Publisher:
Electric
Monkey
Release
Date: 27th
March 2014
Edition:
UK proof,
review copy
Other
Titles by this Author: Boy
Meets Boy, The Realm of Possibility,
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (with
Rachel Cohn), Are
We There Yet?,
Wide Awake, Naomi & Eli’s No-Kiss
List (with Rachel Cohn), Love is the
Higher Law, Will
Grayson, Will Grayson (with
John Green), The Lover’s Dictionary, Dash
& Lily’s Book of Dares (with
Rachel Cohn), Invisibility
(with Andrea
Cremer), Every
Day, How
They Met and Other Stories
The
two boys kissing are Craig and Harry. They are hoping to see the world record
for the longest kiss. They’re not a couple, but they used to be.
Peter
and Neil are a couple. Their kisses are different. Avery and Ryan have only
just met and are trying to figure out what happens next. Cooper is alone. He’s
not sure what he feels.
As
the marathon progresses, these boys, their friends and families evaluate the
changing nature of feelings, behaviours and this crazy thing called love.
Two
Boys Kissing was
one of my most anticipated boys of 2014 so I’m extremely pleased that it lived
up to expectations.
This novel feels a little
different to the others of his I’ve read. The message behind it was stronger,
as was Levithan’s narrative voice. The stories of Harry, Craig, Ryan, Avery and
Cooper are told from a lofty distance; the generation of people before the
heroes of Two Boys Kissing. A lot of
the focus is on how different life is for a person nowadays if they’re gay,
though it’s still far from what it needs to be. There is also a lot of
discussion about AIDS: how it was seen then, how it’s seen now and how it could
have been helped along a long time ago.
It’s an incredibly powerful
novel Levithan has written, and it’s empowering too. Through the different
relationships portrayed by the characters, their varying situations and the
people around them Levithan details the struggles of everyday life for people
who have come out. Craig and Harry are trying to bring this to the attention of
everyone by having two boys break the world record for the longest kiss. But they’re
also doing it for themselves. To make their families notice who they are and
what they suffer. To feel alive.
For the first time since
reading David Levithan’s books, Tow Boys
Kissing made me feel like maybe I wasn’t clever enough to fully understand
and appreciate David Levithan’s thought process and writing. He works on a
completely different plane to me and, ugh, his writing kills me. It’s just so
gorgeous and thought-provoking and completely unique. I really never have read
prose like his before.
Two
Boys Kissing is
important, empowering and completely stunning, but most of all it carries a
message to those suffering with their sexuality: your life is worth living.
Thanks to Electric Monkey for
the review copy.
Sophie
Can't wait to read this, it sounds great. And unusual! I've only ever read one book by David Levithan (I think) and am looking forward to changing that :)
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