Will Grayson Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green

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Bibliographic Information:

Will Grayson Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green

ISBN: 978-0142418475

2009 Dutton Juvenile, New York, NY

Plot Summary:

Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a novel co-written by John Green and David Levithan telling the story of two teenage boys named Will Grayson. 

The first, a heterosexual boy from Evanston, IL, north of Chicago. Will Grayson is best friends with Tiny, a giant flamboyantly out gay teen. 

will grayson, the second appearing in lower case letters throughout, is a gay boy from Naperville, IL, west of Chicago. will is not out to his mother or his friend, Maura. He has cultivated an online relationship with Isaac. When Isaac and will decide to meet, Will and will’s lives intersect in Chicago. 

At this point, the two Wills interact and will later becomes a new, future ex-boyfriend of Tiny.

Will and will concoct a plan to show Tiny how important he is to the lives of the people who love him. 

Critical Evaluation:

A book written by two authors, trying to tell the same story, can really have problems with consistency in tone. Levithan and Green achieved a balance in tone with their characters because the characters remained true to themselves. Tiny was over the top, Will was subdued, and will was depressed.

The change between narratives from chapter to chapter was denoted simply with the capitalization of Will’s name or not capitalizing for will. Their characters were very different, though. Will had coached himself to shut up, not stand out, don’t draw attention. Lower case will was simply depressed. He didn’t want to attract a group of friends. He was treading water.

The tone of the two Wills was offset by the completely over the top characterization of Tiny. Tiny was a huge man, a loud man, and an artistic man. Everyone knew who Tiny was and no one dared question his motivations. Tiny was known for often declaring that he was in love. His declarations turned quickly to heartbreak and back to love for someone new.

This foil for both Wills character lent a balance to the story and to their lives. It made sense that Will and will were drawn to Tiny because he kept them from drowning in their own negativity, Will’s protective barrier and will’s depression.

The balance in this novel bears out in its popularity. When you finish reading, you feel happy and want to share it with others.

Reader’s Annotation:

Will Grayson and will grayson are connected through more than their shared name.

Author Information:

John Green is a best selling author of several novels. He was 2006 recipient of the Michael L. Printz Award, a 2009 Edgar Award winner, and has twice been a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Green’s books have been published in more than a dozen languages.

David Levithan is an editorial director at Scholastic, and the founding editor of the PUSH imprint, which is devoted to finding new voices and new authors in teen literature. 

Genre(s):

LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction, Humor

Curriculum Ties: Sexuality

Booktalk Ideas: This book would be great in a book talk with themes about mistaken identity.

Reading level: grade 6+

Interest age: 13+

Challenge Issues: Issues of Sexuality Challenge Defense File

Why I chose this book:

This was the first LGBTQ themed novel to make the New York Times children’s bestseller list. The exploration of social interaction between gay and straight teens is normalized and positive.