I don't know if this is because gay romance is a harder thing to sell in a different market (like adult or children's), or if publishers think teenagers relate to sexuality the most and don't think other people experience it too. I think that's not true, because I'm pretty sure there are kindergartners right now who may have different kinds of feelings (feelings for same sex, want to be different gender), but don't feel as if they can read anything that supports that.
Young adult fiction had that phase too, and this was one of the books that changed it. Boy Meets Boy was first published in 2003 (another well-known YA book with LGBT characters, Geography Club, was also released in that year) and was very blunt about what it was. When you see the title of the book and relate that to the candy hearts, you immediately know "This is a gay romance". Some people would turn away at this point, but I was very much intrigued. Like I said before, I love reading about guys kissing (the fanfictions have affected my brain), but I also knew that this book was going to be a light and fluffy read filled with fun times (my brother also absolutely adored it).
So how was this book? Were the 185 pages (yes, that's how long it is) cute and fun, filled with a cute romance, real teen issues, and things I could relate to? Or was it a disappointment?
I'm really happy to say that this book was anything but a disappointment. Even though its length may work against some readers, Boy Meets Boy is a heartwarming story with versatile and colorful characters, a cute romance that had my heart turn into mush, and a town that may be close to actually becoming a reality.
The book focuses on a gay high school sophomore named Paul who has great friends, a supportive family, and a nice life. One Saturday night, Paul is out on the town with his friends and goes into a bookstore concert, where he meets a boy named Noah. He's instantly attracted to him.
"This yours?" a voice above the sneakers asks. I look up. And there he is. His hair points in ten different directions. His eyes are a little close together, but man, are they green. There's a little birthmark on his neck, the shape of a comma. I think he's wonderful."
However, things are complicated, more than what they first seem. For starters, Paul is facing problems with his friends. Joni, his closest confidante since childhood, has started to date someone that's viewed as a jerk.
"I wasn't expecting this to happen." "Which part? Falling for Chuck, or having to admit it?" "Don't get hostile." I sigh. Early signs of defensiveness are not good. "Look," I say, "you know as well as I do what Chuck did after Infinite Darlene rejected him. He trashed her locker and bad-mouthed her to the whole school." "He was hurt." "He was psycho, Joni." Joni shoots me a look.... We've been best friends too long to fight each other over this. We both know that."
Paul's other friend, Tony, is struggling to be himself because his parents are conservative, and even though they love him, they think he's damned because of his sexuality.
"They think that being gay is going to mess up my whole life. I can't prove them right, Paul. I have to prove them wrong. And I know I can't prove them wrong by changing myself or by denying what I really am. The only way for me to prove them wrong is to try to be who I am and show them it's not hurting me to be that way. In two years I'll graduate. I'll be gone. But in the meantime, I have to find a way to make this work."
And even though Paul's relationship with Noah grows stronger every day, his ex-boyfriend, Kyle, wants to reconnect.
"...the past month or so-I tried to stop thinking about you, and I couldn't. I just couldn't. I don't expect you to understand, but I can't avoid it anymore. I can't avoid you anymore."
What's Paul to do? Can he love Noah without hurting Kyle? Can he find a way to fix his friendship with Joni without tearing them apart? And what's he going to do when everything falls apart?
The first thing that makes this book a great read are the characters. David Levithan has crafted a diverse group of people who call a town in New Jersey home. There's the cheerleaders who ride Harley's, the person who owns the video store and organizes the movies in absurd categories, and the drag queen named Infinite Darlene who plays on the football team and is also homecoming queen (she's an absolutely hilarious character). All of them add little specks into the story (Infinite Darlene especially, as she plays a bigger role) that make it a little more quirky than it already is.
If you can't already tell, the city that Boy Meets Boy is set in is very different from other things you might find in realistic fiction. Everyone is super supportive of people being who they want to be, and it's refreshing to see that. Sure, discrimination would have added some drama (there is one short section about this in the book), but the book doesn't need it. Boy Meets Boy may focus on a character who's gay, but sexuality is not the main focus of the book.
Some people who have reviewed this book argue that this makes the book unrealistic (some reviews even dating back to this decade), but I disagree with this. Sure, not involving anti-gay people in the town may make the story have a utopia situation, but I think we're reaching more to this point in the past 12 years since this book has been published. Just this past June, gay marriage was legalized in all 50 states in the US, and now men and women can be married to someone of the same sex without having to go to a different state, which is wonderful. This may not fit the ideal that Boy Meets Boy presents, but we're taking further steps toward it with every decision.
Another thing that makes the book click for me is the writing. At first glance, I thought this book was going to have simple writing, and even though it does, Levithan's words flow with personality. Paul's narration crackles with humor, depth, and happiness, making him an instantly likable lead. The way he describes things is easy to understand and relate to, but when the words get descriptive, it works beautifully.
Some people who have reviewed this book argue that this makes the book unrealistic (some reviews even dating back to this decade), but I disagree with this. Sure, not involving anti-gay people in the town may make the story have a utopia situation, but I think we're reaching more to this point in the past 12 years since this book has been published. Just this past June, gay marriage was legalized in all 50 states in the US, and now men and women can be married to someone of the same sex without having to go to a different state, which is wonderful. This may not fit the ideal that Boy Meets Boy presents, but we're taking further steps toward it with every decision.
Another thing that makes the book click for me is the writing. At first glance, I thought this book was going to have simple writing, and even though it does, Levithan's words flow with personality. Paul's narration crackles with humor, depth, and happiness, making him an instantly likable lead. The way he describes things is easy to understand and relate to, but when the words get descriptive, it works beautifully.
"The music begins, drifting into the room like a perfumed scent. I touch the brush to the paper and try to make it soar in time with the song. I swoop it down, then up again. I am not painting a shape. I am painting the tune. The song continues. I wash my brush and try different colors. The sunflower yellow settles in patches, while the tomato red flirts over the lines of purple. Another song begins. I reach for a blue the color of oceans."
Passages like these are frequent throughout the 185 pages, and I was floored by every single one. This description of painting is one of the most beautiful out of the book, and I included it for that reason.
There was really only one big problem with this book. The conflict with Joni and Paul never really had a full resolution, which was a little disappointing. It may not have been the main problem, but it would have been nice if Paul had said he and Joni were still friends without the actions telling us (I'm going to believe their friendship has recovered, but I don't know for sure).
I also think the beginning could have been stronger, as I wasn't fully invested in this book until about maybe 30 pages in. I also think some side characters should have been featured more (Infinite Darlene in particular was a great one, so I'm really happy she got a side story in the 10th Anniversary edition, which is the one I read), and the sympathy that Paul showed to Kyle felt unneeded to the latter person.
But some of the small stuff is me nitpicking, because this book was pure, unadulterated fluff peppered with some seriousness, but it was still above all an adorable and fun book that had me smiling throughout it. If you liked Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, love gay romance, or want something light and fluffy, your wish has been granted. Boy Meets Boy is available from Random House under the Alfred A. Knopf and Ember branches in hardcover, paperback, e-book, and Kindle formats. There's also an audiobook available from Full Cast Audio that is available through Audible and iTunes (it's currently out of print physically).
Let me end this review by giving you what Boy Meets Boy is in two GIF's. It's this:
Let me end this review by giving you what Boy Meets Boy is in two GIF's. It's this:
meets this:
So yeah...good times. Until next time!
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