Amazon Editors' YA Book Club discussion

I just finished reading the book. WOW! Now I'm wondering what to do next. I'm eager to discuss it but am not sure what the protocol is since this is a new group. Tell me what to do!

I felt the same way when I finished - it's a book you want to talk about... okay, so let's get it started! Since you just finished, what's the number one thing you want to talk about?

Gosh, what a big question! I guess the thing that struck me the most about the book was the freshness of the characters' voices. They were both so unique but were so accessible, too. I really loved that. With that said, I guess I'm curious what people thought of Noah and Jude. What did they find most appealing and/or admirable about them? What did they find the most challenging or frustrating? How do they feel those traits may have shaped each character's individual journeys?

So what do you think? Is that a good place to start? If not, I'm open to discussing any other topic. I just want to hear what others think of the book!

Dang! This thread is getting plenty of views but no one's talking! Is there something else someone would like to talk about? If not, I'd just like to hear what people thought of the book. Anyone?

I appreciated both character's honesty with themselves and then as the book progressed, with each other.

I finished this book last month and have been DYING to talk about it. I just wanna chat about Noah a little first because his voice is so unique, and I think it was his sections in particular that really shaped my love for this book (I love Jude too, don't get me wrong).

I felt like when I would put the book down after reading Noah's bits, I would look up and almost expect to see the world with all these vibrant colors and a liveliness that I never saw before--the way Noah saw it. I felt like I was in a beautiful, sun-induced haze. I know some people thought all the metaphors/descriptions were a bit much, but I think they were my favorite part. Noah has a unique thought process that most people didn't get, so it makes sense that his parts were overwhelming and unlike the way us non-genius people think! haha

It killed me a little when he stopped drawing because that's how he expressed every emotion, so when he stopped, it was like he barely existed anymore.

I think what I liked best about this book was how much I felt like I could relate to the characters when I have nothing in common with them. The author did a really great job of making you feel for them. I think that's really hard to do when characters aren't relatable and that is what really impressed me. This book definitely let me with the WOW factor at the end. I raced to get through it because I couldn't wait to see what happened next and when it was over I felt like a roller coaster ride had just ended. Over all it's a book I'm really glad I read despite being somewhat different from books that I usually read.

Oh my gosh, yes. THIS BOOK. It was actually my Facebook picture for a while ^^ This book was just wow. I agree with Sarah on Noah's part. It made me expect to see the world like a painting. It definitely played into the right side of my brain. There were so many moments when I just had to put the book down and stare at the wall for a while because something he had said just blew me away.
However, the part that got me about Jude was all the heartbreak. That is something I can sympathize with. I've definitely had my heart broken before and it was rather bittersweet reading those parts. I loved the way these two voices weaved together... Plus I'm a hopeless romantic, so it had just the right amount of want and breathlessness in there :)

One thing about the characters that I can both relate to and is also heartbreaking, is how they smothered parts of themselves that were vital in a kind of self-punishment, and then those moments of missed opportunity to change the course of events. It made me think...

Sarah wrote: "I finished this book last month and have been DYING to talk about it. I just wanna chat about Noah a little first because his voice is so unique, and I think it was his sections in particular that..."

I loved his voice, too. It was so different from any of the characters I've read in other books. Reading his thoughts made me feel like I was in an artistic genius's mind. My heart ached, too, when he stopped drawing. And his whole romance with Brian? Bah! Heart crushing, too. What did you think about that?

Julie wrote: "I think what I liked best about this book was how much I felt like I could relate to the characters when I have nothing in common with them. The author did a really great job of making you feel fo..."

I am totally with you, Julie. I found both Jude and Noah incredibly relatable as well as accessible. Their thoughts and emotions always rang true to character. Like you, I have nothing in common with either of them but I felt I "knew" them. The author did a great job with that.

Seira wrote: "One thing about the characters that I can both relate to and is also heartbreaking, is how they smothered parts of themselves that were vital in a kind of self-punishment, and then those moments of..."

