Book Review Twenty-Five: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, published by Speak.

I didn't disappear again! I was busy reading, I swear. Well, reading and working. Also got rid of my car which means I'm riding my bike to work. That's bicycle, not motorcycle. Six miles every shift, so that means I'm getting my workout in and my California tan. Who else is still doing their New Year's resolution? If you are, more power to you! I'm over 200 miles into my 2011 miles in 2011. I know I'm really far behind, but hey, every mile counts baby.

Anyway, my friend Nick N. suggested this book to me because I was recently a John Green virgin. It's a collaborated effort with author David Levithan so it's almost like I eased my way in, but I definitely absolutely adored this book. I knew going into it that it was going to be similar to Catcher in the Rye and immediately found themes and character traits that both Holden and Will Grayson #1 shared. Will Grayson tells the reader that he left his "Group of Friends" because they were fake and phony, precisely Holden's reasons for lacking any real friendships. Will Grayson has three rules that he follows in life: 1. Don't Care too much and 2. Shut up and 3. Never kiss a girl you like. I could just as easily see these rules written by Holden Caulfield who didn't talk much and only seemed to care for his younger sister Phoebe. If it wasn't for her he arguably wouldn't have made it to the end of the novel.

Once the other Will Grayson enters the picture the Catcher in the Rye similarities fade and I began to truly appreciate the novel for it's originality and heart. They meet one night when the second Will Grayson's date falls through. It comically enough happens at a porn shop, the first time for both Wills. Then Tiny Cooper, Will Grayson #1's best friend who is "the world's largest person who is really, really gay, and also the world's gayest person who is really, really large" (pg.3) takes a devastated and shocked Will Grayson #2 off for a walk where they proceed to fall in love. From then on both Will Graysons are linked together by Tiny. Tiny and his autobiographical musical about being gay in high school.

At its core this novel is about two boys trying to find themselves during their teenage years. One Will Grayson is gay and struggling with whether or not to come out and the other Will Grayson has feelings for a girl, Jane, yet is unsure if the potential relationship would be worth all of the pain and risk.

The book is hilarious in a completely realistic kind of way. I'm not a teenage boy so I can't claim to understand the way they think but these two authors portray the Will Grayson characters pretty well. Everything from IM conversations to text messages to actual dialog was completely believable and true to their age. Not to mention the musical by Tiny with some songs included in the novel. It reminds me of Dramarama by E. Lockhart. Both musicals had an enthusiasm and life behind them that jumped off the page to the reader.

Favorite quotes: "You like someone who can't like you back because unrequited love can be survived in a way that once-requited love cannot." (pg. 43)

"The part I enjoy the most is not the doing, but the noticing. Noticing the way she smells like oversugared coffee, and the difference between her smile and her photographed smile, and the way she bites her lower lip, and the pale skin of her back. I just want the pleasure of noticing these things at a safe distance- I don't want to have to acknowledge that I am noticing. I don't want to talk about it or do stuff about it." (pg. 47)

"When things break it's not the actual breaking that prevents them from getting back together again. it's because a little piece gets lost - the two remaining ends couldn't fit together even if they wanted to. the whole shape has changed." (pg 174).