Book Review - Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Completed: January 5, 2014
Length: 208 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

New York Times bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS.

While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

I always pre-order David Levithan. He is quickly becoming one of my favourite young adult authors. I have started working on getting his back-list as well. This doesn't mean I love everything I have read by him, but he is a solid author and an almost guarantee that I will love what he has written. But, 2013 was a bad reading year and his book just sat on my shelves. Then I started seeing it on 'Best of 2013' lists and kicking myself for not getting around to it. On Sunday I decided to drop everything else planned and finally get around to it and, yep, read it in one sitting.

Fiction or non-fiction? Genre?: Contemporary Young Adult Fiction.

What Lead You to Pick Up This Book?: I pre-ordered it because it was David Levithan, but hearing lots of good things about it at the end of 2013 made me read it now instead of waiting even longer.

Summarize the Plot: The story is narrated by a 'Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDs'. They follow around young adult gay men and watch what is happening and then tell it to us. They have their opinions, but they are silent observers other than from a book-narrating point of view. The focus of the story is two guy men, Harry and Craig, who have a bit over 32 hours marathon of kissing. This is to set a new Guinness World Record and takes place on the front lawn of their high school. This very public location leads to both support and outrage, but the boys decide they can overcome. While the book is not visiting with them it focuses on other gay boys who are dealing with typical teenage problems mixed in with the sometimes trauma of being gay. There are many emotional scenes for all of them.

What Did you Like Most About the Book?: The Greek Chorus. I really think they added an element to the story that made it just that much more compelling. While the 'modern' story was going on, they were also sharing their history. It made the story more through-provoking because it showed what it was like before and the progress that had been made. It also showed that yes, being a teenager is hard, but we died in a very painful manner and envy your experiences. I really liked them as part of the story.

What Did You Like Least?: Man, I don't even really think anything bothered me about this book. It was done really well.

What Did You Think of The Writing Style? I loved it! David Levithan wrote a very powerful book and it was only just over 200 pages. The emotion and style that he portrays in every word packs such a punch and amazes you that he can cover so much in so few pages.

What Did You Think of the Main Character? hm... I am not even sure who to say the main character is. The Greek Chorus? Harry and Craig? They were all important in their own way. Then there is couple Peter and Neil. They both have their story to tell. There is Avery and Ryan who have just met, but all ready have a story to tell. And then there is Cooper who is having a hard time dealing with who he is. All of these characters are important and all of them have an important story to tell that relates to the overall book. I think they all make the story and enjoyed learning more about them all.

What Did You Think of the Ending? Well, without really giving anything away, I think the ending really wrapped things up nicely. I will let you read it to see just how everything played out.

I Strongly Recommend this book!

This book counts for Long-Awaited Reads Month and What's in a Name for the category: A Number Written in Letters.

Six Sentence Saturday - August 6, 2011

Welcome to Six Sentence Saturday.

Where I try to express my thoughts on recent reads using only 6 sentences!!!!.

At the end of each review I will post a

rating scale of 1-5 using the cute and original (lol) Playing Cards.

Rating scale will be as follows:

5 of Hearts- You must read this book NOW!!

4 of Hearts- A great read, put it on your TBR list.

3 of Hearts- Glad I read but no big deal

2 of Hearts- Why did I finish this?

Joker Card - Don't bother (why did I?)

Six Sentence Saturday is an idea that I occasionally borrow from Staci at Life in the Thumb.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Completion Date: March 14, 2011

Reason for Reading: Fun!

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

I had seen a lot of good reviews of this book, so I knew I was going to have to read it and eventually the library bought a copy. There were lots of things I liked about this book: The characters connection to bookstores, the idea of a notebook being the only communication with a person until you finally meet, and the characters themselves had great personalities. I didn't love the book as much as other people, though, but I think it was more me than the book. The first half was really good, but then when the characters actually met each other I felt like the quality decreased. I think that is mainly because there was a lot of drama in the second half of the book that was missing from the first because they hadn't actually met yet. It was still a very fun book with a creative idea behind it and I am glad that I read it.

Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones

Completion Date: April 25, 2011

Reason for Reading: Read more from this author.

