Boy Meets Boy Book Review

Author: David Levithan

In a perfect world, there would be no need for war, there would be no diseases and high school would be a lot easier to survive. Boy Meets Boy attempts to show us what that world would be like - but ends up going a little overboard.

Good Terms

Boy Meets Boy is a well-written, witty novel. There are a lot of laughs, a lot of sadness and a lot of high school drama, as you will find in most teen romance books. The only difference is, this book is about Paul, a 16 year-old gay boy who has fallen in love with the new boy in town, Noah. It's really cool to have a book that portrays something other than the cliché cheerleader/football player love story - but Boy Meets Boy doesn't quite live up to its potential.

Bad Terms

While the idea behind Boy Meets Boy is cool, the actual story has some serious flaws. Paul, the main character, attends a high school that will never exist. Not only is there a drag queen clique and a cheerleading squad that rides Harley's, all the characters in Boy Meets Boy are way too sophisticated. It's one thing to hope for a time when gay, straight, black, white and every other kind of kid can go to a school free of prejudice - it's another to think that teens are suddenly going to stop being teens. When you're in high school, you often do and say the wrong things but that's just part of growing up.

The Bottom Line

David Levithan is a great writer. He is funny and knows how to keep a reader involved in his story but he's not the best guy for the job when you need someone to write about reality. Boy Meets Boy would be very encouraging for gay (and straight) teens were it a bit more realistic. But no one is going to be able to identify with a 16 year-old, vegetarian, living in small town America, who is friends with the star quarterback/homecoming queen named Infinite Darlene. Be prepared to toss this book out the window from pure frustration at its gushy, idealistic plot.

Boy Meets Boy Rating:

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