Will Grayson, Will Grayson in Mock Printz 2026

Apr 01, 2010 Lea rated it it was amazing

Will Grayson (the straight one), has two simple rules: Don't care too much and shut up. His best friend Tiny Cooper ("he may be the world's largest person who is really, really gay, and also the world's gayest person who is really, really large.") breaks these rules constantly. He seems to fall in love hourly, and he never stops talking. Will, who appears to just go through the motions of his life, follows reluctantly in Tiny's wake, and finds his social world expanding when he agrees to become Will Grayson (the straight one), has two simple rules: Don't care too much and shut up. His best friend Tiny Cooper ("he may be the world's largest person who is really, really gay, and also the world's gayest person who is really, really large.") breaks these rules constantly. He seems to fall in love hourly, and he never stops talking. Will, who appears to just go through the motions of his life, follows reluctantly in Tiny's wake, and finds his social world expanding when he agrees to become the only straight guy in the school's Gay Straight Alliance.

will grayson (the gay one), is isolated from everyone. He hates his friends and is emotionally shut off from everyone except his Internet boyfriend, Isaac. When will grayson heads to Chicago to meet Isaac on the same night that Will Grayson and Tiny Cooper are there for a music show, their lives and friendships change in unpredictable ways.

The first thing about this book is that it is laugh out loud funny. Not lol funny, which will grayson would hate, but laugh so loud the neighbors probably hear you funny. Initially the wit is restricted to the Will Grayson chapters, but as the novel continues, even will grayson experiences a little humor. I could quote endlessly from this book since there are so many sections that are hilarious.

Another thing to know is that the novel alternates between Will Grayson and will grayson. Will Grayson's chapters are more conventional, both in style and in structure, while will grayson uses no capitals and is very closed off. These chapters are will's stream of consciousness interspersed with excerpts from chats with Issac. Initially these chapters are harder to get through and understand, but as the novel progresses and will opens up they become easier to read.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson falls under the genre contemporary realistic fiction, and yet there is just a touch of magic to it. The characters in this book aren't perfect; they fail each other, and they fail themselves, but ultimately they get back up and try again. Male friendship gets the attention in this novel that I haven't seen anywhere else, and both Will and will interact with their parents in ways that are realistic and moving. There are no villains here, just as there aren't many villains in real life. There are simply people who do the wrong thing, who get scared and make mistakes, who let their friends down and then try to pick them back up.

I loved this book. It's as good as anything that I've read this year, and I'm probably going to force everyone I know to read it. This is definitely a book for the keeper shelf. ...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Jan rated it really liked it

Shelves: teenbooks, lgbt

I admit that my heart beat a bit faster when I saw this new book, co-authored by two of my favorite teen writers, John Green and David Levithan. This is a confessional coming of age story told by two different teens, both named Will Grayson. Will Grayson #1 avoids emotional entanglements, although he secretly craves them. His best friend, Tiny Cooper, a larger than life (literally) gay teen is the opposite of Will. Tiny embraces life and celebrates his sexuality. Will is not gay and sometimes wi I admit that my heart beat a bit faster when I saw this new book, co-authored by two of my favorite teen writers, John Green and David Levithan. This is a confessional coming of age story told by two different teens, both named Will Grayson. Will Grayson #1 avoids emotional entanglements, although he secretly craves them. His best friend, Tiny Cooper, a larger than life (literally) gay teen is the opposite of Will. Tiny embraces life and celebrates his sexuality. Will is not gay and sometimes wishes Tiny were not quite so flamboyant. But he supports his friend without hesitation and has even violated his "do not get involved" rule to stand up for Tiny's sexuality. Will #1 is secretly jonesing for a fellow comrade of Tiny's named Jane. But his ambivalence towards getting the relationship off the ground is keeping him from making any progress.

Will #2 is gay. He has a best friend named Maura and an online friend named Isaac, who Will #2 really is beginning to like as a possible boyfriend. Will #2 arranges a meeting with Isaac in Chicago and here is where these separate stories intersect. Both Wills, for different reasons, end up in a porn shop in Chicago and make a connection, after Isaac is a no show. Will #2 contacts Maura and learns that she invented Isaac as a ploy to find out if he is gay. Will is devastated. Tiny comes onto the scene and the sparks fly between Tiny and Will #2.

As the two Wills each struggle with their growing relationship pains, Tiny is busy planning a spectacular musical production about his life that will be the blockbuster climax of the novel.

As I was reading, I kept thinking how difficult it must be to create a cohesive whole out of these two separate threads. It's remarkable that they succeeded. The novel works, partly because the characters have similar, but parallel arcs. Both Wills are fearful of being too "out there" about their feelings, yet they are desperate for love. They maintain a detached exterior, thinking that will protect them from being hurt. Of course, that also keeps them from realizing their dream of a serious relationship. For both of them--as it is for many teens--the only truth that has meaning is love. The culminating event, Tiny's musical, was so wonderful that I immediately wanted to see it staged.

