Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Blurb:  David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS. While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

Favorite Quotes: 

Your humor is your compass and your shield. You can hone it into a weapon or you can pull its strands out to make your very own cotton-candy blanket. You can’t exist on a diet of humor alone, but you can’t exist on a diet without it, either.

It is one thing to show someone your best, cleanest version. It’s quite another to make him aware of your deeper, jagged self.

Neil has assumed that love was like a liquid pouring into a vessel, and that the longer you loved, the more full the vessel became, until it was entirely full. The truth is that over time, the vessel expands as well. You grow. Your life widens. And you can’t expect your partner’s love alone to fill you. There will always be space for other things. And that space isn’t empty as much as it’s filled by another element. Even though the liquid is easier to see, you have to learn to appreciate the air.

4 stars

I think this book was excellent.  It was written from the POV of past/dead gay people. The narrative used the word ‘we’ a lot.  At first I didn’t recognize who it was referring too but figured it out pretty quick.  As someone who grew up during this time frame, I could see how each story related and how it would have been quite different then as opposed to now.  I remember the fear then, the blame that was placed and the hate that was spewed wantonly through my peers and the news.  Mostly I remember being afraid and not knowing why.

This book goes through many different specific gay encounters including some very intense self introspection.  My favorite was the pink haired boy and the blue haired boy.  I could totally see how that encounter would have played out in the early 80’s.  I was afraid for them. The two boys kissing being the main encounter that pulls most of their stories together. Its not really a story with a plot line and climax.  Its more of a then and now kind of perspective. I was quite enthralled throughout and will be looking for more books by this author in the future.

Oh and this book satisfies my YA LGBT book bingo being hosted by Just Another Girl and her Books.  I’m almost done Katie! And it’s one of the most challenged books in 2015, making it a perfect read for banned books week. I know its already passed but I try to read at least one during that week.