Review: You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour & David Levithan

Title: You Know Me Well
Author: Nina LaCour & David Levithan
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release date: June 7th 2016
Pages: 248
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: Purchased
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Mark and Kate have sat next to each other for an entire year, but have never spoken. For whatever reason, their paths outside of class have never crossed.

That is, until Kate spots Mark miles away from home, out in the city for a wild, unexpected night. Kate is lost, having just run away from a chance to finally meet the girl she has been in love with from afar. Mark, meanwhile, is in love with his best friend Ryan, who may or may not feel the same way.

When Kate and Mark meet up, little do they know how important they will become to each other—and how, in a very short time, they will know each other better than any of the people who are supposed to know them more.

Told in alternating points of view by Nina LaCour and David Levithan, You Know Me Well is a story about navigating the joys and heartaches of first love, one truth at a time.

I wanted to love this book, since both of these authors are fantastic writers, and I loved the premise. And it was definitely a decent book; but I was kind of bored by parts of it, and it just wasn't anywhere near as great as either of these authors' individual books.

One thing that I did really enjoy was the depiction of Pride and of queer spaces, and the different explorations of queer intimacy. Every single character (except for the main characters' parents) in this book is queer, which was awesome. Most of this novel is set during SF Pride, and we get to see a lot of different elements of Pride, which were super fun to read about. I really appreciated the exploration of queer intimacy; while there is definitely romance and heartbreak, at the heart of the story is queer friendship/platonic queer intimacy, primarily through Kate/Katie's and Mark's friendship, but also through both of their friendships with their respective also gay best friends. Queer friendships, platonic queer intimacy, and queer mentorship and community is something we rarely get to see due to the focus on romance, so this depiction is really important.

But unfortunately, I couldn't really get into the story or connect with the characters. Mark was an endearing character, but I was honestly kind of annoyed by Kate/Katie (I was very confused by the way she insists on being called Kate, yet the book itself refers to her as Katie...) throughout the novel. Her inability to communicate was super frustrating, and her whole identity crisis about not wanting to go study art anymore just seemed really random because we never get any insight into why. It kind of felt contrived, as if we just needed some kind of conflict for her so that Mark wouldn't be the only one in need of help from a new friend.

I also found the instant friendship between Katie/Kate and Mark to be unrealistic and overly emphasized-the concept of this new friendship was cool, but did they need to start doing *everything* together--including going on Kate's dates--as soon as they met!? I understand how it's necessary for the premise, but the whole concept of them immediately becoming best friends after spending one evening together felt a little forced to me.

Both romance storylines were lacking development, in my opinion. Katie's idealization of Violet felt very manic-pixie-dream-girl-esque and overdone, and Violet never felt like a real person to me. While I appreciate the focus on Mark's and Katie's friendship, it meant that the romance was under explored and never felt real. For example, we barely get to see Katie and Violet spend any time together without Mark also coming along, so how are they suddenly in love? Similarly, Mark's evolving relationship with Ryan just didn't seem realistic.

This one definitely had potential, and I appreciate this different approach to exploring queer spaces and queer intimacy, but the story and characters just didn't work for me. But of course I'll still read anything either of these authors will come out with. 

Review: Another Day by David Levithan

Title: Another Day (Every Day #2)
Author: David Levithan
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf BYR
Release date: August 25th 2015
Pages: 327
Genre: Young Adult contemporary/fantasy
Source: Bought
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Every day is the same for Rhiannon. She has accepted her life, convinced herself that she deserves her distant, temperamental boyfriend, Justin, even established guidelines by which to live: Don’t be too needy. Avoid upsetting him. Never get your hopes up.

Until the morning everything changes. Justin seems to see her, to want to be with her for the first time, and they share a perfect day—a perfect day Justin doesn’t remember the next morning. Confused, depressed, and desperate for another day as great as that one, Rhiannon starts questioning everything. Then, one day, a stranger tells her that the Justin she spent that day with, the one who made her feel like a real person…wasn’t Justin at all.

