"there's hurt. there's pain and there's hurt-and-pain-at-once.
i am experiencing hurt-and-pain-at-once."
(Will Grayson)
Will Grayson, Will Grayson is about two people who have the same name, Will Grayson. Both Will Grayson's lives intertwine when they unexpectedly end up at the same place at the same time on the same night. Such an awkward and hilarious way for both Will Grayson's to meet!
I did not expect to enjoy a book where two different authors who have unique writing styles write a book about two different characters and seamlessly blend their lives and their stories, until I read Will Grayson, Will Grayson. However, I did prefer David Levithan's characters and writing style over John Green's.
The Will Grayson that John Green writes is a bland and boring character. John Green does have a tendency to write similar stories and characters. In Will Grayson, Will Grayson, we have the quirky main character who shuts up and avoids sharing his opinions and showing that he cares, the loud best friend and a kind-of unattainable love interest with maniac pixie dream girl tendencies. In true John Green fashion, Will and Jane are also pretentious. Every time I was reading from Green's Will Grayson's POV, I was bored and uninterested.
The Will Grayson that David Levithan writes is such a unique character. He is complex, gay, angsty, depressed, has an 'I hate the world and everything in it' attitude and is a tad bit mentally unstable. I can totally understand Will Grayson's character and I really click with his sense of humour. I also appreciate that Will's depression is written as a part of who he is. Will's narration is definitely one of my favourites.
Then there's Tiny who is huge, loud and larger than life. Tiny is literally the main character of Will Grayson, Will Grayson. He's the star of the show. He knows both Will Grayson's and is involved in their character development. John Green's portrayal of Tiny is stereotypical and I was happy to see a little of Tiny's dimensions and insecurities in Levithan's chapters. Tiny is also a creator of a musical about his life and while reading about it, I felt like I was watching an episode of Glee. The musical is cute, happy, gay (in the best of ways) and at times inappropriate and rude. In hindsight, the events that occur in the musical is quite unrealistic, but I really enjoyed reading about it.
Whether you enjoy this book or not, will depend on your feelings towards the characters. They can be selfish and annoying, but there are moments that make them relatable and endearing. After reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson I'm definitely interested in reading more David Levithan books.
"i will admit there's a certain degree of giving a fuck that goes into not giving a fuck. by saying you don't care if the world falls apart, in some small way you're saying you want it to stay together, on your terms." (Will Grayson)