310 pages
Source: Borrowed
What invariably happens when I plump down with a John Green or David Levithan book in my hands:
chuckle chuckle... giggle giggle snort... BUAHAHAHA choke cough cough...
So yes, this is why I avoid reading funny books in public. My personal sound effects would probably scare away people within a 3 mile radius or something. A teenager with a laughter-inducing book is quite a frightening combo.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson is centered around two seemingly different boys with the same name whose lives become intertwined when they accidentally meet inside a questionable institution for minors. Green's Will Grayson is my favorite type of nerd. He accepts his parents advice about life in general, is in love with obscure bands like Neutral Milk Hotel, and has the tendency to describe his love life with scientific paradoxes like Schroedinger's cat. Levithan's will grayson (no capitals), on the other hand, doesn't particularly care about anything (except maybe Isaac), hangs out with emotionally deficient computer programming geeks, and is still striving to discover a niche in the overwhelming existence that is life.
The truly amazing thing about realistic fiction is, obviously, its relatability. Sometimes I feel like the paranormal/fantasy YA I read sacrifice character depth and development for things like descriptions of magic or, oh I don't know, the history of the shapeshifter bunny rabbits. Will Grayson, Will Grayson contains a fantastic set of characters, each with their own happiness and woes. And that is why I adored this book. It felt real, surprisingly real. I will definitely be looking into the realistic fiction genre.
Off on a random tangent: I'm going to start using andbutso in my daily speech, just to confuse the unfortunate individuals I happen to be communicating with.
Rating: 4
delightfully scrumptious
