A moving story beautifully told

Nelson, J. (2014). I'll give you the sun. New York, NY: Dial Books. Nelson won the Printz Award for her 2014 novel, and it is a remarkable achievement. Nelson tells the story of Noah and Jude, fraternal twins who represent two sides of the same coin. Noah is introspective, artistic, and is developing a crush on the boy next door while Jude is reckless and daring with the looks of a homecoming queen who protects Noah and speaks for both of them. Both parents are university professors; their father is the analytical one but their mother is a free spirited art professor who encourages them both to apply to a nearby high school for the arts. Jude scoffs at the idea, but Noah knows that it is his destiny.

But something happens to change the trajectory of their lives and nothing turns out as expected. The beauty of Nelson’s work is how she unravels the story. Noah narrates the beginning of the story and his character is revealed as timid and uncertain. He carries on conversations in his mind that seem so real that he often can’t remember what he’s said aloud and what he hasn’t. He idolizes Jude and relies on her strength to protect him from his over-bearing father. Jude narrates the latter half of the story after everything has changed. She no longer resembles the strong, fearless young woman Noah describes in the beginning and her relationship with Noah has changed drastically as well.

With the use of these juxtaposed narratives, Nelson brilliantly creates tension as the twin’s parallel stories eventually converge and we learn of the events leading to the dramatic changes in both their young lives. This is an engrossing story that is beautifully told and should not be missed.

#artists #youngadultfiction #relationships #griefandloss