Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
“i think the idea of a 'mental health day' is something completely invented by people who have no clue what it's like to have bad mental health. the idea that your mind can be aired out in twenty-four hours is kind of like saying heart disease can be cured if you eat the right breakfast cereal. mental health days only exist for people who have the luxury of saying 'i don't want to deal with things today' and then can take the whole day off, while the rest of us are stuck fighting the fights we always fight, with no one really caring one way or another, unless we choose to bring a gun to school or ruin the morning announcements with a suicide."
- David Levithan, Will Grayson, Will Grayson
- David Levithan, Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Will Grayson, Will Grayson is the story of two boys who are extremely different yet the one thing they do have in common is the same name. Each chapter alternates back and forth between both Will's and their unique stories. The young adult novel was written by John Greene and David Levithan. It was an extremely interesting book considering each author took one of the Will Grayson's and wrote only those sections and then wove the book together. I think that this really assisted the novel in forming two completely unique characters; not only in their personalities but the style of writing that represented them. One Will Grayson is dealing with severe depression and the entirety of his chapters are even written in lowercase letters making it a unique and interesting read. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone, as long as they are above the age of 15. Yet, what is notable about this novel spans much further than just the level of entertainment. Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a novel which showcases a young boy suffering from depression who is not only exceedingly convincing as a character but also portrays the mental illness of depression realistically. Most importantly, the novel does not show the story of how depression ruined a boy's life but rather how this character dealt with his depression and ultimately not only grew himself but assists others in growing as well as a result.
Throughout the novel, the two boys lead very different lives and aren't even aware of each others existence until one night fate brings them together at an adult video store, somewhere both of them never expected to end up. This chance meeting sets off a chain of events that alters each Will Grayson's life in positive ways. Their paths cross and when they part again, they are both left changed for the better.
What stood out most to me about this novel was the portrayal of depressed Will Grayson's illness. I will call him Will Number 2 due to the fact that he is introduced second in the book. This was the first novel that I read for my project and I was not sure what to expect from a character dealing with such intense emotions. I was hoping that Will Number 2 would not be portrayed as a weak character or someone to feel sorry for, and I was very pleased and even surprised by the strength of his character. When describing his depression, Will Number 2 compares it to that of his friend Tiny, "i had no doubt that tiny thought he got depressed, but that was probably because he had nothing to compare it to. still, what could i say? that i didnt just feel depressed - instead, it was like the depression was the core of me, of every part of me..."(Kindle 211) When he explains his depression this way, readers get a front row seat into his mind and it makes his character one that is hard to forget even once you put the book down.
Throughout the novel he is full of curse words and teenage angst that at times made him downright hilarious, ultimately forming a character readers could easily connect to. He states that he does feel he lets his mother down, which I think is a very universal teenage emotion. At one point he even jokes in reference to his mother, "I decide not to get her that world's greatest mom of a depressive fuck-up sweatshirt for mother's day like i'd been planning" (Kindle 34). Quotes such as this one, show his humor but also his withdrawal from personal relationships. He has one ":friend" at school but as he described it, they are "..like those people who become friends in prison even though they would never really talk to each other if they weren't in prison" (Kindle 24).
The one strong personal relationship he does however hold is with a guy that he has fallen for over the internet. This is yet another aspect of Will Number 2 that I find makes him more realistic. Many young people today are chatting online, and often it provides a place to escape to from reality. Therefor, if Will finds reality to be awful as he does, it is understandable that he would escape on the internet and form relationships there. Will's relationship to this online boy was highly realistic and believable. The authenticity of Will Number 2's character and his journey exploring his sexuality I believe stems from the fact that David Levithan, who wrote Will Number 2's portions, is a homosexual himself. Due to this, I think that he was able to honestly portray what a young boy might go through in Will's situation and was able to utilize his own experiences growing up. In the article, "Who Can Tell My Story", Jacqueline Woodson discusses the authenticity of authors and if it is acceptable for an author to write about an experience that they had not been a part of. The quote with which she ends that novel has stuck with me since the first time I read the article. Woodson declares, "My belief is that there is room in the world for all stories, and that everyone has one. My hope is that those who write about the tears and the laughter and the language in my grandmother’s house have first sat down at the table with us and dipped the bread of their own experiences into our stew" (Woodson). I agree with Woodson that in order for someone to share an experience authentically, they must either have been the one experiencing it, or they must put in the time and effort to research and understand the inner emotions and actions of whom they are writing about. Because David Levithan has a first person look into what it is like being a young boy in Will Number 2s shoes, dealing with the fear of sharing his sexuality with friends and family and coming to accept this fact himself, I think he is able to do a magnificent job crafting a character that is not only authentic but also a character that makes readers laugh out loud and steals their hearts through out the novel.
