Item: Two Boys Kissing
Rating: 5.00
Author: inlibrisveritas

by David Levithan

From the New York Times best-selling author of Every Day, another thoughtful and original perspective on relationships.

2014 Lambda literary award winner and 2014 Stonewall Honor Book, Two Boys Kissing explores how people fall in and out of love, and what is means to discover yourself.

The two boys kissing are Craig and Harry. They're hoping to set the world record for the longest kiss. They're not a couple, but they used to be.

Peter and Neil are a couple. Their kisses are different. Avery and Ryan have only just met and are trying to figure out what happens next. Cooper is alone. He's not sure how he feels.

As the marathon progresses, these boys, their friends and families evaluate the changing nature of feelings, behaviour and this crazy thing called love under the watchful eyes of a Greek chorus of a generation of men lost to AIDS. David Levithan connects recent history with the present moment in a novel that is both a celebration of equality and a memorial to a lost generation.

David is the New York Times best-selling author of Boy Meets Boy and Marly's Ghost. While among his many collaborations are Will Grayson, Will Grayson with Fault in Our Stars author John Green, and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist with Rachel Cohn, which became a major film. Tiny Cooper from Will Grayson, Will Grayson, now has his own novel: Hold Me Closer: The Tiny Cooper Story. David is also a highly respected children's book editor, whose list includes many luminaries of children's literature, including Garth Nix, Libba Bray and Suzanne Collins. He lives and works in New York.

Praise for Every Day:

'Every Day is a wonder.' Patrick Ness, author of Chaos Walking trilogy and A Monster Calls

Two Boys Kissing surprised me by being one of the rare books that truly pull me in and make me cry. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again I’m not a crier, and it takes a whole lot to make me break down. Levithan has provided a uniquely told story about several people that touched my heart and broke down my barriers.

At first I had some reservations about this book because of the unconventional style of the narrative. It’s told by a sort of Greek Chorus, which are a generation of gay men who passed away due to AIDs. At first it was a bit odd but after awhile it became an incredible way to learn everyone’s stories because in some ways the reader is not only reading about a group of teenagers but also about the men narrating the story. The narrative is incredibly honest and I appreciated the look at what it was like then, now and what it will be like for future generations.

The group of young men that this book centers are varied and not without their flaws, but each of their stories are heartfelt and there is something to be learned from them. Much of the book centers around Harry and Craig, who are determined to set a world record for the longest kiss in order to send a message that love is love and it shouldn’t matter what gender you are. Their story is intermingled with the others in varying degrees and in some cases affects their lives. This book is the human condition on display. We get to see those who have struggled and feel that they’ve lost, those who found themselves in a struggle but unable to do anything about it, those who have it ‘easy’, and those who make it difficult for others. Some of it is enough to make you cry and others makes you want to scream, and I was right there with the Chorus wishing and pleading with some of the characters.

I don’t readily pick up emotional books and when I do they almost always blow me away and leave me raw. Two Boys Kissing was no different. I’m incredibly glad that this was my last book of 2013 so that I ended on a high note. If you’ve been curious about this one then I urge you to go pick up a copy, grab a box of tissues and devour it.

Two Boys Kissing

by David Levithan

Reviewed by inlibrisveritas on Dec 31, 2013

Reading updates