You can imagine my excitement then, when in early 2015, I realised that the author had actually written another book: 'I'll Give You The Sun'. I bought my copy and began reading it at the end of summer 2015. However, I wasn't very far through when I began university in September 2015, and the book was quickly forgotten.
In the 2 years that followed, I read many other books, and the author became extremely popular when 'The Sky Is Everywhere' was selected for the Zoella book club. I'm, glad that her fantastic talent started getting recognised, but I must admit I was a little disappointed that the book was no longer my own personal discovery!
Anyway, this summer I decided that enough was enough. My copy of 'I'll Give You The Sun', once beautiful with spray painted page edges and everything, was pretty tattered from being carried to many places and never read. So I decided to start again from the beginning and finally read it (although I finished it a while ago... starting back at uni has left me with a bit of a back-log of reviews to get through!).
It took me a wee while to get into, but I quickly fell in love once again with Nelson's style. It's so real, like you truly believe what her characters are feeling.
Brief Summary: Noah and Jude are twin brother and sister who have always been inseparable, bound by their linked minds and wonderful imaginations. However, when things begin to turn sour between their parents, they drift apart too, and when tragedy hits the family, the two are broken apart. But as they grow apart, grow up, and learn who they are and what the need in life, they realise that all that's keeping them apart are the secrets they've been too afraid to share. One issue with the book was a lack of chapters (instead, the narrative switched between Jude and Noah at various ages, in order to flip back in forward in proceedings. This was done well, and wasn't too confusing, but didn't allow the book to be split in to small, readable chunks.) However, I did like the variety in narrative, and the cleverness of the plot that failed to reveal what the two characters secrets were too quickly.
The story was complex enough to keep it interesting, but simple enough to follow, and each character was beautifully painted with a back story that helped you feel as though you knew them.
One of the thematic elements was ghosts, and fate, and other spiritual things that I can't day I particularly believe in. However, Nelson was not to heavy-handed in her inclusion of these ideas, and used them simply to shape her characters, rather than to prop up the plot. Therefore I found I could perfectly relate to the desires of the young twins for approval, acceptance, love, strong familial bond, etc.
I could gush about Nelson's amazing descriptive capabilities for ever, but I will simply highlight the opening scene. Discussing a 'coming of age' topic such as bullying is not uncommon among YA authors, but the image Nelson paints is so powerful.
Other issues addressed include pressures surrounding virginity, keeping secrets and telling lies, stereotyping of gender characteristics, mental health conditions/depression, sibling rivalry, suicidal thoughts, alcoholism, and fear over sharing one's sexuality with friends and family (closeting oneself, for want of a better phrase). No one of these is so explicitly stated as to become the centre focus of the novel, but integrated in a way which portrays the darkness that really can be seen in every day life when unsubstantial support is visible, to people of all ages but particularly teens who have experienced trauma or grief. I could talk more about how Nelson addresses each, but I don't have all day and I really would encourage you to read this book for yourself!
Although 'The Sky is Everywhere' will forever remain my favourite, this book is another triumph in YA literature and well worth a read.
Reading Challenge: 12/21
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