My one caveat about this novel was the fact that the dialogue was always archly sophisticated, almost as if both characters were in a play by Oscar Wilde. I loved it, but it also struck me as a bit too contrived at times. I have certainly met many teens who were very witty, but I wonder if they really have a quip for every situation. But this is a minor quibble. I loved this book. The characters are appealing and true. ...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Laura5 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobook, ya, 2011, award-winner, stonewall, favorite-audio, odyssey-award

This is an truly engaging story and a supremely fabulous audio book - there is a reason the audio version won an Odyssey Award Honor. I have pity for the next audio book I listen to.
My only sadness is that it is not really appropriate for my K-8 collection (as John Green states in the video below).

video of John Green that made me laugh:
http://youtu.be/nYpyyZwE9Yc
...more

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Dec 24, 2010 Dana Berglund rated it really liked it

Shelves: youngadult

I like John Green and I very much like David Levithan. This was a cute collaboration between them, though I would bet they essentially each wrote the chapters for one of the Wills. will (no caps) was quite depressed and rather depressing, which depressed me. I didn't think his chapters had enough...something to them. I felt for him, but I didn't quite believe him. Surprising since will was most likely David's creation. While Will (caps) wasn't completely believable to me either, his supporting c ...more

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Jan 25, 2011 Jess rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, young-adult, odyssey-honor

When I read the hardcover edition, I had this to say:

"A mostly-hilarious read for anyone who doesn't mind an over-the-top story and is not bothered by language/sex/etc. I know I just read it, but I've heard such good things about the audio version that I'm itching it pick it up. I'll never hear "Tiny Dancer" the same way again."

And then when the audio version received an Odyssey Honor, I HAD to give it a listen. Don't worry - it doesn't disappoint! The second time around I noticed more character ...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Chelsea rated it liked it

Shelves: ya

Will Grayson, Will Grayson alternates between the perspective of a couple of teenagers from different towns and schools, but with the same name. They meet when the two boys are going through semi crises in their own lives. However, their meeting is actually pretty comical. Each of the Will Graysons have their own distinct voice and personality. One is gay, the other straight. Although I was under the impression they both were through most of the book. I kept waiting for the other Will Grayson to ...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Christina Getrost rated it it was amazing

Shelves: humor, realisticfiction, lgbtq-ya

I loved this book! At times very funny and yet also deeply moving, you really get to like to the characters and feel for them when things go wrong. I loved the cleverness of having two main characters with the same name, who don't even meet until a few chapters in. Best friend Tiny is the most memorable character I've met in a long time: "not the world's gayest person, and he is not the world's largest person" but "the world's largest person who is really, really gay, and also the world's gayest ...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Monica rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011, teen

Even though I am not quite as much of a slobbering John Green fangirl as I once was, I still think he is one of the best YA writers working today.

WGWG worked for me, and even though I had a strong preference for the Will Grayson without an aversion to capital letters (sorry Mr. Levithan),I liked the structure as a whole. Fun, brave, and ultimately heartwarming, this was a whole lot of fun to get through.

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Apr 01, 2010 Mokamonkey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: teen-books

This one was excellent. The characters were well drawn and interesting - I especially loved Tiny, but then who wouldn't? It was great to have such a wide variety of gay characters from the stereotypical to the depressed to your average Joe teen. ...more

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Aug 18, 2010 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: youngadult, funny, audiobooks, sljbob2011, realistic, odysseywinnersandhonors, abrahamlincoln2013

Loved, loved, loved this book. Listened to the audio edition narrated by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl. Once the worlds of the two Will Graysons started intersecting, I just didn't want to stop listening. Despite all the romantic entanglements in the book, I loved that in the end it was all really about friendship. ...more

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Mar 20, 2011 Liz rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult

Ever wonder what would happen if John Green and David Levithan got together and wrote an awesome book that involved at least two Will Graysons and a fabulous musical?

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Dec 12, 2009 Danielle rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, ya, arc

4.5 stars (.5 taken off for a few minor quibbles with the text)

A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E.

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Nov 22, 2009 Tiff rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, tiffs-favorites, young-adult, read-in-2010

I. LOVED. This. Book!

I don't want to say too much since the copy I read was an ARC (book comes out in April, another 3 months away)...BUT:

I think it was the characters that I really fell in love with. Especially will grayson (not to be confused with Will Grayson, or o.w.g.). I just loved the depth of this character and his range of emotions throughout the story.

Ok, I won't spoil it by saying more!

...more

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Feb 17, 2010 Jess rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, high-school

A mostly-hilarious read for anyone who doesn't mind an over-the-top story and is not bothered by language/sex/etc. I know I just read it, but I've heard such good things about the audio version that I'm itching it pick it up. I'll never hear "Tiny Dancer" the same way again. ...more

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