The fun and hardships of having a sibling

Ava Mascuch.                                                                                                          808

ELA essay                                                                                                            11/2/15

“To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts, we share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys, we live outside the torch of time.”-Clara Ortega. Lots of people can relate to this quote because it shows the positive and negative sides of having a sibling. A story that describes sibling relationships is the book I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson which is about Jude and Noah who are very close when they are thirteen but have grown apart as the years have passed. The story is about them finding their way back to each other. Teenagers everywhere should read this book because it teaches the reader about sibling relationships and how even when you’re in a fight with your sibling you will always need them.

Throughout the book I learned that if people were just honest with each other then everything will work out. For instance in the story I felt sympathy for Jude when she said, “How did Noah and I get so locked up in secrets and lies?” (Page 347) If Noah and Jude told each other the truth about what was going on in their lives then this wouldn’t have happened. I also think that because they are not telling the truth Jude is feeling depressed without her brother there to talk to and she probably wants to make things they way they were again. Earlier my jaw dropped when Jude said, “Taking advantage of the sudden language barrier, I look right at him and add, what have you done with my brother? If you see him tell him I miss him.” (Page 145) This makes me think that if Noah or Jude would tell the other what is really on their mind then they could have talked and worked things out. I wish that Jude had actually said those things to her brother because they could have resolved their problems if they knew how one another really felt.

Later in the book it shows that when you are having fights with your siblings it can make you realize how much you need them. A surprising moment in the text was, “Then Dad said brusquely, going for a walk and then Noah said equally as brusquely my friends, and then they were gone...what worries me about dad and Noah is that they seem to think they're okay.”  (Page 151) This quote shows that they all need each other's support and company because if they don't do this then they will all drift apart even more. Teenagers can relate to this because we all have had times with our siblings where we didn’t feel close and we know that if you don’t try to reconnect you could not talk for a very long time. I was very happy when Jude said, “I'm falling forward with the force of two years of buried grief, the sorrow of ten thousand oceans breaking inside me-I let it. I let my heart break. And Noah is there, strong and sturdy to catch me, to hold me through it, to make sure I'm safe.” (Page 348) This states that Noah is there for Jude and without him Jude wouldn't have had anyone to lean on, she knows Noah will always be there for her and she will always be there for him even if they are in an argument.

I'll Give You the Sun teaches the reader many things about romance, friendship and grief . But overall it teaches the reader about sibling relationships and that even when you're getting older and maybe drifting apart your sister or brother will always be there for you. Many teenagers with siblings can relate to this subject because they know the hardships and fun you can have with your siblings. With that said I think that this book is not only a guideline to sibling relationships but to everything about growing up.