Will Grayson, Will Grayson discussion

Will Grayson, Will Grayson—John Green and David Levithan
Review by Dylan Wong

Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a story of two different teenage boys with the same name. Aside from sharing the same name, they both live quite different lives. One Will struggles with his depression and homosexuality. He finds it irritatingly difficult to express his emotions and display affection towards his loved-ones. The other Will attempts to gain the courage to truly illustrate his thoughts and emotions towards certain people that are close to him. Eventually, their separate lives collide at a rather unusual location in Chicago. This collision sparks an introduction to whole new relationships and insights. This book reveals the realistic struggles of modern teenagers in an in-depth and humorous style.

This book has proved to be one of my favorites. I was surprised at the accuracy of Green’s and Levithan’s accuracy at describing modern teenage boys’ thoughts and behaviors. They used a clever style of sarcastic humor that would make you laugh. I found the character development to be impeccable, as two gloomy, depressed teenage boys were able to transform personalities and express emotions that they have not experienced. I initially expected this book to have typical, young adult literature, but these two authors created a pleasantly mature book that allowed me to process new insights. My favorite part of the book was the ending. It wasn’t a cheesy ending, but a realistic one that did not leave me unsatisfied. To truly understand its ending, you would have to read the entire book, and acknowledge the tiniest of details.