Mini {Audiobook} Review: I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Title: I'll Give You the Sun
Author: Jandy Nelson
Narrator: Julia Whelan, Jesse Bernstein
Series: n/a
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Source: Audio from Sync
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell.

Jude and her brother, Noah, are incredibly close twins. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude surfs and cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and divisive ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as an unpredictable new mentor. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant, fully alive, sometimes very funny novel from the critically acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

WHAT I LIKED:

- I liked everything. More than everything. From the first word to the last, I just absolutely adored this book. 

-The narrators were fabulous. Granted, I didn't like the voice Whelan did for grandma.. it reminded me too much The Sky is Everywhere. But at the same time, I don't think that narration would have been as good without grandmas annoying voice. If that makes sense? I really loved the narration for Noah. It was perfect. both of these narrators put so much into this story. especially at the emotional parts. And there are many. 

-The FEELINGS. OMG, the feelings. I literally finished this book hours ago, and I canceled the review I was going to post this Friday so I could blab my love for this one.  Like Noah and Jude's art, my love for this story bursting out of me. 

-The POV switches. I loved this because its not just a switch in points of view, Noah's parts take us back in time. Something devastating happens, and there is before and after. It's so nay things guys!!! And when it all comes together in the end.... I didn't know if I wanted to cry or cheer. 

-The characters. Every single one of them.. so unique and no where near perfect. And the relationships they have between each other. *sigh* I especially loved the connections Jude and Noah had. as well as the conflicts. Sibling rivalry is real.. and it's relevant here. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: 

-There isn't anything I didn't like. I will admit, I picked this one up and then shelved it because I couldn't get into it at the time. I'm a mood reader. If I'm not in the mood for it, I won't enjoy it. Sometimes it's just better to come back to it. Especially with works from Authors like Nelson. I remembered how emotional The Sky is Everywhere was and when I realized I'll Give You the Sun was just as deep a read/listen, I decided to come back to it when I was ready. 

So glad I did, because I would not have appreciated it as much had I pushed myself through it back then. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: 

-I have so much love for this story. Jandy Nelson's two books have blown my mind. I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in the future. 

About the author:

Jandy Nelson, like her characters in I'll Give You the Sun, comes from a superstitious lot. She was tutored from a young age in the art of the four-leaf clover hunt; she knocks on wood, throws salt, and carries charms in her pockets. Her debut novel, The Sky is Everywhere, was on multiple Best Books of the Year lists, was a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick, earned numerous starred reviews, and was named both a Publishers Weekly Flying Start and an Indie Next List Top Ten Pick. A former literary agent, she holds a BA from Cornell, an MFA in poetry from Brown, and another MFA in writing for children and young adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She now lives and writes in San Francisco, California—not far from the settings of her books.

Find Jandy:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

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Labels: all the feels, all-time favorites, Audiobook, i'll give you the sun, jandy nelson, reviews, the sky is everywhere

{Blog Tour} I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson: Interview & Giveaway

Jandy Nelson is the type of author who writes stories that evoke all of her readers' emotions. When I started reading I'll Give You the Sun, I knew I'd just discovered my new favorite contemporary novel...and the book elevated Jandy into favorite author status, as well. I'll Give You the Sun is honest and full of heart and a book that you just have to experience for yourself to fully understand it. You can read more of my thoughts on the novel here. Today, though, I have the utmost pleasure in interviewing the author, who has gracefully provided us with more insight into the characters in her new novel.

I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN

By Jandy Nelson

In stores now!!!

Order I'll Give You the Sun: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Apple | Kobo | Fishpond | The Book Depository
Here's the blurb:

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

I’ll Give You the Sun Blog Tour
A Q&A with Jandy Nelson

I'm curious as to how your writing process for this book went. Rather than using flashbacks, you've written a dual perspective, but one perspective is told from a character in the past and one is told from a different character in the present. What made you decide to write the story in this manner? Did you write one character's "chapters" and then the other's? Or did you write it as the reader reads it? Was there an outline you worked from...as in, did you know how each characters' arc would come to fruition as you wrote the book?