In this enthralling companion to his New York Times bestseller Every Day, David Levithan tells Rhiannon’s side of the story as she seeks to discover the truth about love and how it can change you.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I was super excited when I heard there would be a sequel to Every Day (which I absolutely loved), but when I found out it would be a companion novel retelling the story from Rhiannon's point of view, I wasn't sure what to think - I wanted to find out what happens after Every Day, not just read the same story again. It would have been very easy for Another Day to be boring and redundant, considering we all know already exactly what's going to happen. But luckily, it turned out to be the opposite!

I guess in this case, my bad memory worked in my favor - I read Every Day a couple of years ago and didn't really remember the details of the plot. That meant that, even though I had read the story before, I didn't really know where Another Day was going; I would remember already reading about something once it happened, but it wasn't like I already knew every little thing that would happen.

But even if I had a better memory or hadn't waited as long between reading the two books, I think I would have enjoyed Another Day just as much. I just loved reading this story from Rhiannon's perspective and getting to know Rhiannon better. Especially the parts where Rhiannon goes back and forth between wanting to make it work with A and realizing that she can't were an intriguing addition to the story: how she deals with all of this is honest and realistic. I especially liked how, even though she's in love with A's soul, she struggles to accept him in every body; this touches on issues like sexual orientation and what we're actually attracted to. Even though she wants to accept every form of A, she has an easier time when A is in a male body, and a body that she would usually be attracted to. This is a really honest portrayal of how while gender and sexual orientation are social constructs that shouldn't matter, they are so ingrained in us that it's really hard to completely let go of them. I really liked how David Levithan combines this important message with this honest portrayal of how hard it is to let go of these constraints in our society.

The only thing I had criticized about Every Day was that A's feelings for Rhiannon felt a little too insta-love-y for me, and that stays the same in Another Day. But because we get to see Rhiannon waver so much, it made a little more sense to me: A falls for Rhiannon immediately because she's the only person he's ever known for more than a day, while Rhiannon's feelings develop more like the feelings of a real person. Still, I thought it was a little overdone how A immediately seeks out to find Rhiannon in bodies other than Justin's.

If you loved Every Day, you will probably love Another Day just as much. While it doesn't add anything new to the story in terms of plot (it leaves us with the same heartbreaking ending), it provides a new perspective and new insights into the story. Another Day is just as beautifully written, evocative, emotional and insightful as Every Day, and I absolutely love both of these novels.

Review: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Title: Two Boys Kissing
Author: David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf BYR
Release date: August 27th 2013
Pages: 196
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: Bought
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New York Times bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS.
While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Two Boys Kissing is only my second non-collaborative David Levithan book, but I'm quickly realizing that I need to read all of them. I thought nothing could be as great as Every Day, but now I can't decide which one I liked better; they're both impressively unique and thought-provoking. I'm finally beginning to understand why David Levithan is such a big name in YA.

To be honest, Two Boys Kissing took me a while to get into, and that's because of the unusual narration. I didn't know that this was going to be narrated by a Greek Chorus of gay men who have died of AIDS, but since it's in the description, I'm going to assume I'm not spoiling it for anyone. It took me the first couple of chapter-like units of the book to understand who was talking to us, and even after that, it was kind of strange, but I got into after a while. I don't usually like omniscient narrators, and this Greek Chorus can see into everyone's heads, but somehow, it works; the transitions make it flow really nicely, rather than seeming like random thoughts from random people. This form of narration makes the novel kind of preachy at times, but I didn't mind that much either; since the preachiness is coming from the Greek Chorus of people who obviously have strong opinions about homophobia, etc., rather than the author, it's justified, in a way (even though I'm sure David Levithan would agree with them). I know some people complained that this narration made them feel less close to the characters, and that's accurate, but I didn't mind that, because one individual character isn't the point; this is their collective story. After I got into it, I really enjoyed getting little glimpses into their lives, and I think this unusual form of narration is what really made the novel stand out. 

