Book Review: "Will Grayson, Will Grayson"

Title: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Authors: John Green and David Levithan

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Publication Date: April 2010

The Cover:

The Plot: The plot is actually quite simple, but wonderfully unique. It’s about two boys named Will Grayson who randomly meet in rather unusual circumstances. One Will has major self-esteem issues; the other has Major Depressive Disorder. The book shows the growth of the two boys after their lives collide, and how they end up impacting each other in rather surprising ways.

The Good: There’s so much I love about this book! For one, it’s LGBT, which automatically qualifies it as awesome—there simply aren’t enough books in this genre. Secondly, it’s written by two fantastic authors with two fantastic voices. This is the first time I’ve read John Green’s writing, and I keep wondering why I haven’t read him before. He’s phenomenal.

Although, I have to admit, David Levithan’s sections were my favorite. His Will Grayson had so much voice and character; I kept bursting out laughing at his dark sense of humor, and I could totally hear his distinct Bite-Me-I-Dare-You tone as I read along. Levithan has definitely made it onto my Favorite Author list.

The Bad: There were a couple of characters—namely Tiny and Jane—who I found seriously annoying. This was a bit of a bummer, considering they’re the main love interests. So the romance wasn’t my favorite aspect, but the rest of the book made up for it.

Also, I should probably warn you that this isn’t a very cheery story. Personally, I love the dark quality of the book, but some readers might find it off-putting.

The Verdict: 4 Stars