Tuesday 10 January 2012

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

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.


I haven't read this book in a while, and now I completely remember the reason why I'm in love with it. After you finish reading, an undescribable calm descends upon you. It is a life-changing book, and every time you read it, that sense of life-change overtakes you once more. As I'm sure I've mentioned a billion times, there aren't enough books around that concentrate on homosexuality - and this is exactly what this book does. And no, it isn't focused on homophobia - it is about embracing the fabulous gay, and accepting yourself for who you are. Another thing I really love about this book is the idea of meeting someone with the same name as you (hence the title Will Grayson, Will Grayson). Both Green and Levithan have a Will Grayson each, and I have to say that despite having the same names, their characters could not be more seperate. Green's WG is a quiet, slightly wimpish, straight character, who is in some ways your typical boy - especially when it comes to girls. As I've said before, all of Green's characters are incredibly realistic, and you can relate to all of them, no matter whether they are male or female. Will's feelings are so strong, and I nearly burst into tears myself a couple of times at his realization. I also loved the character of Tiny! Although it is hard to imagine a mental image of him, you can't help but admire him, fictional or not. As for Levithan's Will...well, I have to say that I related to him a lot more than the other Will, but that's just me personally. I can be a bit pessimistic in life, and I could understand a lot of Will's views and opinions. As the story unfolded, I couldn't help but cringe at some of the things that went on, mainly because you can so strongly feel his regret and indecision. I also felt a great understanding with the character of Maura - although she was a strong witch with a capital B, in a strange way, I could understand why she did what she did. It was wrong, of course, and horrible of her - but it was partly Will's fault too, for not treating it like a proper friendship. But then again, people deserve their own privacy, and she way overstepped the line. I guess one of the things that makes this book unique is how accurate the friendships are. It shows both how strong and how breakable friendships can be, and it doesn't sugarcoat anything - including the ending. I have to say, the ending is the only thing I can pick at - but I can't pick at it as well, because there is no other possible ending. I mean, there is, of course - but those endings wouldn't have been half as good. This ending, although disappointing for my whole ship of Tiny/Will.2, is the best ending you can have - it leads plently for the imagination, but it tells us enough to know that things will turn out okay. It is a very realistic book, and I think I will forever hold it in my Top Ten books to read because of not just that, but also because the story will just leave you pouring with tears whilst singing at the very top of your voice. There isn't any book like it.
Rating:5/5

No comments:

Post a Comment