I knew from the beginning that I wanted the novel to be told in alternating point of views and also from different timeframes because I really wanted the reader’s perspective on events to shift with the shifting narrators. Also, because there’s a mystery element to the story, I hoped this structure would add tension and propulsion. And, I hoped the reader would get immersed in both twins’ worlds equally and so their allegiances might change in different parts of the story. In terms of the process, I realized pretty early on the best way to write the novel would be to first write Noah’s story start to finish. Then Jude’s start to finish. It was kind of crazy—I’d lock one twin’s file when I was working on the other’s so I wouldn’t cheat because I really wanted each of their voices/their worlds to be distinct from the other’s. Then, after I had drafts of both stories—this was about 2 1⁄2 years into the process—I began braiding the narratives together (which was like writing a whole new novel—I think I cut 50K words) and praying a ton that it would work. And no, I didn’t work from an outline but always kept the trajectory of one twin in mind when writing the other’s—so yes, I had an idea of each of their trajectories from the beginning. Phew! That was a mouthful!

Oh, wow, that's pretty intense...though, knowing myself, I'd likely have to lock the files, too. I loved how you intertwined the twins' stories, and knowing the process makes me love it that much more.

Jude considers herself quite the Bible thumper, but not in the way you'd imagine. Where did you get the idea for Grandma Sweetwine's "Bible" and the passages within?

I grew up in a superstitious family where there were lots of nutty beliefs bandied about regularly. So, when making Grandma Sweetwine’s “bible,” I absolutely drew from my own family lore. I also did a lot of research—such fun research—on superstitions around the globe. There’s one two-volume book that was terrific called Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World edited by Cora Linn Daniels and C.M. Stevens. So occasionally I mixed and matched entries from that book. But mostly I made up the “bible entries” which was a lot of fun. On an emotional level, I felt like “the bible” was kind of a life-line for Jude, that she’d draw on it, both as a way to connect to her dead grandmother whom she loved dearly but also as a way to feel more in control (however illogical) of her life and less afraid in the world.

I definitely go that impression of Jude with her "bible"...that it was the one thing in her life that she could control, so she clung to it for that reason.

If you were to draw a self-portrait in the vein of those that Noah imagines for himself, what would yours be titled and what would it depict?

Great question. Well considering it took so many years to write this novel, I think it would be something like: (Portrait: Author and Her Characters Jump off Cliff). It would be of me holding hands with Noah and Jude and all of us jumping together off a cliff over the ocean on a really sunny day, and stopping mid-air, mid-fall, so we’re suspended in the blue sky.

That is perfect! I can really envision that after reading the book.

At one point, Jude and Noah are discussing how much their roles have changed over the last few years. Jude even says, "So can you believe how weird I've gotten and how normal you've gotten?" Did you plan this role reversal? Which perspective was harder to write, Noah's or Jude's? And which was your favorite to write?

I did have an idea that there would be a role reversal because of how each twin would respond to certain events. Also, there’s lots of mirroring going on in the book in general. No one will probably notice this but there are key scenes in each of the twin’s story that mirror each other. I really loved this mirroring idea when I was writing, both thematically and structurally, because the identities of the twins are so very much wrapped up in each other. Jude’s perspective was perhaps a little harder to write but not because of who she was, more because she’s carrying the weight of the three years between the stories on her shoulders. And I can’t pick a favorite! That’d be like asking a mother which child she likes more! But in all honesty, I loved spending time with both twins equally. They’re so different that it was really wonderful getting to go back and forth.

Okay, okay...that makes sense...Noah and Jude kind of are like your children in the way that you cultivated them into the individuals they are in the story. Forget I asked. :)

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Jandy!

