I am a big John Green fan; I loved Paper Towns and An Abundance of Katherines and I have Looking for Alaska sitting on my shelf waiting to be read. So when I saw a new book by John Green I couldn't wait to read it. This was a wonderful book with wonderful characters.
The book switches between two different viewpoints; each viewpoint is from a different Will Grayson. The first Will Grayson is best friends with a huge gay teen named Tiny. Will kind of lives in Tiny's shadow. Tiny is preparing a glorious musical for high school that he wants Will's help with; Will is struggling with his relationship with Tiny as well as with how he feels about a cute girl named Jane. Tiny is trying to force Jane and Will into dating. Then there is the Other Will Grayson, who we will call OWG, who is having an online relationship with a teenage guy; they finally decided to meet in person. OWG is also dealing with his best friend who is a girl but wants to be more than that and with ongoing clinical depression. Things culminate into craziness when Will Grayson enters a porn shop out of boredom and bumps into OWG, who is looking for his online boyfriend. The reader is left on the edge of the seat wondering what will happen with Will Grayson; will him and Tiny stay friends, will he hook up with Jane, will the musical go on? What will happen to OWG when he tries to hook up with his online crush?
Okay I am not sure if the above clarifies things, but remember this is a John Green book...so despite (or maybe because of) all the weird relationship stuff going on this is a really great book. You have a lot of wonderfully realistic characters dealing with a lot of issues. Green and Levithan do an excellent job capturing the intricacies of all of the teenage angst that these characters are going through. The characters are wonderfully quirky and easy to sympathize with and love.
I have never read anything by Levithan before, and I am assuming he wrote what I am calling the OWG parts of the book (since that Will Grayson was introduced second). He does a great job capturing the troubled moments of that character as well and after reading this book I really want to read more from Levithan.
I was also really impressed with how the Will Graysons' parents were portrayed; the parents are understanding people who are trying to do the best that they can as their sons struggle through high school and adolescence. I think most parents really do try to do the best that they can for their kids, (despite what a lot of YA literature portrays) so it was nice to see this...it leaves you feeling good.
The character of Tiny bears mentioning because he is central to so much of the book. Tiny is large and gay and proud of it; he portrays a sense of positivity that is prevalent throughout the whole book...and in a way it is really him that drives the story. You have to love Tiny; his confidence in himself, the way he tries to exude happiness, his melodrama, and his utter belief in love.
The writing of this book was high quality and super easy to read. It was incredibly engaging and I found myself reading the whole book in a day, unable to put it down for longer than a few hours at a time. There is something magical about the story and the way it is written; even if there isn't actually and fantasy here.
I know this book has created some controversy as to whether or not it is age appropriate. I agree that it is probably best suited for mid to older teens. There is a ton of swearing, lots of talk about sex, and loads of gay sexual references. All of this was fairly pertinent to the story, so I don't think it was frivolous. At heart this is more a book about friendship, about love, and about accepting yourself and others for who they are.
Overall a wonderful read. It leaves the reader feeling positive and upbeat. The book addresses issues about self-confidence, belonging, GLBT rights, accepting people for who they are, love, and happiness. This book just cements John Green more firmly in my mind as a must read author. It adds David Levithan to my list of authors I want to read more from. I have had Levithan's Boy Meets Boy on my "to read" list for a while now and this book makes me bump that up further on the list.
The book switches between two different viewpoints; each viewpoint is from a different Will Grayson. The first Will Grayson is best friends with a huge gay teen named Tiny. Will kind of lives in Tiny's shadow. Tiny is preparing a glorious musical for high school that he wants Will's help with; Will is struggling with his relationship with Tiny as well as with how he feels about a cute girl named Jane. Tiny is trying to force Jane and Will into dating. Then there is the Other Will Grayson, who we will call OWG, who is having an online relationship with a teenage guy; they finally decided to meet in person. OWG is also dealing with his best friend who is a girl but wants to be more than that and with ongoing clinical depression. Things culminate into craziness when Will Grayson enters a porn shop out of boredom and bumps into OWG, who is looking for his online boyfriend. The reader is left on the edge of the seat wondering what will happen with Will Grayson; will him and Tiny stay friends, will he hook up with Jane, will the musical go on? What will happen to OWG when he tries to hook up with his online crush?
