Gently closing the book and calmly sitting back in my desk was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, especially when all I really wanted to do was throw the novel across the room and scream. “I’ll Give You the Sun” is by far the best thing I’ve ever had the pleasure to put my hands- and eyes- on. It left me excited about the future and what life could hold for me. Jandy Nelson effortlessly conveyed the idea that, yes, you will make mistakes in life, but it will not be the end of the world. The characters are written to be examples of the different ways people deal with grief and loss. The main characters were extremely relatable in the way they handled the different situations Nelson threw at them throughout the novel. When faced with different problems and circumstances in my life, I often think of how the different characters in this particular book would react and if they would go towards the problem the same way I do. Referring this novel to me during a hard time in life was a blessing that my friend did not even know she was giving me. Being able to see the real-life scenarios that went on throughout the book was a nice change from the fantasy that is usually incorporated into such books. Since my first completion of the book, I’ve read it another five times. It’s my go-to at 3 a.m and the first book I grab when I’m headed out of the door. It’s the book that I read when I’m in hopes of having just a few minutes of free time during the day. It has a certain quality about it that every time you read it, it can give you another piece of advice, most of the time it’s the kind that you didn’t even know you needed. There has never been a book that makes me feel like maybe life isn’t all sharp edges and that just maybe things can eventually start to look up. Multiple times while I was reading, I caught myself smiling or scowling at what the characters were doing or saying. It is truly a rare thing for a book to be able to affect me in such a way. I happily recommend “I’ll Give You the Sun” anytime someone asks and I encourage everyone to read it. I believe everyone deserves to experience the wonder that this book really is.
