Boy Meets Boy

Title: Boy Meets Boy 
Author: David Levithan
Published: Sept., 2003
ISBN: 9780375832994
Pages: 185
Price: $8.95
Reading Level: 7th grade
Reading Interest: 8th grade and up
Genre: Romance, Fiction, LGBTQ
Awards: Lambda Literary Foundation Award (2003), ALA's Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2004)
Plot Summary: Paul is a gay high school sophomore who attends a high school like no other. For one thing Paul's high school has a transvestite quarterback named Infinite Darlene. And when the Boy Scouts wouldn't accepting gay members his town formed the Joy Scouts instead. Then enters Noah who is new to the school and Paul falls for him but high school is complicated and relationships aren't easy. Paul struggles to balance his new relationship as well as heal an old one with his ex-boyfriend, Kyle who had spread rumors about Paul after their breakup. To make matters worse, Paul's best friend Joni is barely speaking to him and spends all her time with her jerk boyfriend Chuck. Then there is Paul's gay friend Tony who is struggling to deal with his ultraconservative parents who don't approve oh his gay lifestyle. Can Paul balance all his relationships and still keep Noah?
Review: Boy Meets Boy is a very sweet love story that just happens to feature two teenage boys. The fact that they are gay is just a detail of the story rather than the focus. Instead the book really focuses on relationships like the one between Paul and Noah as well as the other relationships that Paul has with his friends and family. It explores the ups and downs of relationships with all their complications. The book really highlights that no matter what kind of relationship whether romantic, gay or straight they all have problems and all people go through similar problems in their own life. Levithan really makes Paul's issues very relatable and shows that gay teens struggle through many of the same problems as straight teens, it in a way helps normalizes the gay lifestyle. It's refreshing to see a book not focus so much on the issues of being gay but rather just the issues of being a teenager and managing relationships with people. This could really help teens who are may be gay realize that they aren't that different from their straight friends, that they are in deed normal.
Reader's Annotation: Paul is your typical high schooler well if you don't include his transvestite quarterback friend Infinite Darlene, but at Paul's high school Infinite Darlene is pretty typical. Paul falls for Noah, a new student but seems aren't always as easy as it seems. When Paul's ex boyfriend tries to get him back Noah isn't too thrilled. Will Paul loose Noah or can he some how balance his relationships and still get through high school?
Book Talk Ideas: For the book talk I think focusing more on the relationships is important. Some teens might get hung up on that it's two boys rather than it's a love story between two people. So I think it's important to put the focus on the relationship end. Like Paul's relationship with his ex, with his best friend who is drifting away and his new relationship with Paul. Teens will relate to that whether they are gay or straight.
Issues Present: Any book that features a gay relationship is sure to upset some people who find objections the the gay lifestyle. They may feel the story normalizes the gay lifestyle and that it is some how part of a "gay agenda".
Main Themes: sexuality, LGBTQ, relationships, romance, friendship
Bibliotherapeutic Usefulness: The book provides gay teens with a very pleasant and fun romance that doesn't get bogged down with negative reactions over the characters sexuality. Paul is very confident and comfortable with himself and he may help teens who are struggling with their sexuality feel more comfortable with who they are. Overall the story is helpful because it depicts gay relationships in a positive light and both straight and gay teen teens can relate to the relationship ups and downs that Paul goes through throughout the story.
Read alikes: Tale of Two Summers by Brian Sloan, The Straight Road to Kylie by Medina Nico
Author Website: http://www.davidlevithan.com/
Professional Reviews: Publisher's Weekly
Kirkus Reviews
Why Choose this book? The book represents a gay high school relationship and shows that it is much like a straight relationship. It can help teens who are gay feel more accepted and normal with their relationships because they are being represented in a positive light in literature. Also, David Levithan wrote a great book that is enjoyable to read and teens looking for a romance will enjoy the love story he has created.