You really hit on something there. Now I'm going to start thinking about that, too! I think that's something many people have either done or have felt the pressure to do as they struggle to fit into the world. I remember suppressing a lot of myself when I was a teen. Wish I hadn't. Now that I'm older, I think elf-confidence/self-acceptance is the best armor a person can have.

And now I'm going to stop talking. :)

Janene wrote: "Seira wrote: "One thing about the characters that I can both relate to and is also heartbreaking, is how they smothered parts of themselves that were vital in a kind of self-punishment, and then th..."

I am so with you on that. As a mom of a little boy, that is the one thing I plan to do is ensure how much I let him know that it is important to be yourself and be true to yourself and not let others influence you differently. As we saw especially with Noah's character often times kids are afraid to be real and think they need to fit a certain mold. It made me sad for Noah that his feelings were so suppressed that it forced him to yell out Brian's secret and ruin their relationship for so many years. Like Seira said, it could have led to a completely different chain of events! My heart broke for both Noah and Brian!

I finished this book over the weekend. I can't even put into words how much I loved this book. The two characters were so interesting and real. she did such a good job with the character development. The emotion displayed in his book was just incredible. She described each scene so perfectly that I could actually picture in my head the scene she was describing. I know exactly what Jude looks like and what Noah looks like. The story in this book was also incredible. I really liked the way it was told from the twins perspectives at different points in there lives. The story comes together better that way I think. I hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did.

Janene wrote: "Gosh, what a big question! I guess the thing that struck me the most about the book was the freshness of the characters' voices. They were both so unique but were so accessible, too. I really loved..."

I agree with you, Janene, about the freshness of the characters. It seems like the author really works hard on crafting believable characters. I think it would be difficult to "leave them behind" in my book! I think what makes these characters so "real" is the vocabulary the author uses. It is so typical of teens!

I've Give You the Sun was a great read. I loved the writing and the character development.

Sarah wrote: "I finished this book last month and have been DYING to talk about it. I just wanna chat about Noah a little first because his voice is so unique, and I think it was his sections in particular that..."

At the beginning, I thought Noah's way of seeing the world was so unique. The descriptions seemed heavy early on though, like Nelson was pressing the point,and it kind of wore me out. But then I started thinking that Noah just sees and feels things so vividly and almost like his mind is constantly racing and on fire. After realizing this about Noah, I really started enjoying his sections more. He is so obviously an artist through and through. After reading the Q & A with Jandy Nelson, I think writing is for her what art is for Noah. Maybe that's why she conveyed it so well in the book. Noah IS art.

I loved how everything came together in the end--it was so satisfying! I kept wondering how it would all go down--When would Jude find out about G? When would she realize who Oscar was? When would Noah come back to life? How could Noah not get in to CSA?

Jandy Nelson did an incredible job of letting us find things out before and after the characters did. And the creativity--wow. The stone sculptures are one of my favorite things in the book. I feel like I can picture them so easily. Really glad I finally read this book!

I wanted to post some of my favorite quotes from the story. These are the lines I highlighted so I can reread them over and over again!

I didn't know you could get buried in your own silence.

She gives off light. I give off dark.

What if he realizes I'm me?

I lie down on my back, stretch out my arms as wide as I can, and whisper, "Help."

I want to know all of you. One hundred percent.

She said the heart overcomes the mind. Hope or fear overcomes reason.

"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.

I just finished this book, but I absolutely loved it! The writing style took a little bit of getting used to but once I did, the story sped by. It was interesting hearing from both Jude and Noah at different ages-- as new pieces gradually got revealed it was like unlocking a mystery. The emotional roller coaster was definitely an interesting ride too. One of my favorite quotes was:

"This is what I want: I want to grab my brother's hand and run back through time, losing years like coats fall from our shoulders."

Well known but good. You were able to connect so emotionally to all the characters. This was a perfect book for this time and age, especially with all that's been happening. I would recommend it to most everyone I know.