Even though this is more of a collective than an individual story, the characters are very well-developed. Some are more developed than others: I especially loved Harry and Craig and Cooper, while I didn't feel as much of a connection with the other two couples, Neil and Patrick and Ryan and Avery. Harry and Craig's parts were my favorite simply because I love this idea: it was fascinating to read about all the little things that go into making such a long kiss work, and I just love reading about random records like that. But Neil and Patrick do get bonus points for the adorable scene in the YA section of a bookstore references to other YA books and characters who read YA make me ridiculously happy.

But even more so than these individual stories, David Levithan's writing is what makes Two Boys Kissing such an exceptional novel. Just like in Every Day, there are so many quotes in Two Boys Kissing that I totally would have dog-eared if that wouldn't give me a book nerd heart attack. There are so many thoughtprovoking sentences and paragraphs you just have to read over and over because they are so powerful in their truthfulness. David Levithan's words carry so much emotion, and I cried multiple times over the course of this story, but this novel is really more hopeful and inspirational than it is sad.

If you haven't read a David Levithan book, you need to go change that right now. He has the best, most creative set-ups, and powerful, thoughtprovoking writing that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. I can't recommend Two Boys Kissing enough.

Review: Every Day by David Levithan

Title: Every Day
Author: David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release date: August 28th 2012
Pages: 322
Genre: Young Adult; magical realism
Source: Bought a signed copy at Books of Wonder!
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Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.
It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Every Day is not the type of book I usually read. I tend to stick to contemporary, but because I'd heard such great things about David Levithan and enjoyed a couple of his collaborations, I decided to give one of his solo books a try. The idea for Every Day sounded intriguing, but I was still afraid it would be too out there, too close to paranormal for me. I'm so glad I didn't let that stop me, though, because Every Day turned out to be one of the best books I've read in a while.

The idea, even if it sounded strange at first, is pure genius. A main character that wakes up in a different body and life every day opens up so many opportunities to explore, and I love how it forced me to think about so many different issues. The variety of people and lives that A inhabits over the course of this novel is remarkable, and many of them made me think and question my own opinions. I found the chapters that forced me to think about the borders between body and soul especially interesting, like the time A is suicidal, the time A is a drug addict, and all the times that provoke questions about gender. Because of the unusual situation, A has a distinct perspective on life that is fascinating to read about.

What I loved most about this novel, aside from the genius idea and plot, is David Levithan's writing. He manages to address all of these issues, without ever sounding preachy - they're just a natural part of the story. In between these serious issues, David Levithan manages to switch to a more lighthearted style that let the reader get to know A better. The writing flows so nicely that you will want to finish the whole book within one sitting. (Note to self: Don't start great books during finals week.)

I'm not sure what to make of the romance in Every Day. In a way, A's love for Rhiannon seemed too insta-love-y for me, and A's feelings can be considered exaggerated considering how little they really know about each other. If you think about A's situation, though, it does sort of make sense - having switched bodies all his life, he has never known anyone for more than a day, and desperately wants to form a connection with someone, which plays into why he cares for Rhiannon so much. I enjoyed seeing Rhiannon struggle with this unusual relationship, because even though you might judge her for her sometimes close-minded views in regards to her relatinship with A, I know that I wouldn't have reacted any better and that her issues are most definitely realistic. I still wish, though, that Rhiannon's character had had some more depth to it outside of her relationships with Justin and A.

Despite those smaller issues, Every Day is a new favorite of mine. It made me think and question my own values in regards to issues of body and gender, and I know A's story will continue to stay with me. This is an amazing novel - I can't recommend it enough!