Okay I am not sure if the above clarifies things, but remember this is a John Green book...so despite (or maybe because of) all the weird relationship stuff going on this is a really great book. You have a lot of wonderfully realistic characters dealing with a lot of issues. Green and Levithan do an excellent job capturing the intricacies of all of the teenage angst that these characters are going through. The characters are wonderfully quirky and easy to sympathize with and love.
I have never read anything by Levithan before, and I am assuming he wrote what I am calling the OWG parts of the book (since that Will Grayson was introduced second). He does a great job capturing the troubled moments of that character as well and after reading this book I really want to read more from Levithan.
I was also really impressed with how the Will Graysons' parents were portrayed; the parents are understanding people who are trying to do the best that they can as their sons struggle through high school and adolescence. I think most parents really do try to do the best that they can for their kids, (despite what a lot of YA literature portrays) so it was nice to see this...it leaves you feeling good.
The character of Tiny bears mentioning because he is central to so much of the book. Tiny is large and gay and proud of it; he portrays a sense of positivity that is prevalent throughout the whole book...and in a way it is really him that drives the story. You have to love Tiny; his confidence in himself, the way he tries to exude happiness, his melodrama, and his utter belief in love.
The writing of this book was high quality and super easy to read. It was incredibly engaging and I found myself reading the whole book in a day, unable to put it down for longer than a few hours at a time. There is something magical about the story and the way it is written; even if there isn't actually and fantasy here.
I know this book has created some controversy as to whether or not it is age appropriate. I agree that it is probably best suited for mid to older teens. There is a ton of swearing, lots of talk about sex, and loads of gay sexual references. All of this was fairly pertinent to the story, so I don't think it was frivolous. At heart this is more a book about friendship, about love, and about accepting yourself and others for who they are.
Overall a wonderful read. It leaves the reader feeling positive and upbeat. The book addresses issues about self-confidence, belonging, GLBT rights, accepting people for who they are, love, and happiness. This book just cements John Green more firmly in my mind as a must read author. It adds David Levithan to my list of authors I want to read more from. I have had Levithan's Boy Meets Boy on my "to read" list for a while now and this book makes me bump that up further on the list.
A most interesting read indeed. One would think that this novel is about Will Grayson but Will Grayson and Will Grayson (yes, there are two of them) are only the narrators of this story. The real hero is Tiny Cooper, a huge man who is gay and who believes in people, love and helping others. At times I was confused as one Will Grayson or the other narrates their part of the story but it all comes together when Tiny stages his musical which is his story. The authors capture the teenage angst that plagues high schoolers when everything that happens to them seems personal and often, the end of their world, rather than part of growing up. Read this one carefully - the messages are compelling and full of hope.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I really enjoyed it.
Both Will Grayson and will grayson had such distinct voices that I quickly got sucked into the world and the characters. Although there was a few times in the very beginning that I was a little confused, that quickly went away.
I actually liked some of the supporting characters the best, like Tiny and Jane. They were really just awesome.
Overall I was invested in the story and the people and really was rooting for everyone throughout the book.
Both Will Grayson and will grayson had such distinct voices that I quickly got sucked into the world and the characters. Although there was a few times in the very beginning that I was a little confused, that quickly went away.
I actually liked some of the supporting characters the best, like Tiny and Jane. They were really just awesome.
Overall I was invested in the story and the people and really was rooting for everyone throughout the book.
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
Two of today's most popular young adult authors have collaborated together on an entertaining journey into the lives of two characters, both named Will Grayson.
Told in alternating chapters and voices, each Will Grayson is introduced to the reader. Each Will slowly reveals the inner workings of their minds. John Green's Will Grayson has bounced from his friend, Tiny Cooper, to a sporty group of friends, back to Tiny Cooper.
Tiny is anything but Tiny. He's a hulking gay football player of a boy. Tiny is proud to be gay and is pushing to have the school let him put on his production Tiny Dancer: The Tiny Cooper Story. Tiny always puts Will in crazy or uncomfortable situations. Tiny is trying to set Will up with their friend, Jane. Will is attracted to Jane but can't bring himself to pursue her.
