Boy Meet Boy

[oysterboi]

And so I review yet another teen novel, this one by David Levithan. Like the last I wrote about, Boy Meets Boy is also atypical, but this time in terms of setting. It takes place in a town many gays might consider utopia, one where straights and gays walk side by side without conflict. It's perfection is thrown into relief by the fact that the next town over is far more like the real world. There, Tony must struggle with parents that refuse to accept his orientation. In "our town," however--always unnamed--a transvestite can be the star quarterback of the football team and Paul, the protagonist, can date whatever guys he wants without censure. If he can get his act together, of course. In that respect, Boy Meets Boy becomes somewhat more pedestrian, but not unpleasing. Several plot threads are left open at the end, but not in too distracting of a way. It doesn't feel like a "happy ever after" ending, but happy enough to be quite satisfying.

I'd rate this one 3 and a half out of 5.

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Boy Meets Boy
by David Levithan
Knopf Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0375824006