Will Grayson is overshadowed by his friend Tiny Cooper. The second Will Grayson is pining over Issac, a boy whose virtual presence is a blissful respite. Then Tiny Cooper goes and makes a play about a certain Phil Rayson which inevitably upsets Will. Simultaneously, a plan to meet Issac goes horribly wrong and upsets the other Will. Both Will Graysons, existing in a space contrary to one another, are distraught. Somehow, they meet each other and from there, it’s only an uphill climb.
This being my first John Green book was an absolute delight. The writing is hearty and while depicting very realistic people with genuine struggles, makes you fall in love with the story. David Levithan’s chapters were more blunt and unrestrained, in the sense that it portrayed the second Will Grayson as being stark, a little hard hearted. The chapters altered between both Will Graysons’ perspectives and was a welcome change of thoughts. While the theme of homosexuality is explored largely, we also come to terms with concepts like independence, unconditional friendship and irrevocable mistakes. Even though Will gets mad at Tiny numerous times, their friendship is far removed from trivial fights. In that, Will not only commends Tiny’s confidence and kind heart, but is also able to get past his annoyance at Tiny eventually. Tiny Cooper, though associated to both the main characters, shines through like a protagonist. His rapidly changing love life does not deter him in the least bit and when the time comes, does not prevent him from making a more heartfelt commitment. Both the Will Graysons are able to grow exponentially due to Tiny’s interference in their lives. The novel doesn’t speak much about their respective families and I guess its alright, because they all come together like one big family. The play that Tiny takes charge of ends on a brilliant note and is representative of the wonder that Tiny is. Will Grayson and Maura’s friendship is typical in a lot of ways and it was sort of predictable. I flew through this book and enjoyed every bit of it. I just wish the ending had been a little more elaborate and less ambiguous. But I definitely recommend this to all contemporary lovers out there. A fun, well packaged story.
Ratings – 4 stars on 5.
Meera
The Life Stories 