February 19, 2014

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Our kisses were seismic. When seen by the wrong person, they could destroy us. When shared with the right person, they had the power of confirmation, the force of destiny.
-from Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

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Based loosely on actual events, Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan is a web of stories woven together surrounding two boys who are aiming to break the Guinness World Record for Longest Kiss at approximately 32 hours. A chorus of gay men who died of AIDS in a previous generation narrate the stories, ranging from a budding gay relationship, to a lukewarm long-term gay relationship, to a single gay teen addicted to online sexual encounters. What manifests from these stories is a poetic and precise articulation of the multi-faceted experience of a gay teenager coming of age in a quickly changing social atmosphere.

I don't think I've ever highlighted a book so much in all my life. There are so many poignant, painful and beautiful passages in this book that any reader can relate to, gay or straight. Personally, I'm a straight female supportive of the LGBT movement, but aside from my personal beliefs, this was ultimately a book about love and identity. What makes this book so relatable on any level is that most teenagers (if not all) go through a struggle of identity; viewing this development through the lenses of gay teens and young adults is similar to the general struggle only magnified and even more lonely.

The narration coming from a chorus of gay men from a previous generation who died of AIDS gives them the knowledge and experience to relate to this new generation; the disconnect between generations gives the reader the insight not to take the current state of LGBT rights movement for granted. Through the narrative we can see how far we've come, but through the stories we see how far we still need to move forward. As I mentioned before, the poetic prose used in this book is just beautiful; but it's the insight of the narrators that give it the substance necessary for comprehension and motivation to change.

Overall and based on my experience amongst the LGBT community, I found these stories honest, authentic, and moving. Levithan does not leave anything out in the spectrum of the gay experience, from good and bad experiences, coming out of the closet, supportive parents, passive parents, hateful parents, navigating relationships with added pressure, etc; everything is included without sounding pedantic or pandering to the LGBT audience. I think this book can be appreciated by a wide audience and has the power to change negative opinions and chip away at homophobia. I would love to hear a future narrative of the generation featured in this book as they tell the story of future generations. Although on second thought, hopefully the next generation won't face as much adversity to have such an interesting story to tell.

Bottom Line: A must read! Beautiful articulation of the modern LGBT experience juxtaposed by the AIDS-generation of the 1980s. 5/5 Stars

5 comments:

  1. i don't know if i would be able to read this book. whoops. today i managed to finish The Racketeer by John Grisham. my first book in 2014, and i feel like i just won a triathlon. ha!

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  2. Ok I didn't read your review because I am reading this RIGHT NOW!!! I will come back after I'm done and see what you said. But from the 5 star rating, I at least know you liked it!!

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  3. I found your blog yesterday and have added you to my reading list and blogroll. I enjoyed your review because I may have passed over this read as YA but the narration and backstory of deceased gay men gives a whole angle I wouldn't expect from the cover.

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  4. I really want to read this one! It sounds so lovely and your review makes it sound lovelier. "What makes this book so relatable on any level is that most teenagers (if not all) go through a struggle of identity; viewing this development through the lenses of gay teens and young adults is similar to the general struggle only magnified and even more lonely."

    "Through the narrative we can see how far we've come, but through the stories we see how far we still need to move forward. As I mentioned before, the poetic prose used in this book is just beautiful; but it's the insight of the narrators that give it the substance necessary for comprehension and motivation to change."

    Love these quotes and your whole review! It sounds so great, I'm glad you liked it and I hope to get to it soon!

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  5. Ok finished!! Great review!! I don't know what the heck I'm going to say in mine now bc you've said everything so beautifully. I totally agree that the identity struggle all teens go through would totally make this book relatable to anyone- gay or straight. I really liked reading from the POV of the older generation and wish there was a little more of their stories mixed in.

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