I have read many books in my life. Most of them being rom coms, and the occasional boringly piece of literature assigned in high school English class. I, for one, love reading. Reading allows an escape, a gateway to other lives. As George R.R. Martin, author of the famous A Game of Thrones, said “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…”. Don’t get me wrong, some books are straight trash. Trust me I have read a lot of them. However, more often than not, there are books that transform our worldviews and affect us in the most profound ways. An example for this kind of reality-altering book is one of my all-time favorites, I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson.

I’ll Give You the Sun is a young adult novel published in September of 2014. The novel is dual perspective and follows the teenage years of twins Jude and Noah Sweetwine after their mother’s death. As children they were unseparatable, but now they hardly talk to each other. This book feels like a breath of fresh air, and then a guttural kick in the stomach. The raw emotional writing gives us a glimpse of what the characters are feeling as they try to navigate growing up and finding their own identities. The characters are so personal, and I believe everyone can find a piece of themselves in Noah and Jude.

Photo from iStock by Antonio Guillem

The period of my life when I read this book was a tumultuous one. It was freshman year of high school, and I too was growing up and trying to find my identity. This novel helped me get through a time of confusion and frustration. Years later, I am so thankful for this book and still think about it often. It allowed me an escape when I needed one, and I hope it can for someone else too.