About the author:

Jandy Nelson, like her characters in I’ll Give You the Sun, comes from a superstitious lot. She was tutored from a young age in the art of the four-leaf clover hunt; she knocks wood, throws salt, and carries charms in her pockets. Her debut novel, The Sky Is Everywhere, was on multiple Best Books of the Year lists, was a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick, earned numerous starred reviews, has been translated widely, and continues to enjoy great international success. Currently a full-time writer, Jandy lives and writes in San Francisco, California—not far from the settings of The Sky Is Everywhere and I’ll Give You the Sun.

Find Jandy:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

Prizing & samples courtesy of Penguin Books USA.

Rules:

• This giveaway is US only. The publisher will be providing the prize for this giveaway.
• One entry per household. 
• Entries will be verified. Any entry found to be falsified will result in disqualification of all entries for that participant. 
• Winner will be notified via email. Winner will then have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Please check your SPAM folder!!! 
• We are not responsible for lost packages. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ll Give You the Sun is on shelves now! Signed/personalized copies are available from Books Inc.

Be sure to check out the rest of the blog tour, featuring guest posts, interviews, giveaways, and more!

Sept. 1 – Cuddlebuggery
Sept. 2 – Novel Sounds
Sept. 3 – Perpetual Page Turner
Sept. 4 – Forever Young Adult
Sept. 8 – The Young Folks
Sept. 9 – The Book Hookup
Sept. 10 – Grown Up Fangirl
Sept. 11 – Bewitched Bookworms
Sept. 15 – Candace’s Book Blog
Sept. 16 – Novel Novice
Sept. 17 – Alice Marvels
Sept. 18 – Icey Books
Sept. 22 – The Midnight Garden
Sept. 23 – The Starry-Eyed Revue
Sept. 24 – Tales of a Ravenous Reader
Sept. 25 – Katie’s Book Blog
Sept. 29 – GReads!
Sept. 30 – Anna Reads

Thanks for checking out this Q&A with author Jandy Nelson! I hope your interest in I'll Give You the Sun has been piqued and that you give both her novels a try!

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Labels: all the feels, all the swoons, beautiful covers, blog tours, contemporary, favorites, giveaways, i'll give you the sun, jandy nelson, lgbt, must-read, penguin, the sky is everywhere

Judging a Book by Its Cover: I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

We so borrowed this idea from Sara at Forever 17 Books, who got the idea from an article on Babble called Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About. Basically, it's about getting a child's perspective on the story inside the book based on just the cover art. It can be hilarious, but it can also be enlightening.

Okay, I totally missed doing these posts with Katie, and it looks like it's been right at a year since our last one. While cleaning recently, I found the folder that I kept her previous iterations in -- all 33 of them! -- so I begged April to see if Aubrey would be up to contributing, too. Lucky for me, she was! =)






This week, the girls are working on the following book:

Title: I'll Give You the Sun
Author: Jandy Nelson
Series: n/a
Publisher: Dial BFYR
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell.

Jude and her brother, Noah, are incredibly close twins. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude surfs and cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and divisive ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as an unpredictable new mentor. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant, fully alive, sometimes very funny novel from the critically acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

Behold, the girls' attempts at recreating I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson...

Aubrey's masterpiece & guess:

Aubrey says:

"I think it must be about a sun. But the sun is special because it's made out of rainbows."

I can totally see where she would think that! I have to admit, I was very excited when Jen asked me if Aubrey would be into these posts. I used to love seeing Katie's book covers, and I was sad when they stopped. Now it's even more fun and special since both our girls are doing them.

I haven't read this one yet, but I can't wait!! I will be getting it as soon as it comes out!


Katie's artwork & thoughts:

Katie says:

"I think it's about someone going up in the sky to get the sun to give to someone that they really love and care about."

