Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan, faculty, Creative Writing at The New School.
Random House Children’s Books, 2013
Barnes & Noble: “In his follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Every Day, David Levithan, co-author of bestsellers Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, 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.”
The Los Angeles Times called Two Boys Kissing “open, frank and ultimately optimistic,” and Entertainment Weekly gave the novel an A—: “With David’s trademark sharp-witted, warm-hearted tales of teenage love, Two Boys Kissing serves as a perfect thematic bookend to David’s YA debut and breakthrough, Boy Meets Boy, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2013.”
Longlisted for the 2013 National Book Award.