On the other side of the city is David Levithan's Will Grayson. This Will is a loner. His only friend is an Internet buddy, Isaac, who lives in Ohio. There's Maura, a girl from school who thinks she's Will's friend, but Will finds her intrusive and bothersome. Maura is convinced Will is gay, but Will refuses to divulge anything personal to her.
As the story develops, both Wills unexpectedly find themselves in the same bizarre porn shop in Chicago. Neither expected to be there, and when they realize they have the same name, they find themselves sitting outside trying to figure things out. Enter Tiny and Jane, and the night is about to get even more bizarre.
Each author has a distinctive style, and it's quite easy to distinguish between the two while reading WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON. I found one of the author's Will Grayson characters much more appealing than the other, but both are well-written and have fascinating stories to share. But in all honesty, I thought Tiny Cooper stole the show! He's such a large character (pun intended) and deserves a novel of his own!
If you're a fan of either Green or Levithan or both, WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON will surely please.
Two of today's most popular young adult authors have collaborated together on an entertaining journey into the lives of two characters, both named Will Grayson.
Told in alternating chapters and voices, each Will Grayson is introduced to the reader. Each Will slowly reveals the inner workings of their minds. John Green's Will Grayson has bounced from his friend, Tiny Cooper, to a sporty group of friends, back to Tiny Cooper.
Tiny is anything but Tiny. He's a hulking gay football player of a boy. Tiny is proud to be gay and is pushing to have the school let him put on his production Tiny Dancer: The Tiny Cooper Story. Tiny always puts Will in crazy or uncomfortable situations. Tiny is trying to set Will up with their friend, Jane. Will is attracted to Jane but can't bring himself to pursue her.
On the other side of the city is David Levithan's Will Grayson. This Will is a loner. His only friend is an Internet buddy, Isaac, who lives in Ohio. There's Maura, a girl from school who thinks she's Will's friend, but Will finds her intrusive and bothersome. Maura is convinced Will is gay, but Will refuses to divulge anything personal to her.
As the story develops, both Wills unexpectedly find themselves in the same bizarre porn shop in Chicago. Neither expected to be there, and when they realize they have the same name, they find themselves sitting outside trying to figure things out. Enter Tiny and Jane, and the night is about to get even more bizarre.
Each author has a distinctive style, and it's quite easy to distinguish between the two while reading WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON. I found one of the author's Will Grayson characters much more appealing than the other, but both are well-written and have fascinating stories to share. But in all honesty, I thought Tiny Cooper stole the show! He's such a large character (pun intended) and deserves a novel of his own!
If you're a fan of either Green or Levithan or both, WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON will surely please.
Contemporary teen fiction by John Green and David Levithan. Two teenage boys both named Will Grayson meet by accident or fate, in the most unlikely of places. Their chance meeting changes the outlook of both boys. Will Grayson #1 has the motto: don't care about anything, and don't speak about anything. The problem is that he has a larger than life bff, "Tiny" Cooper, who is gay, and very large. Will feels burdened by having a best friend who is open, happy and very alive.
will grayson, #2 isolates himself, and has secrets, regarding his sexuality and emotional state.
The common denominator is Tiny Cooper, who impacts everything and everyone he meets.
The book is pretty good. However, the ending had me scratching my head. It didn't feel like it was about Will Grayson and Will Grayson anymore.
will grayson, #2 isolates himself, and has secrets, regarding his sexuality and emotional state.
The common denominator is Tiny Cooper, who impacts everything and everyone he meets.
The book is pretty good. However, the ending had me scratching my head. It didn't feel like it was about Will Grayson and Will Grayson anymore.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a clever story, which is sometimes difficult to follow. It was sometimes confusing to this reader as the two Will Graysons were juxtaposed often and it was difficult to keep track of which was active at any given point. Characterizations were excellent and the plot line linear and interesting.
lowercase will grayson is a depressed teen with almost no friends, a divorced mother and an internet crush on a guy three states away. Mixed-case Will Grayson is a straight teen with two affluent parents, an gay friend named Tiny and a life motto of "shut up, and don't care" One night the two namesakes meet in Downtown Chicago and a universe of new possibilities is created.