Review: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Title: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List
Author: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release date: August 28th 2007
Pages: 230
Genre: Contemporary YA; romance
Source: Bought
Find out more: Amazon | Goodreads


Goodreads description:

NAOMI AND ELY ARE BEST FRIENDS. Naomi loves and is in love with Ely, and Ely loves Naomi, but prefers to be in love with boys. So they create their "No Kiss List" of people neither of them is allowed to kiss. And this works fine - until Bruce. Bruce is Naomi's boyfriend, so there's no reason to put him on the List. But Ely kissed Bruce even though he is boring. The result: a rift of universal proportions and the potential end of "Naomi and Ely: the institution." Can these best friends come back together again?

First sentence:

I lie all the time.

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars


I loved Nick & Norah and Dash & Lily, so I had high hopes for Naomi & Ely. And while the style and plot are similar to Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's other collaborations, I just didn't like it as much as those two.


The way that Naomi & Ely is written is something I haven't read before - instead of some words, there are symbols. I don't know how to explain it - there's a picture of a heart when they want to say love, there are smileys, there are pictures of walls, trees, lots of things. Not, like, big pictures, just a little symbol right in the middle of the sentence. On the first five pages or so, I loved that idea, and though it was cute, but that didn't last long. It got annoying really quickly. Luckily, they only used those pictures in Naomi's chapters and not in the whole novel.


The previous Cohn/Levithan-collaborations I've read have been written from alternating perspectives of the two main characters. In this book, however, we don't only get to read from the main characters' points-of-view, but from lots of secondary characters, too - Bruce the First, a guy who has a crush on Naomi; Bruce the Second, Naomi's boyfriend who then starts going out with Ely; girl-Robin and guy-Robin, two friends of Naomi and Ely's; Gabriel the doorman who has a thing for Naomi; Kellie, Bruce the First's sister; and those are just the ones I can think of right now. For me, those are just too many different points-of-view - since there's so many, the authors couldn't give each of them a distinctive voice, it was hard to distinguish whom you were reading about, and it got confusing, especially because there's two Bruces and two Robins. I like the idea of showing so many different kinds of love, but the POVs were just too many for me.


What made it so hard for me to enjoy this novel is that I couldn't connect with the characters. It's partly that there's so many of them, but it's also the characters themselves - I just didn't like most of them. Naomi and Ely are both so full of themselves - I wanted to shake them and tell them to get over themselves and deal with their problems. I liked reading about their shared past, their families, and how close they were growing up - that part is adorable - but I couldn't stand the present Naomi and Ely. 


I liked girl-Robin and Kellie - those are the only somewhat sympathetic characters. The rest of the secondary characters are just as annoying as Naomi and Ely - Gabriel is cocky without really having anything to be cocky about; Bruce the First is plain pathetic; guy-Robin is a total ass; and Bruce the Second is okay for the most part but makes a stupid and injustified decision that made me dislike him, too.


Then there's the swearing. I had this problem with Nick & Norah, and I had it again with Naomi & Ely - there are way, way too many swear words. I don't have a problem with cursing in general, and it's not like I mind if a book uses a curse word every once in a while, but it's just too much in these books. They say 'fuck' on every page, for no apparent reason, so much so that it bothered me while reading, even though I'm not usually sensitive about that kind of thing.


Despite all of that, I actually did like the main story - it was nice to see how Naomi and Ely's relationship evolves over the course of the novel, and I liked seeing them figure out what role they play in the other one's life.


This book was really, really disappointing for me. Too many points-of-view and not very likeable characters made it hard for me to enjoy Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List, which is sad, since I really did like the authors' other collaborations. If you haven't read anything by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, I'd recommend starting with Dash & Lily's Book of Dares or Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist instead of this one.


If you've read this book, what did you think?

Review: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Title: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
Authors: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 272
Release date: October 26th 2010
Genre: Contemporary YA; romance
Source: Bought
Find out more: Amazon | Goodreads


Goodreads description:

“I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them... turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.” 
Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a shelf in her favourite bookshop, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept them. But is Dash that right guy? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?
From the authors of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist comes a warm and funny story that will leave you perusing bookshop shelves, looking for a red notebook of your own.

