At a high school where the star quarterback is also the prom queen, Paul is your average gay teen. And this is the ordinary story of how he met the boy of his dreams.
My favourite part of this book is that it is so ordinary. This is a romance story in it’s simplest forms: boy meets boy. Often in gay lit the focus is on coming of age, coming out of the closet, and homophobia, and while these topics are still touched upon they are not the focus.
The high school/town where the story takes place is exactly how I hope our future high schools and towns will look. The characters are memorable, but not only for their sexuality. I loved reading about Paul and Infinite Darlene and Noah and Joni and everyone because they felt like real people. Real people that I would love to get to know.
It’s a very quick and sweet read. This is not the first book I’ve read by David Levithan, but it’s my favourite, and I suddenly understand why everyone loves him so much.
Books with similar aspects
Will Grayson/Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
recommended to romance fan and those looking to broaden their reading horizons outside of the regular hetero-focused novels.
not recommended to those looking for something preachy
Don’t just take my word for it!
“… he [David Levithan] does what very few authors manage these days – to write a story with honesty and love…” –Katya
Don’t know why it’s taken me so long to comment on this review. This is such a fabulous book because you’re right it’s just contemporary love story just like all the hetero-contemporary love stories in YA. There should be more books like this.
One day books like this will be the norm, and I will smile.
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