Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

Synopsis:
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 legions of faithful fans.

My Review:
John Green co-wrote this with David Levithan where Green wrote the odd numbered chapters and Levithan wrote the even numbered chapters which is a very interesting concept. It was written from the point of view of two different guys who both had the name Will Grayson and one night their worlds intersect in Chicago leading them down the path that will change them forever.

Ok so this was not my favorite John Green book ever but in truth it was not just written by John Green. I thought Green did a great job and as always he completely understands his characters inside and out and his characters express themselves in a very honest way. I tolerated Levithan’s part because I understood it was integral to the story but in all honestly his part could have been left out and I would still understand what was going on in the story. To be fair Levithan did not have the most charismatic character to work with because he was suppose to be clinically depressed and could care less about the world. I get that and he did a very good job creating a character that was so self deprecating and pessimistic that it was making me depressed. His character also cussed up a storm using the F-bomb every other sentence. I am not opposed to or averse to using the occasional curse word here and there myself but I draw the line at the F-bomb because I do not like to say it or hear it. With literature I let that slide because for some reason reading it is not as bad so I don’t mind having an F-bomb or two worked in there. But seriously reading the F-bomb used four times or more a page is quite enough and it starts to take away from the story when used too much which is unfair to both the reader and the character. I started to get so annoyed with the character when I was suppose to empathizing with him and trying to understand the dark place he was coming from.

I also think the subject matter, meaning homosexual relationships, was not what I was expecting even though I am not sure what I thought the story would be about. But I applaud the authors for tackling what is considered to be a controversial topic not just among teenagers but people everywhere. I always try to be very open to many different types of books, issues, and characters because I always want to expand my thinking and ultimately my world. But I am not going to lie, some of it was strange for me to read just because I have not had an extensive amount of exposure to homosexuality in literature and it is going to take me some getting used to. I hope everyone can see this story for what it is: a story about friendships, relationships, and characters that are deal with real issues that are present everyday and can not and should not be ignored.

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Synopsis:When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. He's also a washedup child prodigy with ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a passion for anagrams, and an overweight, Judge Judy-obsessed best friend. Colin's on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which will predict the future of all relationships, transform him from a fading prodigy into a true genius, and finally win him the girl.

Letting expectations go and allowing love in are at the heart of Colin's hilarious quest to find his missing piece and avenge dumpees everywhere.

My Review:
While this was not my favorite John Green book, it was still an entertaining read. I was really fascinated by all the footnotes which had some cool facts and trivia that I did not know which made the story both enjoyable and educational. Now I will say there was not a huge amount of math in the story but there was enough to make me cringe. To be fair I have never liked or been good at math so reading those small portions of the book was a struggle for me and took the wind out of my sails. But it was a tool with which to fuel the story and was delivered in a very clever, witty, yet accurate way (Green hired an honest to goodness math genius to create and calculate a formula about relationships). With that said I am in awe of the level or first-rate storytelling and mathematical rigor that was juxtaposed to create a tale that teaches us what it means to really matter to both ourselves and others. I am always so amazed at how John Green can make statements that are both hilarious and profound. I will continue to read his stories as long as he writes them.

Paper Towns by John Green

Synopsis:
Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life--dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge--he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues--and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.

Printz medalist John Green returns with the brilliant wit and searing emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of readers.

My Review:
It’s official. John Green is one of my favorite authors of all time! Talk about a guy that can tell a story with such humor and depth that you are left wondering what just happened to you between reading the first page and finishing the book. I was afraid I would not like “Paper Towns” as much as “Looking for Alaska” but this book did not disappoint. I laughed so hard that tears almost rolled down my face. I actually listened to this book on CD which I highly recommend if you are into audio listening. The narrator did an amazing job with bringing the story and characters to life and he sounded exactly the way I would imagine the characters to sound.

What is wild is Green set this story in Orlando, FL which is another place I happen to know very well so I loved Q and Margo’s adventures up and down I-4 and all around the city. I also love Green’s view of the world in his books through the characters he creates and his take on love, friendship, and loss. He brilliantly addresses the issue of putting people we love on a pedestal and glorifying them in such a manner that there is no way the real person can possibly fulfill those expectations. Reality and fantasy come head to head as Q discovers that maybe Margo is not this vision that he imagined but just a normal and ordinary person like himself. How we chose to deal with and survive life’s disappointments says a lot about who we are which is something I took away from “Paper Towns.” I learn something every time I read his books about the nature of human beings and how complicated life can be. All in all a great read!

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Synopsis:
Before. Miles 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 (François 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.

My Review:
I really loved this book! It’s no wonder it won an award. This is the kind of book that strikes such a balance between harsh reality and moments that move you so beyond words you wonder if they could really happen. I think John Green has an amazing sense of humor and writes in a way that makes you feel like the story is familiar yet fresh. I was surprised by the language and some of the content but Green writes in such a way that those things are a secondary character. I thought I would be bothered by those things but the conversations were so funny I found myself laughing out loud way more than I normally do. I had no idea this book took place in Alabama and in Birmingham no less which I know a thing or two about. It made me feel like I was home and made the story much more personal. There were so many quotable lines that I kept trying to remember but gave up after realizing the whole book was just good. I think this is one story that will stay with me for a long time and I will read over again in the future.