First sentence:

Imagine this: You're standing in your favorite bookstore, scanning the shelves.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars


Every year I need to read one Christmas-y book to get into a Christmas-y mood. And since I loved Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's first collaboration, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (review), and the cover of this one is adorable, I thought I'd give it a shot. And it definitely worked - Dash & Lily's Book of Dares is the perfect book for the holidays!


I love the whole idea for this book. The idea of the notebook is adorable, and I love how it got them into such random, crazy, hilarious situations that are so much fun to read about. Yes, it's cheesy and not all that realistic, but the whole story is just so adorable. I also loved how bookish this book is. (And yes, I do realize how stupid that sounds.) All the bookish references are all really interesting to read about.


I have to say, though, I like the notebook part better than the part where the actual Dash and Lily meet, just because I think their notebook-versions have better chemistry. They're still cute together, but they're not all that special without the notebook-storyline. Some parts towards the end are kind of slow, and I was disappointed by the ending.


The characters are what make this book work. I loved Lily - she's easy to relate to, shy and awkward but totally lovable. Dash's a great character too, so smart and sweet and amazing... A little too amazing, even - I can't imagine anyone as perfect as Dash actually existing. Nevertheless, they're both quirky characters with honest and entertaining voices. The secondary characters are great, too - it's hilarious to read about how their entire extended families helped them, and Boomer is just plain awesome.


Dash & Lily's Book of Dares made me want to go to New York so bad - I wanted to check out all of the places the two of them visited, the Strand and Max Brenner, especially. Max Brenner sounds so cool - they have chocolate syringes! I googled Max Brenner and they really do sell chocolate syringes! Getting off topic here, but I so need to go there.


Anyways, back on topic... Another thing I appreciated about Dash & Lily's Book of Dares is that  there isn't as much swearing in this one as there is in Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. The use of swear words is really overdone in Nick & Norah, in my opinion, and I'm glad it isn't like that in Dash & Lily.


One complaint I have, though, is the structure. The chapters are pretty long, and it goes back and forth between Dash and Lily's points of view. And since the chapters are longer, it'd sometimes be one day in this chapter and be the day before that in the next one, which got kind of confusing in parts.


Despite the problems I had with the structure and some slow parts towards the end, I definitely recommend it - Dash & Lily's Book of Dares is an adorably bookish romance that will warm your heart in the cold winter time!

Review: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Title: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
Author: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 192
Release date: January 1st 2006
Genre: Contemporary YA; romance
Source: Bought
Find out more: Amazon ; Goodreads

Goodreads description:

So you're a guy; you're at a band show and your ex, the girl who dumped you, walks in with the new guy. Looking for a safe exit, you ask the girl you happen to sitting with to be your girlfriend for five minutes . You're a girl; you're at a get-together and your least favorite female strolls in. The stranger sitting next to you asks you to be his five-minute date. So what do you? You lock lips . Nick and Norah's instant connect begins a roller-coaster "first date" that takes them through Manhattan and into themselves.

First sentence:

The day begins in the middle of the night.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Why did I wait for such a long time to read Rachel Cohn/David Levithan book? I'd heard their books were great, but waited until now to read one, which I now know was a mistake - Nick & Norah's Infinte Playlist is amazing! At first I was discouraged by its short length, but that wasn´t a problem at all - it´s a short read, but I felt like I spent years in Nick and Norah´s world.

I loved both main characters. Norah is easy to relate to and feel for. She's a likable character and I got her from the beginning on. Nick... Oh, Nick. He's just adorable. He´s so perfect, I wanted to pull him out of the book into real-life to have him all for myself. I loved the whole tone of the book; Nick and Norah´s voices are sweet and real, with great humor. There´s just something about the style that had me laughing out loud. I also love how, despite the humor, a subtle message of acceptance shone through, without being preachy.