When the magician Jocelyn Brandon Hope died he bequeathed Melstone House to his grandson Andrew. He also left his ‘field of care’: an area of strangeness surrounding the land around the house, whose boundary Andrew must walk in order to preserve its power.

Andrew had always loved the house, but he finds owning it a lot more complicated, aside from all the magic. There is Mrs Stock, the tyrannical housekeeper who won’t let him move the furniture and punishes him with her terrible cooking. Just as bad is the obsessive gardener who will only grow giant inedible vegetables. To add to his troubles, twelve year old orphan Aidan Cain suddenly arrives on the doorstep begging protection from magical stalkers, and Andrew’s sinister rich neighbour, Mr Brown, begins to encroach on the ‘field of care’. The one compensation is the gardener’s beautiful niece, Stashe. Things become stranger and stranger until all is made clear with the help of the enchanted glass itself.

When the announcement was made that Diana Wynne Jones had passed away, I made it my mission to read even more of the books by her that I had missed out on. Enchanted Glass is my favourite of the lot I have read more recently, but probably not my favourite book by her overall. It contains a wonderful cast of characters and a lot of creative ideas that will hook you from the very first page. I also enjoyed the creative way that she worked the coloured glass on a door into the story and made it seem so believable. This was a wonderful book by a beloved author and by rights deserved a longer review, but it has been so long since I have read it I am not sure if I could really do it justice.

This book counted for the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

Nightschool: The Weirn Books Volume 2 by Svetlana Chmakova

Completion Date: May 2, 2011

Reason for Reading: Carry on with Series.

When Alex's sister, Sarah, vanishes and all memory and evidence of her existence is erased, Alex is determined to get to the bottom of her sister's disappearance. What better place to start her investigations than the Nightschool itself? But when she discovers that sneaking into the Nightschool isn't as simple as it might seem, Alex enrolls as a student. But is she prepared for what she might find?

I loved Chmakova's series Dramacon, but this series isn't getting me nearly as excited. I think it is probably because she is joining in on the paranormal craze and I am getting a bit tired of this craze, so the idea isn't working for me as well as I had hoped. The artwork is still fantastic and the idea is still very creative, but I am not getting caught up in the story and rushing out to get each volume after finishing the previous ones. I loved Dramacon so much that when the library didn't have the third volume, I went out and bought the series. I think this is a series that I will appreciate all the more when I look back on it overall, but if you want to give Chmakova a try I strongly recommend her other series. Still, I look forward to reading the last two volumes in this series.

This book counted for the Once Upon a Time Challenge and the Manga Challenge.

**Note: I had a really hard time getting pictures to load for this post, so I will have to add book covers later. Hopefully Monday when I have my new computer. Yay!

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

Completion Date: March 30, 2011
Reason for Reading: Fun!

A sweet and touching modern love story, told through dictionary entries.

basis, n.
There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

I initially was going to share quotes from this book and then review it later. Instead, I will just say I surprisingly loved this little book. If you are going to enjoy it, you will appreciate the quotes more than my thoughts.

candid, adj.

“Most times, when I’m having sex, I’d rather be reading.”
This was, I admit, a strange thing to say on a second date. I guess I was just giving you warning.
“Most times when I’m reading,” you said, “I’d rather be having sex.”

Page 46; The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan

autonomy, n.

“I want my books to have their own shelves,” you said, and that’s how I knew it would be okay to live together.

Page 22; The Lover’s Dictionary by David Levithan

macabre, adj.

If you ever need proof that I love you, the fact that I allowed you to dress me up as a dead baby Jesus for Halloween should do it. I suppose it would be even better proof if it hadn't been Halloween.

Page 139; The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

deciduous, adj.

I couldn't believe one person could own so many shoes, and still buy new ones every year.

Page 69; The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan (Only in my household, I hear that often about books and he hears it often about tools.)

love, n.

I'm not even going to try.

Page 136, The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

And, then one longish one:

lover, n.

Oh, how I hated this word. So pretentious, like it was always being translated from the French. The tint and taint of illicit, illegitimate affections. Dictionary meaning: a person having a love affair. Impermanent. Unfamilial. Inextricably linked to sex.