I started this book three times and put it down twice because I knew that A) these guys are brilliant writers and B) I wasn't enjoying it as much as I wanted to. But the third time was lucky and, I finally got past the intro stuff and discovered the unmitigated brilliance that this book contains. It's "laugh out loud" funny in spots and "keep reading despite the the tears in your eyes" truthful in spots and remarkably, some of those spots are the same spots. This is great writing. It's a wise and heartfelt book that suggests to the reader a better world-view. It certainly left this reader in a more optimistic mindset than it found him in.
It should be pointed out for those that are as slow on the uptake as me that the two Will Graysons tell their stories in alternating chapters. While this apparently obvious to most folks, it was major stumbling block for me on my first two attempts at reading this book.
With that in mind, read and enjoy!
I started this book three times and put it down twice because I knew that A) these guys are brilliant writers and B) I wasn't enjoying it as much as I wanted to. But the third time was lucky and, I finally got past the intro stuff and discovered the unmitigated brilliance that this book contains. It's "laugh out loud" funny in spots and "keep reading despite the the tears in your eyes" truthful in spots and remarkably, some of those spots are the same spots. This is great writing. It's a wise and heartfelt book that suggests to the reader a better world-view. It certainly left this reader in a more optimistic mindset than it found him in.
It should be pointed out for those that are as slow on the uptake as me that the two Will Graysons tell their stories in alternating chapters. While this apparently obvious to most folks, it was major stumbling block for me on my first two attempts at reading this book.
With that in mind, read and enjoy!
I have mixed feelings on this book. Part of me couldn't put it down and the other part of me didn't care. The humor in the book is what kept me going.
It kept getting better, I was sorry that it had to end
Five stars
It kept getting better, I was sorry that it had to end
A really great story, fun, entertaining, and with the alternating story lines, it stayed fresh.
By now you know the book is about two Will Graysons who are about the same age and live in different nearby towns, and they go to different high schools. The two Will's meet by accident about half way through the story. The story is told in their voices, but it's really a story about platonic love between friends, and romantic love between each Will and their love interests.
The worst thing about the book was that it was not longer. I mean the book is longer than average, but I was fully sucked into the story and the worlds of the Will Graysons that I was sorry to see it end.
Here are some tags/trigger warnings.
I think it's well suited to almost any age although the authors are recommending 9th grade and up. The only reason I can think of for a 9th grad and up rating is that it has several gay characters who are okay with being gay. Or maybe because one character is living with depression, which he manages well.
Violence warning: minimal. There is this fear that a swing set will collapse while people are using it. There is also a flashback to a time when a character punched a little league coach when the coach insulted another player. Thats pretty much it.
Adult situations: not much to say. No sex to speak of other than high school kids going out on dates, using baseball metaphors, it's more or less a strike out as they did not get to first base.
I recommend this book, It is a fantastic read, quick, yet engaging and has a wonderful ending.
Five stars
It kept getting better, I was sorry that it had to end
A really great story, fun, entertaining, and with the alternating story lines, it stayed fresh.
By now you know the book is about two Will Graysons who are about the same age and live in different nearby towns, and they go to different high schools. The two Will's meet by accident about half way through the story. The story is told in their voices, but it's really a story about platonic love between friends, and romantic love between each Will and their love interests.
The worst thing about the book was that it was not longer. I mean the book is longer than average, but I was fully sucked into the story and the worlds of the Will Graysons that I was sorry to see it end.
Here are some tags/trigger warnings.
I think it's well suited to almost any age although the authors are recommending 9th grade and up. The only reason I can think of for a 9th grad and up rating is that it has several gay characters who are okay with being gay. Or maybe because one character is living with depression, which he manages well.
Violence warning: minimal. There is this fear that a swing set will collapse while people are using it. There is also a flashback to a time when a character punched a little league coach when the coach insulted another player. Thats pretty much it.
Adult situations: not much to say. No sex to speak of other than high school kids going out on dates, using baseball metaphors, it's more or less a strike out as they did not get to first base.
I recommend this book, It is a fantastic read, quick, yet engaging and has a wonderful ending.