Authenticity is what made this book such a stand out young adult novel for me. I do not think that all of the novel was necessarily realistic and some parts, especially pertaining to "the gayest single musical in all of human history" (Kindle 39) that occurs near the end of the novel, were far fetched to say the least. Yet in regards to the ten criteria of the Image and Encounters Profile, Will Grayson Number 2 nails it, making this a great read for anyone interested in learning more about depression or reading more about it!
The ten criteria are:
Throughout the novel, the two boys lead very different lives and aren't even aware of each others existence until one night fate brings them together at an adult video store, somewhere both of them never expected to end up. This chance meeting sets off a chain of events that alters each Will Grayson's life in positive ways. Their paths cross and when they part again, they are both left changed for the better.
What stood out most to me about this novel was the portrayal of depressed Will Grayson's illness. I will call him Will Number 2 due to the fact that he is introduced second in the book. This was the first novel that I read for my project and I was not sure what to expect from a character dealing with such intense emotions. I was hoping that Will Number 2 would not be portrayed as a weak character or someone to feel sorry for, and I was very pleased and even surprised by the strength of his character. When describing his depression, Will Number 2 compares it to that of his friend Tiny, "i had no doubt that tiny thought he got depressed, but that was probably because he had nothing to compare it to. still, what could i say? that i didnt just feel depressed - instead, it was like the depression was the core of me, of every part of me..."(Kindle 211) When he explains his depression this way, readers get a front row seat into his mind and it makes his character one that is hard to forget even once you put the book down.
Throughout the novel he is full of curse words and teenage angst that at times made him downright hilarious, ultimately forming a character readers could easily connect to. He states that he does feel he lets his mother down, which I think is a very universal teenage emotion. At one point he even jokes in reference to his mother, "I decide not to get her that world's greatest mom of a depressive fuck-up sweatshirt for mother's day like i'd been planning" (Kindle 34). Quotes such as this one, show his humor but also his withdrawal from personal relationships. He has one ":friend" at school but as he described it, they are "..like those people who become friends in prison even though they would never really talk to each other if they weren't in prison" (Kindle 24).
The one strong personal relationship he does however hold is with a guy that he has fallen for over the internet. This is yet another aspect of Will Number 2 that I find makes him more realistic. Many young people today are chatting online, and often it provides a place to escape to from reality. Therefor, if Will finds reality to be awful as he does, it is understandable that he would escape on the internet and form relationships there. Will's relationship to this online boy was highly realistic and believable. The authenticity of Will Number 2's character and his journey exploring his sexuality I believe stems from the fact that David Levithan, who wrote Will Number 2's portions, is a homosexual himself. Due to this, I think that he was able to honestly portray what a young boy might go through in Will's situation and was able to utilize his own experiences growing up. In the article, "Who Can Tell My Story", Jacqueline Woodson discusses the authenticity of authors and if it is acceptable for an author to write about an experience that they had not been a part of. The quote with which she ends that novel has stuck with me since the first time I read the article. Woodson declares, "My belief is that there is room in the world for all stories, and that everyone has one. My hope is that those who write about the tears and the laughter and the language in my grandmother’s house have first sat down at the table with us and dipped the bread of their own experiences into our stew" (Woodson). I agree with Woodson that in order for someone to share an experience authentically, they must either have been the one experiencing it, or they must put in the time and effort to research and understand the inner emotions and actions of whom they are writing about. Because David Levithan has a first person look into what it is like being a young boy in Will Number 2s shoes, dealing with the fear of sharing his sexuality with friends and family and coming to accept this fact himself, I think he is able to do a magnificent job crafting a character that is not only authentic but also a character that makes readers laugh out loud and steals their hearts through out the novel.
Authenticity is what made this book such a stand out young adult novel for me. I do not think that all of the novel was necessarily realistic and some parts, especially pertaining to "the gayest single musical in all of human history" (Kindle 39) that occurs near the end of the novel, were far fetched to say the least. Yet in regards to the ten criteria of the Image and Encounters Profile, Will Grayson Number 2 nails it, making this a great read for anyone interested in learning more about depression or reading more about it!
The ten criteria are:
- Promotes empathy not pity.
- Depicts acceptance not ridicule.
- Emphasizes success rather than, or in addition, to failure.
- Promotes positive images of persons with disabilities or illness.
- Assists children in gaining accurate understanding of the disability or illness.
- Demonstrates respect for persons with disabilities or illness.
- Promotes attitude of "one of us" not "one of them."
- Uses language which stresses person first, disability second philosophy, i.e. Jody who is blind.
- Describes the disability or person with disabilities or illness as realistic (i.e., not subhuman or superhuman.)
- Illustrates characters in a realistic manner.
Below is a quick interview with John Green and David Levithan
about Will Grayson, Will Grayson
about Will Grayson, Will Grayson