Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan -- PUBLIC

Green, John and David Levithan Will Grayson, Will Grayson. 336 pgs. Speak, 2011. $9.99. Language: R, Sexual Content: R, Violence: PG-13.

Told in alternating viewpoints by two boys, both named Will Grayson. One is quiet, easily-embarrassed and wry. He struggles to keep to himself despite the efforts of his best friend Tiny, a giant, flamboyantly homosexual boy who loves to live life in the spotlight. A second Will Grayson owns the alternate scenes. He is depressed, cynical, and very firmly in the closet. When a series of events lead to Will Grayson meeting, well, the other Will Grayson, their lives -- as well as the lives of those around them -- are irrevocably changed.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson is by turns hilarious, poignant, romantic, and whiny, but it is ultimately uplifting and it kept me intrigued throughout. I recommend the audio version, as the story contains a number of original songs from the musical Tiny writes, all of which are performed by the narrators themselves. While I highly recommend the book, the frequent (and very detailed) sexual references, as well as the copious swear words (several worse than 'f') make this one more suitable for older teens in a public library setting.

HS -- PUBLIC ONLY. Reviewed by: Caryn.

No comments: