Will Grayson, Will Grayson is about a couple of kids figuring out how to be themselves. Two of those kids happen to have the same name, and not much in common outside of that, but their serendipitous friendship sets the stage for a much larger, braver, and more candid story than the simplicity of the plot might suggest.
The relevance for teens here is clear–high school is the only time in your life when you have the undivided opportunity to obsess over your every move, sentence, and outfit change–but the part about understanding who you are doesn’t stop when you graduate. That’s what makes Will Grayson, Will Grayson as interesting a pick for adults as it is for teens: the questions don’t get simpler, but looking at them through the eyes of a 16-year-old brings a welcome sense of honesty and humor to this thing called life. No one’s ever too old to enjoy that.
Will Grayson (the straight one), has two simple rules: Don’t care too much and shut up. His best friend Tiny Cooper breaks these rules constantly. He seems to fall in love hourly, and he never stops talking. Will, who appears to just go through the motions of his life, follows reluctantly in Tiny’s wake, and finds his social world expanding when he agrees to become the only straight guy in the school’s Gay Straight Alliance.
Will Grayson (the gay one), is isolated from everyone. He hates his friends and is emotionally shut off from everyone except his Internet boyfriend, Isaac. When will grayson heads to Chicago to meet Isaac on the same night that Will Grayson and Tiny Cooper are there for a music show, their lives and friendships change in unpredictable ways.
The first thing about this book is that it is laugh out loud funny. Not lol funny, which will grayson would hate, but laugh so loud the neighbors probably hear you funny. Initially the wit is restricted to the Will Grayson chapters, but as the novel continues, even will grayson experiences a little humor.
Another thing to know is that the novel alternates between Will Grayson and will grayson. Will Grayson’s chapters are more conventional, both in style and in structure, while will grayson uses no capitals and is very closed off. These chapters are will’s stream of consciousness interspersed with excerpts from chats with Issac. Initially these chapters are harder to get through and understand, but as the novel progresses and will opens up they become easier to read.
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