Boy Meets Boy FROM OUR EDITORS
The Barnes & Noble Review from Discover Great New Writers
Readers know they're in for something different when the "About the Author" blurb informs them the author was not born in France, did not go to Oxford, and did not write War and Peace or Babysitters Club #8. And "something different" certainly describes Boy Meets Boy, a hilarious and delightful story about one teenager's sophomore year.
The story's narrator is Paul, who, like most teenagers, is preoccupied with love and its attendant feelings. However, Paul is gay. He has "always known it," and his kindergarten teacher confirmed it on Paul's report card: "Paul is definitely gay and has very good sense of self." But in high school, things are a bit more complicated. No, it's not what you're thinking. The world in which Paul lives is utterly devoid of homophobia. It's Paul's love life that's complicated. See, Paul finds himself crazy about a new boy, Noah, but is leery of letting his ex-boyfriend, Kyle, know it. Then there's Paul's best friend, Joni, who is dating Chuck, whom everyone hates -- especially Infinite Darlene, the drag queen who serves as both homecoming queen and star quarterback at Paul's high school, which gives a whole new meaning to the term "progressive."
No, this is not your father's high school! Levithan has created a kind of utopia, where tolerance reigns and shame is banished. But in other ways, the school feels abundantly familiar. A typical day for Paul involves passing secret notes, a between-class rendezvous, clandestine kisses, friendly misunderstandings -- all the machinations of high school that seem much more important than plain old academics.
Boy Meets Boy is a marvelous fiction debut, a funny and inspiring novel, and a perfect choice for stimulating discussions about why the world we inhabit stands in such sharp contrast to that of Paul and his friends.
(Fall 2003 Selection)
FROM THE PUBLISHER
This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance.
When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he's found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul's not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.
This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
In this gay love story, debut author Levithan imagines a community where sexuality is not a source of conflict. At the high school his characters attend, a drag queen named Infinite Darlene reigns as "both star quarterback and homecoming queen" and there are Joy Scouts instead of Boy Scouts ("When the Boy Scouts decided gays had no place in their ranks, our Scouts decided the organization had no place in our town"). Narrator Paul is a sophomore who has known he's gay since kindergarten. He has supportive parents and friends, and has had a couple of relationships before he meets Noah, who's new to town. But just as their relationship is taking off, Paul's old boyfriend decides he wants him back, and Paul kisses him. Now Paul has to "show" Noah he's serious about him. The story line takes second place to the elements of the setting. The author creates a real wonderland: the cheerleaders ride Harleys, the school fields a quiz bowling team (its captain "score[s] a strike while listing the complete works of the Bront sisters") and the students frequent a Veggie D's (vegetarians ran the "usual processed-slaughterhouse fast-food joint" out of business, and now the place serves items like Tofu Veg-Nuggets). Most of these eccentricities work well, although a few seem forced (and some seem dated, e.g., references to the TV show Dallas and lyrics by The Smiths) and several subplots pall. Those who enter Levithan's sweet new world will find a refreshing, offbeat romance. Ages 12-up. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature - Patricia Silverberg
Boy Meets Boy depicts the confusing love life of a gay teenager. The main character Paul has a strong attraction to Noah, the new boy in town. However, Paul's ex-boyfriend still has strong feelings for him and wants to rekindle their relationship. Meanwhile, Tony, Paul's best friend, contends with his parents' strict religious views against his homosexuality, and Joni, Paul's straight female friend, contends with her controlling ex-boyfriend and her questionable new one. As Paul tries to be there for everyone, his life becomes one big jumble similar to a character's in a Shakespearean comedy. This touching story focuses upon the emotions and humor involved in teenage relationships. If the book did not start with an introductory chapter filled with gay stereotypes, it would have a strong appeal to any teenager. The stereotypes serve to de-humanize the characters rather than present them as ordinary teens with human problems. Positively, the story progresses with strongly developed characters that carry the rich storyline, making the book an enjoyable read. 2003, Borzoi Book, Ages 15 to 18.
VOYA - Cynthia Winfield
Levithan's novel is a lighthearted romp through the complications of high school relationships. After Paul meets Noah in a bookstore, Paul knows he is smitten when he refuses to divulge details to Joni-his closest female friend since before she assisted his successful campaign to become "the first openly gay class president in... Mrs. Farquar's third grade class." Paul, comfortable with his sexuality since labeled "definitely gay" in kindergarten, enjoys another chaste yet incredibly close friendship with Tony-who attends another school, has religious fundamentalist parents, and struggles with being gay. Tony and Paul are so in tune that they often complete one another's homework assignments for fun. With two best friends, Paul has support when Kyle, "the only straight boy [he] ever kissed," leaves and then reenters his life-complicating Paul's budding relationship with Noah. In a town that shunned Boy Scouts for the more inclusive Joy Scouts, being a gay teen is no more difficult than being straight. Boys walk hand-in-hand without repercussions. The high school's homecoming queen, Infinite Darlene, is also its star quarterback, and the school's rich-kid bookie, Rip, provides odds on nearly everything-including Paul's chances with each of the boys in his life. Hilarious, romantic, and optimistic, the story provides another view of what life could be like if the world were more accepting, showing how youth solidarity can overcome the fears of the most homophobic parents. This title is a keeper for public and secondary school libraries; purchase multiple copies if there is a Gay-Straight Alliance in town. VOYA Codes: 5Q 4P J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YAappeal; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Knopf, 208p,
School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-High school sophomore Paul lives in a present-day gaytopia, where boys come out of the closet to become class president, and the Gay-Straight Alliance has more members than the football team. The cheerleaders ride Harleys, and the cross-dressing homecoming queen is also the star quarterback. Paul meets artistic Noah in the bookstore. They pass notes rife with meaningful detail; paint in Noah's psychedelic, art-covered room; and fall in sweet, realistic teenage love, unencumbered by gay bashing, sexual-identity crises, and parental rejection. With these real-world plot constraints removed, the narrative is driven completely by colorful, literate characters at their unfettered best. Paul is the cerebral teen's dream narrator-reflective and insightful, occasionally snarky, and consistently hilarious. Levithan's whimsical, energetic prose and surreal setting draw comparisons to Weetzie Bat-era Francesca Lia Block. The sharp humor and thoughtful clarity of the narration are on par with those in Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower (MTV, 1999) and Ellen Wittlinger's Hard Love (S & S, 1999). Levithan's prophecy of a hate-free world in which everyone loves without persecution makes this a provocative and important read for all young adults, gay or straight.-Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Somewhere on the eastern coast of the US that's home to Francesca Lia Block's Los Angeles is a town where six-foot-five drag queens play high-school football, kindergarten teachers write comments like "Definitely gay and has a very good sense of self" on student report cards, quiz-bowl teams are as important as football teams, and cheerleaders ride Harleys. Paul and his friends go to high school in this town. Paul meets Noah, falls for him, does something dumb, and loses him. The last half of the story is about Paul working to get Noah back. Paul narrates his own story, and he talks and thinks like teens wish they did, much like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and her Scooby squad. Paul learns that love is still scary when boy meets boy even if it's as accepted as mom's apple pie. With wry humor, wickedly quirky and yet real characters, and real situations, this is a must for any library serving teens. (Fiction. YA)
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