Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green, David Levithan

Source: Goodreads

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I have a problem with devouring books in a much too short period of time. I end up sad, unable to stop picking up the book to continue reading, realizing there's nothing left to read.

This happened to me with Will Grayson, Will Grayson, but it didn't take long to wear off. The book sets out to present the lives of two boys wearing the same name, with very different personalities and lives whose destinies intersect in a very don't-believe-in-coincidences kind of way.

One Will Grayson has to decide whether or not he likes his friend, Jane, while another Will Grayson falls in love with his cyber male friend.

This book is honest, but not afraid of exaggerations. However, I feel like even though it's a teen fiction book, it lacked the exaggeration it needed when it came to the characters' experiences. What happens when someone comes out to their family? What happens when a friend betrays you in such a way, you feel like you'll never trust someone again? What happens when you're not able to appreciate the people around you and need a punch to come to your senses - most of the times, the mental punch proving to be more painful than a real one - ?

I feel like the authors were on to something very important when they chose gay characters, especially in highschool, yet somehow that point was lost along the way of unshared romances and a not very complex evolution - of the plot or the characters. When you choose gay characters in their highschool era, teen fiction or not, certain expectations are bound to arise. There's too much pressure around the subject and it's a much too difficult experience in relation to the schoolmates, friends and family 90% of the time to not talk about how baffling, demanding and unbearable it most often is to be in such a situation - when in fact, the characters had it pretty easy except for a few moments.

The writing is spot on, I'll admit to being very proud of the authors for how diverse the characters felt and how easy it was to distinguish between their personalities and follow their storylines. 

I was very happy with how the ending took me completely by surprise and made me content with the turn the events took even if maybe I wasn't really hoping that would happen - the book made me love its ending more than I would've loved my own.

I consider this book to have a very original plot, very pleasent characters and the ending was satisfying and surprising, yet the book left me wanting more from certain scenes, expecting more tumultuous consequences and growing more attached to the teenagers. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I wish what they were going through brought us closer together, when in reality I kept feeling like a reader, not a friend.

I would recommend this book to anyone who looks for a cute, young story and does not search for a heavy reading. All in all, this book is quite enjoyable and easy on the mind.

- Sophie Pugh