Review - Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
Read by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl
Publisher: Brilliance Audio 2010
Audio CD 7 sound discs 7 hr 57 min

Told in alternating chapters, the authors spin a story of two teens, both of whom are named Will Grayson who meet each other one fateful night. One of the Will's is a typical "average" boy. A smart nerd who lives by the rules "don't care too much" and "shut up" guarantee himself a background role in the play that is High School life. Well, that would be the case, except for the fact that his best friend, an auspiciously named teen called Tiny Cooper, is very loud, very large and very, very gay. The other will grayson (always referred to in the lower case) is an angry loner who feels completely alienated from everyone at his school. Confused about his sexuality and an outcast at his school, will finds escape in an online relationship with "Isaac".

When the two Wills finally meet, it is Tiny Cooper that steals the show. In fact, this book could probably just be called "Tiny Cooper" and it would make about as much sense. The story follows the two Wills as Tiny tries to stage an autobiographical musical about his life, himself starring in the lead role. The book is full of comic one liners, most provided by Tiny himself, and will make you laugh out loud. The sexual language may push this novel beyond the comprehension of middleschoolers, but most teens will find this story of love and friendship refreshingly modern and funny.