Book Review: I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

When I reminisce on the absolute wonder that is summer reading, I think of non-fiction science and stupidly short pieces about sports, and poems about animals inspiring their owners simply by being animals. I don’t consider stories laced with grief and important topics to be on that list. Four Rivers has surprised me in many ways, but the biggest surprise was finding one of my new favorite books in a summer reading assignment.

I’ll Give You The Sun, By Jandy Nelson. It’s a book that has made me feel valid. The two main characters go through trauma, apart and together, and that rarely is ever represented well in literature. I would definitely recommend this book to ages 13+, but it depends on what you can handle as an individual. There are some difficult topics to grapple with, so be cautious when traversing the realm this book has created.

A Short List Of Topics (Trigger Warning: Some Extremely Sensitive)

1. Mental health

2. The loss of a loved one.

3. The supernatural and religion.

4. Grief and guilt.

5. Self-expression, identity, and codependency.

6. Sexual fears and a form of assault.

I’ll Give You The Sun shows two siblings figuring out their identities and learning to trust each other again. NoahandJude become Noah and Jude, and that is a really pivotal point in the book. They both have to wade out of their own grief, towards each other and others they love. This novel travels through times and alternates characters in each chapter. It has had my heart since I opened the book.

“Meeting your soul mate is like walking into a house you've been in before - you will recognize the furniture, the pictures on the wall, the books on the shelves, the contents of drawers: You could find your way around in the dark if you had to.”