Boy Meets Boy

by David Levithan

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

This is normally the type of young adult book I would shy away from—a contemporary young adult romance novel. I am not a fan of happily ever afters in contemporary fiction. I like a bit of grit and hurt something more akin to real life.

I did enjoy listening to Boy Meets Boy. The full cast recording was well done and added to the story. It probably was one of the key factors to my positive reception of this modern teen romance. My one complaint would be the cheesy transition music. It felt a bit like I was listening a Charlie Brown animated holiday special. It almost cheapened the story and seemed unnecessary.

I do wish there was a bit more grit and hurt in Boy Meets Boy. The music and the upbeat narration of the main character made this story feel a bit like a caricature of real life and the other characters seemed larger than life and a bit unreal as result.

On the whole, Boy Meets Boy isn’t a bad book. Because it is contemporary fiction, I find it harder to relate to. The story that Boy Meets Boy is one that does need to be told and shared. The ups and downs of the romance felt real, but it felt like every chapter ended with a smiley face and all the i’s were dotted with hearts. I’m a little beyond this lovely dovey kind of story, but can see how others love this type of story and Boy Meets Boy is a stronger entry in this genre than others I have encountered.
This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews