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Monday, June 17, 2019

Audiobook review: I'll Give you the Sun by Jandy Nelson


Standalone
Unabridged
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Published: 9/16/14
Narrator: Julia Whelan, Jesse Bernstein
Length: 12 hrs. 57 min.
Source: Sync Audiobook

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.
My thoughts:

I have been wanting to read this for quite a while and I had gotten the audiobook from Sync a couple of years ago but never tried it. I'm sorry I waited. Like so many, I found myself engrossed in what happened to the two twins and everyone who surrounds them.

I did take 1/2 a star off for the beginning. It was slow and I wasn't sure I really wanted to get into it, but by the time I hit Jude's part I was getting invested and shortly thereafter I was all in.

The book also deals with grief and I think that is one of the reasons I put it off. However, I really liked how they dealt with the heartbreak. It was sad, however it wasn't devastating even if the characters thought they would never heal and be broken forever. Although grief is the journey both kids make there is a HEA which might be a bit too easy as pieces fall into place. However, at the same time, I appreciated how easily it all fell together. In this way you felt good after the book ended and uplifted.

I also love how you are immersed in the way both kids saw the world. Full of metaphor and art. It was a way of understanding or controlling everything they experienced. The thoughts and feelings became art as well as the art they produced. All of it became catalysts in their healing.

I enjoyed the audio and did like the split between the two narrators. I think their accents were consistent and it really separated the voices between the twins.

I give the book 4 1/2 stars. After a slow start this is a great book full of metaphor, art and above all healing the heart. I highly recommend he book and I need to try the author's other work.
🎨

34 comments:

  1. Oo I have this one to read! So glad you enjoyed it. I need to push it up my pile for sure!

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  2. What a great recommendation. Its funny how so many of those books lying at the bottom of our TBR mountains turn out to be books we wished we'd read much sooner.

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  3. This is one of my all time favorite books. Nelson's writing is so exquisite, and I loved the way she used the split timeline.

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  4. I can see needing to work up the mood for a book with grief as an element. Glad it was well worth picking up even if it got off to a slow start. Enjoyed your thoughts on it and you remind me to get busy on my audiosync books, too. :)

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    1. Thanks! I know! I am trying to get through a few of those audiosync books.

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  5. Oh yes that's one I heard a lot about and I wonder if it's not in French as well

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    1. I think there is a good chance it is in French as I do believe it is from a major publisher.

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  6. I never made it past the beginning :/

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    1. I did almost quit but I did enjoy it later. It still may not be your book.

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  7. This is one of those books that everyone seems to LOVE and I’m the black sheep over in the corner saying “what’s all the fuss about?” LOL It was a classic case of not every book is for everybody. I realized that I wasn’t a fan of Nelson’s writing style - at all - and this one just wasn’t for me. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, though. I’ve heard her book The Sky Is Everywhere is very good, too!

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    1. It is quite metaphorical and I find that those books aren't for everyone. I have been in your position so I do understand.

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  8. Despite the slow start this sounds awesome and I love, love, love Julia Whelan. Fantastic review!

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  9. I'm glad you ended up liking it even if it did start off slow.

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  10. I'm glad you stuck with it and wound up enjoying it. I've been having a rough go with books lately and find that if they don't immediately grab my attention, it will take me a couple weeks to get through.

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    1. It didn't last too long or I probably would have quit it... so it didn't quite take me a long time to get through luckily.

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  11. I'm glad you stuck with it and enjoyed it. I haven't heard of the book or author but I'll check it out!

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  12. This isn't really my type of book, but your review has me wanted to know what happened to tear them apart and how they find their ways back to one another! Great review.

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    1. I thought it might not be for me at first but since people I knew enjoyed it I did try it.

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  13. Aw, it sounds really breath-taking!!

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  14. I'm glad this got better for you as you went along. I really loved this book!!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  15. This is one of my favorite books, so I'm really happy you enjoyed it! It's time for a re-read for me, but now I'm thinking maybe I should re-read through audiobook :)

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  16. I am the lone wolf on this one - I didn't like it at all lol Her writing style doesn't work for me.

    Maybe I should try her on audio. I'm finding that audio works best for me with authors/genres I don't usually enjoy in book form.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. Nope, not the only one. If you go audio, take a few chapters before deciding. :)

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  17. glad you plowed through it despite it being slow and end up enjoying it!

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    1. It didn't last too long but it was worth noting for some people.

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