That Name is My Name Too...

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Why did I read it?

I'm always amazed at how many books there are in the Young Adult category. From fiction to non-fiction, romance to realism, straight to gay, there are more books out there than any one person could read. However, there are a few books that many folks agree should not be missed, and Will Grayson, Will Grayson is one of them. While I must admit I probably wouldn't have picked it up unless it was for a class, I'm glad I did.

What happened?

Although there are two Will Grayson's living in the Chicago area, they have never met each other. Will Grayson has two rules: shut up and don't care. will grayson doesn't see a reason to care. Will Grayson has a best friend named Tiny Cooper (who is in all actuality the largest and gayest football player you'll ever know), and will grayson has a frenemy named maura. Finally, Will Grayson's desire to be with Jane is only matched by his desire not to be with Jane, and will grayson's desire to be with isaac is the only thing keeping him upright.

Ultimately, these two distinct characters and stories begin to blend together as their lives intersect one night in downtown Chicago, and as Tiny becomes the main character in both of their lives and his upcoming musical production of Tiny Dancer: The Tiny Cooper Story.

What did I like or not like?

The way this novel was written was really cool. Green wrote the story from one Will's perspective, and Levithan wrote the story from the other Will's perspective, and the truth we find between these two perspectives works out really nicely. another cool fact is that one will grayson perspective is written entirely in lowercase letters. Ultimately, we get an interesting look at how trying to avoid hurt by not caring might actually hurt more than pouring your life into someone else.

P.S. Obviously, this novel has several gay characters, and deals with sexual identity throughout. There is also some sexual content and discussions, and cussing. Even though its a good book regardless of these elements, I didn't want you to be surprised.

Three 7th Graders from the 7th Floor

Well, back in February, I was trying to find books that dealt with Valentine’s Day. There was a new book that had just gone by my desk called Sweet Treats & Secret Crushes by Lisa Greenwald, and it was exactly what I was looking for!

But, someone checked it out just as I wanted to get it. So, I waited for the book to come back and checked it out, but for the last two weeks, I’ve been busy with my senior research project for school. I’ve been tabulating the data I collected and figuring out how I’m going to present it to the Northwest Communication Association conference tomorrow, and needless to say, I haven’t had time to sit down and read it. But, over the last few nights, I’ve set aside some time to finish it up, and so here is my Book Blurt on it.

Olivia, Georgia, and Kate have been best friends for years. They are all thirteen-year old seventh graders who live on the seventh floor of the same New York apartment building. They all have plans for Valentine’s Day, until a freak snow storm puts the breaks on any and all plans. Now, most people would think a snow day would be awesome! But, these three girls had plans for how they would connect with their crushes on the most romantic day of the year, and now their plans are crushed. But, the three girls decide to use their snow day to friendly up their apartment building by passing out Chen’s famous fortune cookies to people in their building. The people they meet and the things they experience make for an interesting look at what love and friendship really looks like.

Through their day, Olivia, Georgia, and Kate deal with what it means to have a crush, what it means to be in love, and what the true power of a fortune can be. They also wrestle with what it means to be friends, and why you should keep the friends you have. The chapters rotate between each of the three girl’s telling the story from their own perspective, which keeps the storytelling fresh and interesting as we get different takes on similar events. The writing style can be pretty simple, but the story is very sweet, and I would think a perfect read for next Valentine’s Day.