I just love her bold use of color and how she told me that she needed to add some lines of color to the middle because that white space was kinda boring. :) And I think her explanation of the book is perfect, don't you? :D

I just reviewed this novel earlier this week, and it is a must-read for anyone who loves stories about family and love and loss and betrayal and everything in between. It's as beloved to me as The Sky is Everywhere, another novel by this same author that deserves every bit of praise it's gotten.


Have you read this book or do you plan to? What do you think of the girls' artwork and their thoughts on the story's premise?

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Labels: aubrey, beautiful covers, cover art, favorites, i'll give you the sun, judging a book by its cover, katiebug, penguin

Review: I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Title: I'll Give You the Sun
Author: Jandy Nelson
Series: n/a
Publisher: Dial BFYR
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell.

Jude and her brother, Noah, are incredibly close twins. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude surfs and cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and divisive ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as an unpredictable new mentor. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant, fully alive, sometimes very funny novel from the critically acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

(source: Penguin Teen)

This book, you guys! Thisbookthisbookthisboooooook! I am SO in love with this book!!! Never have I read a story that incited such triumphant fist-pumping nor induced such epic teary-eyed blubbering all within the span of a few pages. I am in complete awe of Jandy Nelson's ability to make me feel so much in such a short amount of time and feel so grateful for it. This book was like eating chocolate and drinking a bottle of wine and having a heart-to-heart with your bestie -- all the good and all the bad that comes with that, plus everything in between. I'll Give You the Sun is honest and compelling and exquisite in its exploration of that period where you feel grown up but you're anything but.

Please forgive me if I tend to gush throughout this review. I do have plenty to say that is coherent and relevant to the novel, but I also can't help how this book made me feel. Jandy Nelson's sophomore novel is about love and loss and second chances, and though the themes do sort of echo her debut novel The Sky is Everywhere -- one of my very most favorite books prior to this one -- I'll Give You the Sun is so much more. Allow me to explain.

I'll Give You the Sun is told from the perspectives of Noah and Jude, twins who are as much alike as they are different, though they'd never admit it. BUT. (There's always a but, right?) But, Noah's outlook is told from his viewpoint at age 13-14. Jude's point-of-view, on the other hand, is from present-day, when the twins are both 16. So, the frame of reference here is that while we know something big happened between (and to) the siblings based on Jude's sections in the book, we still don't know exactly what it is, though we can guess from Noah's point-of-view as we continue reading. And Noah has no idea it's coming, though Jude reflects a lot on what could've been. That part of the storyline is intriguing, to say the least. My favorite aspect of this novel was, without a doubt, the role reversal and discovering how it came to pass. But also how everything comes full circle and all is revealed.

     I roll on my side to face him. "So can you believe how weird I've gotten and how normal you've gotten?"
     "It's astounding," he says, which cracks us both up. "Except most of the time," he adds, "I feel like I'm undercover."
     "Me too." I pick up a stick, start digging with it. "Or maybe a person is just made up of a lot of people," I say. "Maybe we're accumulating these new selves all the time." Hauling them in as we make choices, good and bad, as we screw up, step up, lose our minds, find our minds, fall apart, fall in love, as we grieve, grow, retreat from the world, dive into the world, as we make things, as we break things.
     He grins. "Each new self standing on the last one's shoulders until we're these wobbly people poles?"

But I honestly don't really want to get into the story because it's so much better if you have no idea what's about to transpire...or what has transpired, as it were. The writing is insanely gorgeous, evocative, and above all, it feels so genuine and honest. I was hooked from the very first page, as evidenced by my oft tagged copy. (My husband joked that I shouldn't have bothered if I was going to flag the entire book for quotes and passages I loved, but he just doesn't get how heart-rending this story was.)

