“It's not that far from Evanston
to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as
well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same
surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and
hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With a push from friends new and old
- including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman
and musical theater auteurs extraordinaire - Will and Will begin building toward
respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most
awesome high school musical.”
It’s strange reading a book like Will Grayson, Will Grayson. As a very
old person, it’s hard for me to wrap my mind around how much has changed from
the time I went to high school from 1977-81 and today’s teens trudging through
the endless days of classes with a wide variety of people. I hated my schooling
years, especially those 4 years of high school, and reading about the lives of
the character’s in this book was one part “I wish it was that way when I went
to school” and roll my eyes knowing that both authors are giving us a
hyper-reality version of life, where someone as large and in charge as Tiny
Cooper could be a popular football player and a musical theater lover who has
decided that his life needs to revealed in a school play.
In some ways, this book reminded
me of Glee, which while being a fairly realistic portrait of high school life
(well, in its first season only), it had a weird fantasy part where everyone
kind of, well sort of, respected each other. Will Grayson, Will Grayson sort of lets that fantasy part be the
main thrust of the novel. Which works for me.
The book is told in alternating
chapters, with John Green handling the odd numbered ones and David Levithan
taking on the even ones. Straight Will Grayson writes with proper grammar and uses
capital letters and feels sort of left out when his best friend Tiny is off
with another short-term boyfriend or preparing for this play. The other Will
Grayson id gay and writes all in lower letters and is on a few drugs to control
his depression. His only real friend, besides Maura (who seems totally in love
with him), is a guy named Isaac he’s been talking to on IM. When they finally
plan to meet –in of all places, a porn shop in downtown Chicago- suburban Will
gets a shock of his life, but he also meets Chicago Will and Tiny Cooper.
Again, while the odds of meeting
someone with your name is fairly good, the whole rest of the book relies on
much coincidence and convenience. This is where the hyper-reality version takes
over. Also, I never got attached to gay Will Grayson, even though I guess his
depression about what ever split his parents up seems very realistic. I also
think the book sort of glosses over the whole catfishing incident, even though
someone pays for what they did. But I felt it was a bit mishandled, becoming
more of a illogical plot device; it wasn’t treated seriously. Then there is Jane, a smart, very realistic character portrayed not as someone who's obsessed with looks or cloths, but one whom brings balance to those around her.
There is an incredible amount of
foul language in the book, and while this probably plays true to the characters
and real life, I was sort, I don’t know, shocked that kids talk like this? But
I suppose I swear a lot, but I don’t think I swore that much when I was these
characters ages.
Gawd, I’m old.
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