I'll Give you the Sun

I threw my support behind this book early on in the competition and I stand by my initial choice. Sure, it might be drama heavy and rely a bit too much on coincidence, but what YA novel doesn't? For me, it comes down to a beautiful story that captures the complexity all kinds of relationships - siblings, first loves, marriages, parent/child, friendships. The book has a richness and depth that is lacking in Nazi Hunters (of which people rightly commented that there was no real substance to any character) and The Night Gardener (which, owing to it's Victorian Fairy Tale style, seemed more about archetype than character).

I'll Give you the Sun is a novel I continue to recommend and students continue to love. It is the CLEAR winner of this Smackdown Edition.