Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

Pages: 310
Intended Audience: Mature teens
Genre: Real life / LGBT
Notes for Parents: Contains coarse and vulgar language, sexual references, under-aged drinking, and homosexual relationships.

The Back Cover
Will Grayson, meet Will Grayson. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers cross paths. Two teens with the same name, running in two very different circles, suddenly find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, culminating in heroic turns-of-heart and the most epic musical ever to grace the high school stage.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This story is less about Will Grayson and Will Grayson and more about Tiny Cooper and the way he influences the Will Graysons as well as the other people around him.

What’s good?

Unapologetically vulgar and fiendishly witty, this is a moving portrayal of the male condition. Gay boys and straight guys alike, as well as all the girls, struggle with identity, emotions, and societal expectations in what is an inexplicably charming and courageously original story. When the first Will Grayson compared himself to his stuffed prairie dog, I almost cried because I knew exactly how he felt. The second Will Grayson’s “and here’s the sick, twisted thing” monologue was amazingly poignant; and when he comes out to his mom, I laughed out loud. Filled with thought-provoking revelations, this teenage romp is clever, rude, funny, romantic, wise, and very honest.
Best Part: The musical, of course!

What isn’t good?

The use of coarse language and derogatory terms seems excessive at times and the way several characters go on ad nauseum about how big Tiny is was unnecessary, making me dislike many characters that I probably would have otherwise enjoyed.
Worst part: The lack of capitalization in the second Will Grayson’s narration.

Recommendation þþþþo

The only reason I didn’t give this book five checkmarks was because the coarse language and vulgarity was a bit excessive for me. Otherwise, this book was brilliant and I highly recommend it. 

 

Green, John & David Levithan. Will Grayson, Will Grayson. New York: Speak, 2011.

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Pages: 354
Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens
Genre: Dystopian; crime drama; romance
Notes for Parents: Contains mild language, references to violence and criminal behavior.

The Back Cover

I am Anya Balanchine.
I will be accused.
I will defend my honor.
I will be pursued.
I will be loved.
I will apologize.
I will be betrayed.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The vague cover description alludes to the story of Anya Balanchine, of the Balanchine crime family. With her parents both dead, she and her siblings are out of the family business of smuggling chocolate into the country (where caffeine and chocolate, among many things, are illegal). But can she really walk away that easily? Family obligations beckon, further complicated by her relationship with the son of the city’s new assistant district attorney. This is book one in the Birthright series.

What’s good?

Set in New York, in the year 2083, this is an interesting future where water is scarce, paper is rationed, and things like caffeine and chocolate are banned. Anya and her siblings are well-drawn, likeable characters and are surrounded by a multitude of interesting people, including Anya’s dying grandmother, her mafia kin, her school friends and teachers, the new ADA, and the evil head of Liberty’s Children’s Facility.
Best Part: Coffee speakeasies!

What isn’t good?

The story had some great moments where I felt things started to pick up, but ultimately, nothing was sustained. It got interesting when there was a near-death by chocolate, but that quickly fizzled and Anya’s incarceration had promise, but that too led nowhere. Even Anya’s romance with Win warms up only to die down before anything really exciting happens.
Worst part: Catholicism was a sad ploy to establish Anya’s character. Like everything else, its part in the story was, in the end, pointless.

Recommendation þþooo

This was a dystopian novel that lacked world building, a crime drama that lacked suspense, and a romance that lacked, well, romance. I really enjoyed the characters and felt the potential for a good story was just around the corner, but ultimately, I remained unrewarded. Perhaps the author (whose book Elsewhere is among my top ten of all time) saved the good stuff for subsequent books in the series. Sadly, this was just a disappointment for me. I gave it two checkmarks in hopes that the overall series is better than book one.

Zevin, Gabrielle. All These Things I’ve Done. New York: Square Fish, 2011.

The Girl who was Supposed to Die by April Henry

Pages: 213
Intended Audience: Teens and mature tweens
Genre: Psychological thriller
Notes for Parents: Contains scenes with guns, references to violence, some scary scenes

The Inside Cover

She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know where she is, or why. All she knows when she comes to in a ransacked cabin is that two men are arguing over whether or not to kill her. And that she must run.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The cover blurb is a great teaser. There’s nothing more you need to know.

What’s good?

Short chapters and a first person / present tense point of view fuels the non-stop action in this high intensity, mystery-thriller. The main character, Cady, is strong and resourceful; her accomplice Ty is brave (and very trusting!); and the supporting bad guys are devious and desperate. While the plot is fairly simplistic, the constant thrill of the chase keep things entertaining.
Best Part: James. I wish there was more of him.

What isn’t good?

I consistently saw things coming before the character did which took away from a lot of the drama. Also, there wasn’t a lot of depth to the characters, although Cady and Ty were still very likeable. The courage in their actions alone made me care about them. Finally, there seemed to be a few consistency issues. No other reviews that I read pointed them out, so maybe I got some of it wrong so I don’t want to ruin the story by revealing them here.
Worst part: “You saved us. You saved us all.”

Recommendation þþþoo

Despite a few strange contradictions and an oversimplified plot, the story was still riveting. The action-filled short chapters and fluid writing made this easy to read and very entertaining. Recommended.

Henry, April. The Girl who was Supposed to Die. New York: Henry Holt, 2013.