Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
Published by Dutton books 2010
310 pages
Warning: This novel contains heavy language, drinking involving teens, homosexuality and crude references to sex.
Genre: Friends and Society, John Green

Will Grayson, Will Grayson is the story of two boys both named Will Grayson. One night in Chicago, their paths cross. Life begins to take surprising turns for both boys as they discover new reasons for living. One boy is amidst the production of his friends epic high school musical about love and loss, while the other is heartbroken and left with pieces to pick up and put back together.

This novel is interesting. Having read other John Green books which I loved, I was primarily interested in the writing of John Green. I did not particularly enjoy Davide Levithan and his writing style. The chapters he authored I found dry and the foul language was overused so much it just got annoying. John Green, on the other hand, portrays and narrates beautifully a character I never thought he would be able to connect with so well. Overall it was a fun novel to read, and I did enjoy the characters.

I felt like they were hard not to fall in love with. Their frailties and faults exposed made them so real, and I was able to appreciate their realistic characterization.

This novel is fun if you want to skim some chapters and are looking for something light and refreshing; but, only if you don't mind reading about homosexuality. It's nothing overly graphic, but it can be a little uncomfortable.

Looking For Alaska

Looking for Alaska, by John Green
Published by Speak Publishing
256 pages
Warning: This book is extremely explicit. I would not recommend it to readers any younger then 18. It contains very mature sexual content as well as drinking and drug use.

Looking for Alaska is by far the edgiest book I have read in my 20 years of life. Edgy, yet fabulous. Provocative, yet with important lessons to teach. This novel will expose readers to young adult difficulties and issues which some readers may never be exposed to otherwise.

The book revolves around the happenings of Miles, aka Pudge, and his new friends at a boarding school for high school students. Every conflict which enters the lives of young adults is in this book. Sex, drugs, smoking, drinking, love, friendship, pranks and death. I don't want to say too much, because one must simply experience the power of this book, not knowing what to expect. The format of the book is also interesting, as each "chapter" heads with "156 days before." Then, an event happens, and the rest of the novel "chapters" begin, "6 days after" and so on. It is a fascinating read, and these characters are real.

Because this book is so explicit, it brought up the issue of censorship for me. After reading this book, I have found that it is appropriate for me to say that a book is personally not appropriate for me. But, to say that a book is inappropriate for anyone to read is wrong; and for me, as a future teacher, to keep any students from reading this book simply because it went to far for me is wrong. The same thing applies to parents; parents can say that a book is too edgy for their child. But, to say that a book is too edgy for any child or for anyone, that is crossing the line with censorship and I believe that is wrong. But I think that a person censoring what they read personally is perfectly acceptable, especially when it comes to books like this one.

I think that John Green addresses this same issues in the following video. It is important for all students, parents and teachers to watch.