I have never wanted a lover. In order to have a lover, I must go back to the root of the word. For I have never wanted a lover, but I have always wanted to love, and to be loved.

There is no word for the recipient of the love. There is only a word for the giver. There is the assumption that lovers come in pairs.

When I say, Be my lover, I don't mean, Let's have an affair: I don't mean, Sleep with me. I don't mean, Be my secret.

I want us to go back down to that root.

I want you to be the one who loves me.

I want to be the one who loves you.

Page 137, The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

When the new John Green and David Levithan novel came out, I kept hearing how good it was. I am glad that I took the chance to buy it and read it soon after its release, though, because it lead to a buddy review with Nancy aka Bookfool. We each came up with 3 questions and answered all 6 of them. My answers to the questions are below, and you can go to Nancy's blog to read her answers.

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical. Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them legions of faithful fans.

My answers to the questions that Nancy asked me:

1. What other books have you read by John Green and/or David Levithan and how do you think Will Grayson compares?
I have read everything that John Green currently has out, including short stories, so it made sense to read this one, too, so I could say that I have read everything by him. As for David Levithan, I plan to read several of his books eventually, but as of yet have only read one book by him last year. I think Will Grayson, Will Grayson is still a well-written book like the others I have read by both authors, but it was the sort of book that I needed to take a few days after finishing to think about. And, really, that's not so different from their other books. When you finish them there is still a lot to think about afterwards.

2. There was one thing about the book that really, really annoyed me but which I eventually became accustomed to. Did anything about the book get on your nerves?
It took me a bit to get used to the sections where the Will Grayson writing them didn't use capitalization, or really any sentence structure at all. That writing method always bothers me, but you get used to it eventually. The ending annoyed me. I thought it was really rushed. And, sometimes the characters in general annoyed me, but that was almost to be expected.

3. What did you consider the main theme of the book? Do you think the sheer quantity of gay characters diluted the theme or made it more powerful?
I think the theme of the book was about acceptance regardless of your interests. It was talked about in the broader sense of the book, but also mentioned by the use of Tiny's play. I don't think the amount of gay characters necessarily was too much, but I also don't think that it seemed realistic to me. I could see the themes of acceptance a lot from both characters, but since I got that the story was about more than just acceptance of sexuality, then it wasn't necessarily to throw it in your face that there were a lot of gay characters. It was almost over-whelming, and yes, it could have diluted the theme of the book more than was necessary. I appreciated how Will Grayson #1 discovered that he was accepting in the case of his best friend, Tiny. Both Will Grayson's, though, had to also become accepting of themselves. I think that was important for the story.

My answers to the questions I came up with:

4. How did you feel when you finished the book? Has your initial reaction stayed the same, or do you feel differently about the book?
I didn't know what to think when I finished the book. I love John Green, and the one book I read by David Levithan was pretty good, too, but this book I didn't know how to get my head around. I think I was overwhelmed by everything that was going on and I wasn't entirely sure that everything worked well for me. I kept thinking about how it didn't seem to be as good as John Green's other books to me. Then, a couple days went by while Nancy finished the book and I got a chance to think about it a bit. Then, even more days went by before I am answering these questions, and I think I actually really liked this book. It was one that I had to think about and I think it was a good idea that I waited to write the review.

5. Which character in the book was your favourite? Least favourite?
I think my favourite character was Jane. She plays the straight Will Grayson's love interest and there was something a bit fascinating about her. Likely because of how the story played out around her. I also enjoyed Tiny. He annoyed me at times, but he made the book entertaining and I appreciated him as a character. I think the scene where he drinks a bit too much, though, was really unnecessary in description! As for least favourite, I think part of my hang-ups with this book is I didn't really love either of the Will Grayson's. It's not that I strongly disliked them, but more that they just didn't grow on me. We had a love/hate relationship the entire book and I think that is why it took me so long to find love for the overall novel.

6. What did you think about the ending? (Without giving too much away.)
I didn't know what to make of the ending. I thought since the entire book had been basically making its way to that point that it was too rushed, though. It sort of disappointed me that it wasn't drawn out a bit more. I found the ending touching, but I am not entirely sure I found it believable. It is just one of the things that I can't entirely make up my mind about, I guess.