But the characters -- the characters are what truly make this novel so stunning. Noah is an artist at age 13. He doesn't fit in, not with his peers and not with his family. Noah's just trying to find his place in the world. Jude isn't your typical 16-year-old when we meet her, but she wasn't always like this. She was the one at 13 who knew where she belonged, both within the confines of her home life and outside of it. Something irreparably changed these twins, though. Guillermo...Guillermo is a giant -- but also an artist. And he means more to the story -- and to the twins -- than any of them could have guessed. Oscar is an enigma -- but also an artist of sorts. He, too, is important to the siblings, though neither knows just how important quite yet. Noah and Jude's mother is a patron of the arts, and their father is a scientist. And Brian is a boy of interest to both Noah and Jude, both for very different reasons. What's so fascinating about this novel is how the author manages to not only make Noah and Jude so multi-faceted, but all of her secondary characters are just as fleshed-out: each is just as captivating as the character we met right before them.

As I said, this novel is told from both Jude and Noah's perspectives, and I also mentioned that it's not your typical dual point-of-view narrative. There aren't really chapters in this book, only massive sections dedicated to either Noah's or Jude's viewpoint. I didn't mind this at all, but it did make it hard to find a stopping point when necessary. Not that I ever wanted to stop reading it, mind you, but real life does require that I stop reading in order to go to work or feed the family. You know how it is. :)

I'll Give You the Sun is intense but also intensely satisfying. It's emotionally charged but also realistic. It's word porn but it's also thought-provoking. It's everything I hoped the next Jandy Nelson book would be and then some. I'm not sure I can ever adequately describe just how much I loved this story, but I think you get the point, at least. If this book wasn't already on your radar, it should be now. And I wholeheartedly suggest you check out The Sky is Everywhere if you haven't already. Jandy Nelson has a tendency to craft these immensely poignant stories that stay with you, and you'd be depriving yourself of a beautiful story if you didn't give either of her books a chance.

(source: Penguin Teen)

My stop on the blog tour is September 23rd! Be sure to stop back by for more from Jandy Nelson plus a giveaway!

GIF it to me straight:

(but more like a million!)

About the author:

Jandy Nelson, like her characters in I'll Give You the Sun, comes from a superstitious lot. She was tutored from a young age in the art of the four-leaf clover hunt; she knocks on wood, throws salt, and carries charms in her pockets. Her debut novel, The Sky is Everywhere, was on multiple Best Books of the Year lists, was a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults pick, earned numerous starred reviews, and was named both a Publishers Weekly Flying Start and an Indie Next List Top Ten Pick. A former literary agent, she holds a BA from Cornell, an MFA in poetry from Brown, and another MFA in writing for children and young adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She now lives and writes in San Francisco, California—not far from the settings of her books.

Find Jandy:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

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Labels: all the feels, all the swoons, beautiful covers, contemporary, favorites, i'll give you the sun, jandy nelson, lgbt, must-read, penguin, reviews

Waiting on Wednesday: I'll Give You the Sun & The Girl at Midnight

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:

Title: I'll Give You the Sun
Author: Jandy Nelson
Series:  n/a
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 16th, 2014

A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell

Jude and her brother, Noah, are incredibly close twins. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude surfs and cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and divisive ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as an unpredictable new mentor. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant, fully alive, sometimes very funny novel from the critically acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

So I know this one comes out really soon, but it doesn't make me want/need it any less. I've seen so many bloggers already dive into it and post good things, so I'm anxiously awaiting it. Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere was my first Audio books. I loved it. I think I'll be sticking with Audio on this one too! :)

's Pick:



Title: The Girl at Midnight
Author: Melissa Grey
Series: The Girl at Midnight, book #1
Publisher: Delacorte Press/Random House
Publication Date: April 28, 2015

For readers of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, The Girl at Midnight is the story of a modern girl caught in an ancient war.

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all:  find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

Not liking the comparisons to previous series -- really wish publishers would stop doing that -- but I love the sound of this book otherwise. An underground civilization. A thief. Magic. All of those aspects guarantee I'll be giving this book a read.


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: i'll give you the sun, jandy nelson, magic, penguin, random house, the girl at midnight, urban fantasy, waiting on wednesday (wow)