Audiobook Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Title: Will Grayson, Will Grayson Written by: John Green and David Levithan Published: April 6, 2010 by Dutton (Penguin Group) (Amazon / Goodreads / Audible) Synopsis: Will Grayson meets Will Grayson. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers are about to cross paths. From that moment on, their world will collide and lives intertwine.  It's not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With a push from friends new and old - including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire - Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most awesome high school musical.

There are some books that just make you smile like an idiot while you read them, this is one of those books. Everything about the writing and the audio for this book just made me so happy. It was the perfect summer read with quirky characters, tons of humor, and character development that left me smiling when I finished.

I could say that I picked this up because I was looking for an audiobook to listen to on a long drive over the holiday weekend and I wanted a fun contemporary but that would only be half true. I picked this book up because it is narrated by two of my favorite narrators. And boy did they do a fantastic job here. Both MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl are brilliant at telling stories in a fun but serious way. Whether it is fantasy, science fiction, or contemporary they can develop a world and interesting characters in such a fantastic way. There is so much emotion in their voices and that was so perfect for this book.

 And they are perfect for this book because when it comes right down to it, this is a story full of emotion. But what I liked is that it doesn't beat you over the head with it. It walks that fine line between serious and humorous. At times it makes you laugh, then it makes you think, then it makes you feel sad (though admittedly not really all that sad). I love when contemporary reads are able to do that seamlessly and this definitely did. It had a pretty satisfying ending but along the way there are a few bumps.

It's tough to say if this is a coming of age story, a romance, both, or neither. Sure, there were romantic elements for both Wills but that really wasn't the focus which, I gotta say, I liked. It also had a really great story about friendship and acceptance but that may was kind of secondary too. The heart of this story is really about both finding out who you are and realizing those who love you will love you as you are. Both Will Graysons don't have an easy time figuring that out throughout the book which adds to a surprising amount of conflict both internally and externally. But the interesting thing is that they don't really go through a big change. By the end of the book their main development mostly is just being okay with who they are and their lot in life.

But that's what I liked about both main characters is that they did have good development throughout the book despite this not feeling like a cliche coming of age stories. Both of they're lives aren't easy but they are figuring them out. They weren't easy to like at times and are far from perfect. One Will Grayson, the MacLeod Andrews one, is incredibly surly. There are of course reasons for his hard exterior but at times he definitely comes off kind of mean and off-putting, but I think it worked. The other Will Grayson, the Nick Podehl one, is pretentious, at times self-centered, and often indecisive in the worst possible way. He doesn't know what he wants but what he really wants, I think, is to not have to decide. Throughout the book both characters soften a lot and start figuring out what they want and going for it. I liked their development despite it not being a typical coming of age story.

But we have to talk about the secondary characters. The one that ties them together and arguably the best secondary character is Tiny Cooper. The very out best friend of one will and love interest of the other. I loved Tiny for being 100% himself even when it's hard. Plus more than one of the funniest moments in the book came courtesy of Tiny. Then there is Jane who was not involved very much but was pretty likeable. Plus their parents who were all involved and engaged in a realistic way (a surprisingly refreshing thing for YA). In general I thought the characterization here was really good and two amazing narrators brought the characters alive.

On the whole this was a really good contemporary read and a fantastic audiobook. It walked the line between serious and funny with quirky characters who had good development throughout the book.

I give Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. This is a definite read for fans of contemporaries. I may be late to the game on this one but if you're later than me, pick it up. Plus it's really a fantastic audiobook so if you like them then you need this. And if you are looking for a fast read to make you smile then pick this up.

Book Review: Looking for Alaska

Title: Looking for Alaska Author: John Green Published: December 2006 by Speak Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: The award-winning, genre-defining debut from #1 bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars. Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award. Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. New York Times bestseller Before. Miles “Pudge” Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave “the Great Perhaps” even more (Francois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . . After. Nothing is ever the same.

I read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green about a year ago and really liked. My favorite part about the book was John Green's writing style. The voice of his characters was spectacular and a book that was heartbreaking still managed to be hilarious. I wanted to read another John Green book this month so I asked the experts (Twitter) and settled on Looking for Alaska after much debate with myself, others, and my best friend. And when the book was all over I was extremely happy with the choice.

My biggest trepidation with this book was the characters. The synopsis makes the title character of Alaska sound like a cliche "Manic Pixie Dream," a trope that I absolutely despise. And while Alaska had a lot of elements of the type she didn't feel cliche, she seemed to have a lot more depth that I had initially predicted. I enjoyed her story and learning more about her as the book developed. But maybe she didn't feel like a MPDG because of how her story developed.

And just like most John Green books there were tons of amazing and fantastic characters that felt realistic and complex. I was reading this book as part of my "Geek Books" month and these characters absolutely fit the built. They were all a litlle quirky and weird with something they were totally obsessed with. I was instantly a fan of the main character Pudge and his odd fascination with famous last words and his desire for experience "the Great Beyond." He was a great character to follow on a coming of age story like this. I also became totally enamored with "The Captain" who is completely hilarious and weird, and the other secondary characters like Takumi, Lara, and The Eagle weren't bad either. Mostly I really liked the relationship that they all had together. It was a genuine friendship and so fun to read about.

And like all John Green books, Looking for Alaska was full of laugh out loud moments and heartbreaking moments. At one point in the book I was ugly crying in the dark wondering how things could possibly continue with all the pain I was feeling, but when the book was over I was surprised to feel happy and satisfied. How something that ripped my heart out could proceed to put it back together I'll never know! If anyone can do it, John Green can. That is something few authors can do, and John Green is on that list! He is just another fine example that the Contemporary novels that I love are able to balance the heavy moments of life with lighthearted and happy ones.

This book perfectly captured what it feels like to be young. It communicated the angst and ecstasy that is being in love for the first time, losing someone you care about for the first time, and making your way in the world without really knowing who you are and who you want to be. It was all about exploration and ended up being a brilliant coming of age story that made me remember those days when the whole world was in front of me and it was up to me if I wanted to succeed or screw up. The book also took on a much deeper meaning as it examined more philosophical and spiritual ideas but avoided being too preachy with the concepts. It was a fun and engaging read that made you think and feel.

This is definitely a John Green book I would recommend to not only teens but adults. It does deal with some heavy concepts including sex, but it does it tactfully and expertly. I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book.

I give Looking for Alaska by John Green a 9 out of 10

I would recommend this book to fans of Young Adult Contemporary novels or someone looking for a book that will give them a good cry. This book will touch you deep in your soul, will rip your heart out, but you'll be happy about it!

Have you read Looking for Alaska? What did you think? Also what is your favorite John Green book? I'm hoping to read some more of his books but would love to hear your opinions on them. Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!