But my love for Nick and Norah as individual characters is nothing compared to my love for Nick-and-Norah as a couple. They have great chemistry and are positively swoonworthy. Somehow, even though the book only covers one night, it seems like their romance develops gradually and naturally. I loved the whole idea for Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and the unique beginning and development of their relationship. I can´t even think about these two without smiling - this whole book just made me happy, made me want to hug somebody. I hate myself for not being able to explain this better - Nick and Norah are just so adorable!

Even though Nick and Norah are the only characters that play a really important role in this book, the secondary characters are great, too. I love how much we found out about Nick by reading about his relationship with his bandmates and Tris, and about Norah by reading about her relationship with Caroline, her parents and Tal. I didn`t quite get Norah's relationship with Tris, though. In the beginning, Tris is the girl Norah hates most in the world (it even says "least-favorite female" in the description), and then later, it turns out Norah, Caroline and Tris are actually sort of friends. I liked reading about Norah and Tris as almost-friends, but I didn´t get why in the beginning it seems like they're mortal enemies.

One thing that sort of annoyed me in this book, though, is the excessive use of swear words. Of course I don't mind that these characters swear - that's normal - but how often they swore seemed overdone to me, and that annoyed me after a while.

All in all, this is one heck of a book, despite its short length. Nick and Norah are a couple I'll continue to swoon about. This is the best romance I've read in a while, possibly all year. I'm looking forward to reading more by these two authors!

Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
(Amazon / Goodreads)

Goodreads description:

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, Will Grayson crosses paths with . . . Will Grayson. Two teens with the same name, running in two very different circles, suddenly find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, and culminating in epic turns-of-heart and the most fabulous musical ever to grace the high school stage. Told in alternating voices from two YA superstars, this collaborative novel features a double helping of the heart and humor that have won them both legions of fans.

First sentence: When I was little, my dad used to tell me, "Will, you can pick your friends, you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose."

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I love John Green, so I was excepting to enjoy his parts of the novel, but I hadn't read anything by David Levithan before Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and didn't know yet whether I'd like his parts. I immediately fell in love with John Green's Will Grayson. His hilarious, self-deprecating style fit this character perfectly. Will Grayson is awkward in a very relatable way, and I always enjoy those kinds of characters.

It took me longer to start liking David Levithan's Will Grayson, and while I know that's superficial, a main reason for that was the all-lowercase writing. That type of writing already annoys me online, and I didn't think I could take a whole book written like that. David Levithan's Will Grayson was hard to like, for me, and it was hard to relate to his angry, angsty (is that a word?) personality. Later on, though, his character grew on me, and I started to like him more once I understood the point of writing all lowercase. Actually, if I'm completely honest, I didn't really get the point - I thought it was to show how little he cares, with the depression and all. In the back of the book though, there's a conversation between John Green and David Levithan, where David Levithan explains his reason: His Will Grayson sees himself as a lowercase-person, especially since he projects himself mainly online (those are David Levithan's words, just so you know, not mine). That explanation made me appreciate and understand his Will Grayson more. And I started liking him even more once both Will Graysons met.

Anyways, as I expected from John Green, the writing in this novel is amazing. The metaphors are great, the writing is lively, and, I don't know how else to explain it, but his style is just so easy. David Levithan's writing and style matched John Green's perfectly. One of the things I like best about John Green's writing is how much it can make you feel, and David Levithan mastered that, too. This novel is  so hilarious it makes you laugh out loud at parts and so deep and touching it really makes you think at others.

The characters are great, too. All of them are complex and realistic, as well as their relationships. One of my favorite parts of the book was Tiny Cooper. I'm not sure why I enjoyed him so much - I'd imagine him to be obnoxious and kind of annoying if I met him in real life - but as a character he's just genius, and loads of fun to read about. I love how lightly this novel deals with homosexuality - not in a preachy, annoying "Oh my God, I'm gay, what will I do?" way, but in a realistic and honest way - some people are gay, and that's the way it is, so deal with it.

All in all, this is a great read - hilarious but with a touching message of acceptance. The writing and characters are great. I'm already a fan of John Green, and I will definitely read more by David Levithan in the future!