"Two Boys Kissing" by David Levithan

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Levithan, D. Two Boys Kissing. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2013. Print. ISBN: 9780307931900. Hardcover. $16.99.

Annotation: Craig and Harry decide to break the record for the world’s longest kiss on the front lawn of their school. Peter and Neil, Avery and Ryan, and Cooper, and all of their friends and family, are in the middle of their own stories – but they all intertwine to witness this momentous event.

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Harry and Craig decide to break the world record for the longest kiss. This means they have to hold the kiss for thirty-two hours. And they decide the perfect place for this is going to be on the front lawn of their school. Luckily, they've got a lot of support, because they have their friends, they have teachers that are backing them. But there are other variables in play, like the fact that not everyone in town is impressed by what they're doing, and that Craig's parents don't exactly know that he's gay. And that's not to mention that these two used to be a couple, and now they aren't, and one of them might kind of still wish that they were. In the meantime, we have the stories of other characters all circling around this event, like transgender Avery and the cute boy Ryan that he meets, the longtime couple Neil and Peter, and the angry, depressed, and very lost Cooper. All of their stories start out different places, but as they navigate their separate challenges, they all get wind of what's happening with Harry and Craig and all of these stories start to move together.

Gay or straight, bisexual, asexual, male, female, gender neutral, whatever you identify as, this book is such an important read. Part of the reason that its' so powerful is that it's not narrated by any of the characters, but by this group of gay men who lived in the past and died from AIDS. And these anonymous voices lived through similar hardships that these boys are going through today, but they've watched the progress through the years, and they want nothing more than to show encouragement. It's an amazingly real account of the struggles that gay and transgender teens face, but with a check to make sure that nobody forgets that there is still progress, there is still hope. No matter how hard it may be, you're never alone. Love is worth fighting for, and it all begins and ends here, with two boys kissing.  

Literary Awards:

• Named to the 2013 National Book Award Longlist
• A 2014 Stonewall Honor Book

Watch David Levithan read the beginning of his novel "Two Boys Kissing"!

"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

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Green, J. The Fault in Our Stars. New York, NY: Dutton Books, 2012. Print. ISBN: 9780525478812. Hardcover. $17.99.

Annotation: Hazel is only sixteen years old, but she's dying of terminal cancer. When she meets Augustus Waters at a support group, the two of them begin to see the world as more than a sentence to certain oblivion, but as something with the potential for life, love, and finding some answers. 

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Sometimes the stars really are misaligned. Sixteen-year-old Hazel is dying of terminal cancer. She knows she's never going to get better, and her days start to become this blur of just sitting around watching reality TV. Her mom decides she's probably depressed, and she makes her go to this support group, which Hazel thinks is totally lame - until the day that Augustus Waters shows up. He's a cancer survivor himself, and he lost a leg to it, so his view on the world is so different than anything she's ever heard before. They fall in love, while sharing all their thoughts, their feelings, opinions, and Hazel's favorite book, which is called An Imperial Affliction. This book drops off at the end, right in the middle of a sentence, and leaves her with so many questions about what happens to the characters. So, when Augustus reads it, he is so distraught that he actually contacts the author, and what follows is this whirlwind journey, literally across the globe, to find some answers and adventure. And through it all, Hazel and Augustus learn that they can still experience joy, and light, and love, despite the fault in their stars.

Even though this book received amazing reviews, and there was the movie that came out, I never read it until now because I didn't want to read a book about cancer patients. I knew, as Hazel so aptly puts it herself, that I would be, "a puddle of tears" by the end. But I am so glad that I did. The characters are so witty and likeable and intelligent, I was drawn in from the first pages and I had to know what happened. Yes, I did cry, but I also laughed out loud, and got a lot of serious warm fuzzies along the way. This is a story about determination, about not giving up, about finding love in the darkest places, despite what might be written in the stars.


