Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green & David Levithan

My interest was piqued when I heard that Will Grayson, Will Grayson was the first book with gay protagonists to make the New York Times bestsellers list for children.  The novel is a collaboration by two award-winning authors, John Green (Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines) and David Levithan (Boy Meets Boy, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist).  They write alternating chapters from the perspective of two high schoolers named Will Grayson. 

Both Will Graysons are complex and believable though not always likable, which is how I prefer my teen characters.  Since most teens are at least a little self-centred and/or oblivious, I respect authors who address this quality.  The Graysons are both hindered by social fears, but are dragged toward acceptance through their friendship with Tiny Cooper, a very large, very proudly gay, football player who writes and stars in a musical about his own life.  Tiny Cooper is one of the best characters I've read in a long time.  He completely steals the show and is on his way to becoming a beloved and iconic character. 

I loved this book, and relished the ride, up until the cheesy-hollywood-ending made me roll my eyes.  I suppose I can forgive that.

Split Screen, by Brent Hartinger

This third book of the Geography Club is a little gimmicky, with 145 pages written from Russel's perspective, and another 145 from Min's.  It has nowhere near the emotional powerful of the original, but it's a fun light read. 

We get to see more of witty, idealistic Min than ever as she ponders ethics and a new girlfriend.  Meanwhile, Russel juggles a long-distance relationship with renewed interest from his gorgeous ex-boyfriend.  A good popcorn novel.

The Order of the Poison Oak, by Brent Hartinger

This sequel to Geography Club isn't quite as powerful as the original, but it's still a great read.  The characters are likable, fallible, and believable.  The Order of the Poison Oak follows Russel, Min, and Gunner to summer camp where they've all found jobs as camp counsellors in the hopes of avoiding all the hometown stares and gossip.  That's not terribly likely, now is it?

Ash (by Malinda Lo)

Ash is (very loosely) a retelling of the Cinderella story.   Most of the classic elements remain, such as the abusive stepfamily, magical outfits, and the prince looking for a bride.  However, Ash isn't particularly interested in said prince.  Her infatuations lie with a mysterious fairy gentleman and the intriguing royal huntress.

I wanted to like this book more than I did, and I think that's because of the pacing, and characterizations.  The first half of the book dragged out without much happening except for Ash moping about how much he missed her mother and vaguely trying to get abducted by mischievous fairies whom no one ever sees but her.  The huntress barely even appears until halfway through the book, and both her and the fairy's significance are unclear until well towards the ending. As soon as Ash discovers what's going on and how she and everyone else feels, she sidesteps the major conflict and ties it all up in half a dozen pages.  None of the peripheral characters are particularly well developed, and the reader is left to assume their motivations half the time.

A colleague of mine loved this book, but for me it's an almost-but-not-quite there.

Geography Club (by Brent Hartinger)

Geography Club rocks. 

The book is about a group of high school kids in small-town America who form a secret gay support-group that they call the Geography Club.  They figure that no one else will try to join such a boring-sounding club, so they'll be able to meet up and talk about their lives without raising any suspicions.  Like many queer folks in high school, they feel like they're  undercover in enemy territory, where survival depends on remaining safely closeted. They acknowledge that in bigger cities, schools have gay-straight alliances, but they don't believe that would be possible in their small-minded town.  This book was published seven years ago now, but I suspect that's still the overall feeling in much of the American "heartland."

Geography Club is a very inclusive outsider story.  The characters are all realistic, full of human imperfections and familiarly intense high school fears.  Gay or straight, most teens can identify with Russell's yearning to fit in and his fears of social alienation.  I like that he and his friends  fumble around and make selfish or short-sighted choices just like everyone I knew back in high school.    I also like that everything doesn't end perfectly.  It's well-written, charming, and doesn't slip into simplistic plot devices.   I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.