Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Module 2 - Realism, Romance & Censorship

"Read three of the following selections:"

Plot Summary

We meet Paul as he is out on the town with his friends Joni and Tony at a DJ event in a bookstore. He has just encountered the boy of his dreams, Noah, in the aisles. Their electrically-charged first meeting sets the stage for a whirlwind teen romance, but not without its obstacles. Paul's ex-boyfriend, Kyle, will suddenly realize he was wrong to end their relationship and will want him back. Paul's friendly gestures towards his best friend, Tony, will feed the rumor-mill. And the school bookie will take odds on Paul's relationships. Through all the romance angst, Paul's other best friend, Joni, will largely disappear into her relationship with football-player Chuck. Paul also has to plan the year's biggest school dance. Through it all, Paul and his friends will each discover that friends are as treasured as, and perhaps more important than, boyfriends.

Critical Analysis

I found this novel a bit unrealistic because of it's excessive idealism. In this high school the cheering team rides motorcycles, and the homecoming queen is also the quarterback. And there is no controversy around these high school staples. The unbelievability is redeemed slightly by Tony at the end when even he says he finds Paul's town unbelievable. However, through most of the novel I was just struck by how unusually homophilic this town and its high school was. There just aren't as many challenges to being gay in this teen's world, except for his friend Tony's experiences. The idealism of this could be a good fantasy escape for students facing ostracism in their own schools. In an ideal world maybe our quarterbacks really could be homecoming queens, but most teens are not faced with such acceptance of alternative lifestyles in their schools.

Aside from the twist of being primarily about same-sex romances, it is a basic story of teen romance and all the usual pitfalls and changing loyalties. However, in this utopian town and high school, Paul and other boys like him are free to explore their budding romances without judgments being passed, because homosexuality and other alternatives are simply accepted. There is brief discussion of bisexuality as well when Paul's ex, Kyle, who dated a girl after him shares his dilemma with Paul. However, this theme is largely left alone beyond the defining of it. And, of course, the homecoming queen/quarterback Infinite Darlene is a well-accepted, in this school, transgender example.

The free-from-judgment world of Paul and his high school and town make a statement for the benefits of LGBT equality and is a perfect place for the characters to explore romance without also having to navigate prejudice too. The School Library Journal reviewer points out that, "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," describing just how beneficial it would be for everyone to realize the benefits of this gay-topia. There are a few recorded instances of prejudice in the early parts of the narrative, but they never take a center stage like they do in so many novels that approach the topic of gay teens.

The setting of this novel is particularly important, because many teen novels about homosexual relationships are full of many other things besides just the romance itself. Without the acceptance of this fictional community, the relationships would develop much differently and it would be an entirely different story. The character of Paul, who has always been gay but "wasn't confirmed until [he] was in kindergarten," would face many more obstacles in any other setting. While the setting at first seems idealistic, the character interactions and romances rely on it, and it is these interactions that make the book compelling.

Bibliography

Levithan, David. Boy meets boy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. ISBN 0375832998.

Awards/Reviews

Lambda Literary Award - Children's/Young Adult 2003

From Publishers Weekly:

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.

From School Library Journal:

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

From Booklist:

Paul, a high-school sophomore, is gay. Big deal! He's known he was gay since he was in kindergarten. Remarkably, everybody else knows it, too, and nobody cares. Clearly, the world Paul inhabits in this breakthrough book (the first upbeat gay novel for teens) differs from the real world: two boys walk through town holding hands; the cross-dressing quarterback, named Infinite Darlene, is not only captain of the football team but also homecoming queen; the school has a biker cheerleading team. Even in this whimsical world, however, the course of true love doesn't always run smoothly: Paul meets--and gets--the boy, Noah, a new kid in town, but loses him. Then, in perfect balance with this extraordinarily large-hearted, cheerful book, something unpredictable but deeply satisfying happens. Though at times arch and even precious, this wacky, charming, original story is never outrageous, and its characters are fresh, real, and deeply engaging. In its blithe acceptance and celebration of human differences, this is arguably the most important gay novel since Nancy Garden's Annie on My Mind; it certainly seems to represent a revolution in the publishing of gay-themed books for adolescents. --Michael Cart

From Voice of Youth Advocates:

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.-Cynthia Winfield.

From Kirkus:

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.

5623 - Young Adult Book Reviews - Osborne

Monday, October 3, 2011