Literary Awards: 

• #1 New York Times bestseller
• #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller
• #9 The Bookseller (UK) bestseller
• #1 Indiebound bestseller
• New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice
• Starred reviews from Booklist, SLJ, Publisher’s Weekly, Horn Book, and Kirkus

"You don't even understand. John Green is amazing. You have  to read Looking for Alaska next. Just read all his books. The Fault in Our Stars is just the beginning." - Emily, age 17

Watch the trailer for The Fault in Our Stars movie!

"More than Friends" by Sara Holbrook and Allan Wolf

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Holbrook, S. & Wolf, A. More Than Friends. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong, 2008. Print. ISBN: 978-159078587. Hardcover. $16.95.

Annotation: Take an intimate look at a teenage relationship from both perspectives: his and hers. Told in alternating points of view and various styles of poetry, the reader follows this story of first love until the end... for better or for worse.

Review: Two unidentified teenagers meet for the first time, unsure of where their relationship is headed at first. But one day, as if by magic, it becomes perfectly clear that there is something special about one another. Told in alternating points of view in various styles of poetry, More Than Friends follows the story of this young couple as they navigate the stages of their relationship. They face obstacles of school, parents, and friends while figuring out what it means to be in love – and trying to determine if they are really as meant for one another as they initially thought. 

This is an interesting concept, but in practice, the final product comes across somewhat sloppy and confusing. Much of the poetry sounds corny with singsong rhymes every other verse, and it’s sometimes hard to keep track of which character is doing the writing. A lot of the opinions voiced by both the male and female characters are very stereotypical and reminiscent of any romantic comedy, minus the laughs. There are, however, a few gems that stand out, namely the subtly funny, “Making the First Move” and “Do Not Bolt Screaming, Clutching All Your Stuff”, the beautiful “A Secret Sonnet” and “Like a Feather Lifting,” and the grand finale, “Worth Repeating.” These particular pieces feel much more genuine and will definitely be appreciated by any reader who has ever been in love. Overall, though, it would probably feel silly and contrived to most young adults - kind of like the cheesy adult trying too hard to be "cool".

Literary Awards: 

• 2008 Cybils Award for Poetry Nominee 

Listen to a Reading of "Like a Feather Lifting" from "More than Friends"

  

"Clockwork Angel" by Cassandra Clare

 

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Clare, C. Clockwork Angel. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderberry Books, 2010. Print. ISBN: 978-416975861. Hardcover. $19.99.

Annotation: When Tessa Gray arrives in 1878 London to live with her brother, she is instead imprisoned by two dark sisters who teach her - by force - that she has abilities and powers that make her more than just human. When she is rescued by a group of Shadowhunters who agree to help her find her brother, she learns more about the world and the creatures in it than she ever imagined.  

Book Review: When Tessa Gray’s aunt passes away suddenly in 1878, she heads straight to London to live with her only remaining family: her brother Nathaniel. But when she arrives, Nathaniel is nowhere to be found. Instead, she is taken captive by the mysterious Dark sisters, who teach her that she has the ability to shift into other people. Eventually, a group of beings called Shadowhunters come to her rescue and give her a safe place to stay – as well as promise to help her find her brother. But things are hardly safe as Tessa encounters a world full of supernatural beings and realizes that nothing in the world is what she thought. Not to mention the completely confusing feelings that stir inside her around the Shadowhunter boys, who just might be more dangerous than the monsters. 

As long as we keep in mind that this is historical fiction, then the book is excellent. Occasionally, from a 21-st century perspective, Tessa becomes slightly infuriating when she gawks over women not being “allowed” to do things. But she grows exponentially throughout the story and finds strength within herself, and readers will definitely become attached to her by the end. The book is fast-paced and packed with action and some truly gruesome scenes, topped with a thick undercurrent of romantic tension around the two potential love interests. We have a few pretty predictable plot twists, but that doesn’t make this any less of an enjoyable, entertaining read with a lot of questions left open at the end – leaving us anticipating the sequel!  

Literary Awards:

• Winner of the 2011 YALSA Teens Top Ten Award
• Winner of the 2011 Silver Inky Award

Watch the Clockwork Angel Book Trailer: