Book Review – Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan, John Green
Narrator: MacLeod Andrews, Nick Podehl
Published by Dutton E P (children) on 2010
Length: 7 hours 52 minutes
Genres: Coming of Age, Friendship, Homosexuality, Performing Arts, Social Issues, Theater, Young Adult
Pages: 310
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads

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 them both legions of faithful fans. A Discussion Guide to Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

 

Lynn’s Review:

First off, we are going to need some code names for the characters. Both of the main characters are named Will Grayson. I will clarify here: OTW or Other Will Grayson is Tiny Cooper’s friend Will. And will is Tiny’s boyfriend. Yes, I know, it’s complicated. But it will make sense later.

OTW is the first Will Grayson that we meet. (The one on the right in the above graphic.) He’s the kind of kid who purchases a fake id to get into concerts, and ends up with one that shows his age as 20. Not 21. will is a depressed teenager trying to find himself. (The one on the left in the above graphic.) The two Wills meet due to a random happenstance that I won’t spoil for you. But I really think that Tiny Cooper is the star of this book. So much so that David Levithan wrote a book just for Tiny. He is large in every respect. Personality. Size. Life. 

The audio for this book switched between two different narrators, with the change between the two Wills. I think this really worked for me. As a collaboration, I enjoyed that each other wrote the narrative for one character. This showcased the character voice very well. 

My emotions ran the gamut while listening to this book. Depression. Happiness. Sorrow. Glee. All of it. And I would totally see Tiny Cooper’s musical. And download the soundtrack. Check this book out if you haven’t already.