This book was fine. It was alright, mildly entertaining, but not a book I would actually own or buy for anyone else. The parts I like the best were also the least realistic and didn’t give cause for investment in the characters. The parts I hated were the parts that read absolutely true to what it’s like being a teenager; depression, self-doubt and awkward loves.
I’m really struggling to say anything else about it. I will say that it’s a great vacation read in that people could easily talk to me, I’d look up to reply, loose my spot on the page, pick of somewhere else randomly and lose absolutely nothing of the plot.
What’s the plot you may ask. I’m afraid if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me…ready? Here goes:
Will Grayson is a teenager whose main distinguishing feature is that he has an enormous black gay friend called Tiny. Tiny is all out there in his Gayness and is writing a musical about how he has a ton of boyfriends love.
will grayson, aka. the other Will Grayson (henceforth OWG) is living with his single mother in Chicago, depressed with a sweet online gay boyfriend.
OWG is going to meet up with online boyfriend, travels to Chicago, but then it turns out online boyfriend was a scam! Instead he ends up in a porn shop where he meets Will Grayson who’s there for…plot reasons I guess.
Then OWG meets Tiny and the two gay people start dating. Then musical, drama, Will Grayson falls in love, a weird subplot about Schrödingers cat and then more musical, drama, big dramatic gesture. FIN.
I liked Tiny and Will’s story of friendship. I hated OWG. And I was completely uninvested all the way through. Not so much of a cackle in something that was supposed to be a funny book. It’s biggest selling point is that it’s well-intentioned in its diversity; although it lives in a world where coming out as gay is no-big-thing (as it shouldn’t be). I struggled with this portrayal: should it be more honest in representing some of the horrible experiences young people have with coming out…or should it set an example by treating it as completely normal? Different people will probably want different things.
So. Read with caution. Results may vary.