Will Grayson, Will Grayson? Yes! Yes!

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Description from Goodreads:

“One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them both legions of faithful fans.”

Let me begin by saying I love audio CD’s. I rarely start my car without a book in my CD player. My love for them began when my work commute was one hour each way; now it is only about 10 minutes so books take longer, but they are still a part of my everyday life.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson is read/performed by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl. Having 2 people, one for each Will Grayson, proved to be very useful. I thought they did an excellent job bringing together a complex duo of stories into one cohesive audio event. An especially interesting part of the audio experience was hearing some of the “singing” of the songs in Tiny Cooper’s musical.

While, for many, Tiny Cooper is the favorite character, I have to say that the Will Graysons (or is that Wills Grayson???) are my favorites. I think they represent the moody, funny, concerned, peer pressured, harried, and at times, haunted teen population.

The book illustrates that, while there may be differences (one Will is straight, the other gay), the similarities are what bind us. The need to be loved and noticed coupled with the need to be invisible and left alone - divergent needs but equally strong - are explored through the tracks of this audio book.

Two authors, one straight (John Green) and one gay (David Levithan) collaborating enabled them to explore these similarities and differences. All of this coupled with the humor and fabulousness which is Tiny Cooper. This was on my “to be read” list and I am thrilled that I got a chance to listen to it sooner than I thought I would!