects. They might be into different hobbies but their interest for one another is nothing but mutual. The camaraderie they possess is so exciting you wish you could have more of their conversation. Needless to say, he falls in love with Ryan and it seems to be reciprocated equally. And the party for Brian takes place, the night before he goes to boarding school. Silly teenage game: two people in opposite sex have to get into the cabinet for predetermined minutes and pretty much do what adults do. Noah partners with Heather who seems so excited. They kiss passionately inside the cabinet while Noah’s mind thinks of Brian. And then Brian partners with Jude. Noah knows it’s her sister’s plan. It’s her revenge.
At 16, present time, Jude becomes a troubled art student when all her sculptures mysteriously break, allegedly because of her dead mom. At least that’s what she believes the reason of sudden destruction of all her works in clay. That’s when she seeks for a mentor who will teach her to carve in stone, something that she’s certain won’t be broken by her angry-dead mom. That mentor is Guillermo Garcia. He sees something in her.
And as it turns out, the English guy whom his twin met and drew that made Jude decide to give the sun to her twin in exchange of the drawing three years after, is under the care of Guillermo.
And finally, the secret unravels. The connection of these characters becomes clearer. The story, its drama and sentiments become more sensible and heartwarming. It’s like the light has finally dawned in the farthest part of a cave and all you end up doing is to weep. It’s felt.
My entire body shivers when I read the first truth: Jude did not send Noah’s application to the art school. Needless to say, it’s only her application that got through. And then, the twins get the answer on how they know the same guy, how Oscar is so familiar to Jude. He’s the guy in Noah’s portrait. Serendipity. And then another revelation materializes: Oscar finds out that they’re twins and so Jude is still underage. Oscar is adult. And then the twins’ guilt about their mother’s death has been answered. Both of them showed anger towards their mother few hours before she died, that saying sorry was too late. It’s also revealed that Noah lied to his father just to comfort him. He told him that mom was going to ask his dad to come back home. The truth was a painful divorce.
Guillermo was the reason of the divorce. Love was. He was their mom’s true love. His pain is shown in his sculptures. Noah blamed him for her mother’s death that he lied about the divorce to Guillermo. He told him she didn’t love him, that it’s his father she truly loved. Guillermo’s life was then shattered.
All truths come out in the end. All reconcile. It’s easy to forgive how rushed the ending is (Noah getting back with Brian but not elaborated) due to its holistic greatness. It’ll inspire you for sure whether you look for romance or familial love. It’s just amazing. 🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌
Nollan’s Bookhouse 