Review: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

Title: Boy Meets Boy

Author: David Levithan

Genre:YA / LGBT / Romance

Published by: Alfred Knopf 

Originally Published: 2003

Page Count: 185

"I was the first openly gay president of my third-grade class. I have seen men holding hands walking down the street in a big city and I have read about women getting married in a state that's not so far away. I have found a boy I might just love, and I have not run away. I believe that I can be anyone I might want to be. All these things give me strength." 

Boy Meets Boy follows the protagonist, Paul, an openly gay sophomore in high school. At the beginning of the book the captivating Noah tumbles into his life, and the pair are soon romantically linked as they both develop feelings for each other.  The town they live in is a paradise, an idyllic refuge for gay, bisexual, transgender, and frankly, every type of person. The book epitomises "YA romance" but has a whole cast of characters who are growing in character in each and every page.

The setting of this town is completely science-fiction, yet somehow believable. Every one in Paul's town seems wonderfully accepting and beautiful, they all embrace difference, and there's no one who epitomises difference than the homecoming queen and star quarter back Infinite Marlene (formally known as Daryl).

What I adore about this book is its collection of characters. You obviously have Paul at the centre of the story, he is the root that stems to each connecting character. Paul is likeable and relatable, he's your typical teenager. Noah is interesting and loveable. But besides these characters you have Tony (who I personally adored), he lives in the town next to Paul and lives in a religious household, where his parents try to ignore his homosexuality. His friendship with Paul is completely platonic and utterly perfect, the pair do not judge each other and are always there for each other.
You also have Joni, Paul's former best friend, isolating herself from her friends due to her boyfriend, Chuck. (We've all known a Joni, haven't we?)
You have Kyle, Paul's former ex who is now straight and claims Paul 'tricked' him. And you have Paul's parents, Tony's parents, Paul's brother Jay and Noah's sister Claudia.
Throughout the 185 pages you get a glimpse of people you have known in real life, fictionalised in Levithan's work but so beautifully. It's so sad that we don't see more of some characters. I personally would love to know more about Tony and Claudia.

There's not much I can say about this book, it follows and confines to certain tropes such as boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy tries to win girl back. But no, we have two males at the centre and its refreshing and original. It's a juxtaposition of the norm, yet it is completely the same. With Paul's town being so accepting, the novel portrays a gay relationship as similar and as typical as any other, and that's what I like about this book. I believe it is a few years before its time. It perfectly depicts what teenagers go through and it has nice references to popular culture and certain issues, such as the US's boy scouts issue, in which gay boys had been excluded from the scouts (something which has now changed). It refers to Paul's town having 'Joy Scouts', which I think is just wonderful.

The novel is a very character-driven book, like I said, and it has become one of my favourites, which I feel is a necessity for all gay teenagers. If I had read this at fifteen, I would have treasured it so much. Sadly, 15-year-old me was not much one for books, nor one to be suggested this kind of book by the people I surrounded myself with.

A quirky little book with a lovely ending. 4 out of 5 stars.

Review: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. (NO SPOILERS)

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Genre: YA / Romance 
Published by: Penguin books
Originally Published: 2012
Page Count: 318


I've only recently got around to reading one of the most-talked about and anticipated book from 2012, and wow am I glad I did actually buy and read it.

The book is written in first person, from the perspective of Hazel Grace Lancaster, a sixteen-year-old girl suffering from Thyroid cancer, as a result a tank of oxygen is constantly trailing by her side. Hazel's life almost certainly changes instantly when she meets Augustus Waters, a seventeen-year-old plot twist in remission after losing his leg to osteosarcoma. It is a cancer support group where they meet and it is from there that this story develops into a breathtaking adventure about love and the meaning of life.

First of all I completely avoided this book after reading Paper Towns by John Green as I thought this book would almost be the same; annoying, a let down and incredibly pretentious. Now this book doesn't shy away from its dabble in pretentiousness, but you have to allow John Green to do this, as it adds to the likability and allure of his two main characters.

I had very little idea of the plot when going into this, in fact I thought it was going to be the same basic idea of a film I'd recently watched, Now Is Good, which starred a 'British' Dakota Fanning, and the gorgeous Jeremy Irvine. However, this book had so much more substance than the film I had watched. The film I had watched was very much counting down to the day the protagonist died, this book however may have had cancer at its core, it is the agent that pulls Hazel and Augustus together, but it doesn't necessarily drive the novel all the time.

The two main characters is where my love for this book initially came. Hazel and Augustus have this almost witty way of speaking and they're incredibly clever and well-spoken. In Paper Towns you could argue 'Q' is the same, but frankly he's boringly irate compared to these two. It may be said that this is not typical teenage behaviour or speech, but these two protagonists are not typical teenagers. Hazel has this view on life that is so refreshing and raw, she's not afraid to say what she thinks about those who treat her differently because of her cancer, she's not afraid to be blunt or hide away due to cancer. You end up respecting Hazel, she's just a teenager who happens to have cancer, and is terrified she's a grenade. A word she uses to describe herself, she feels if certain people form attachments to her its a matter of time until the grenade explodes and they are all left inconsolable and heartbroken. It's heartbreaking when you hear Hazel describe herself like this, as as a reader you want nothing more than for her to be happy and safe.
Augustus or 'Gus' is another wonderful character, he's witty, charming and in my head, he's incredibly attractive. He's not afraid to joke about what may be seen as sensitive issues, he finds humour in everything and he'll be damned if anything stops him from doing what he wishes. He's romantic and charming and you can see why he's so appealing to Hazel.

The plot follows the two as they get to know each other, we meet their mutual friend Isaac, who sadly is about to lose his eyesight due to his condition. Isaac is another heartwarming and funny character you can't help loving and feeling sorry for.

There's a quote on the edition that I own by Jodi Picoult that describes this book perfectly:

"Electric... filled with staccato bursts of humour and tragedy."

If a book can make me feel emotions and make me long for these characters then to me, it's a pretty good book. This book plunged me deeper into my emotions than I cared to think a book could take me.
I found myself laughing out loud several times, and I found myself crying at 1am over this book, actually not being able to breathe properly because my heart was breaking. Even in moments of sheer heartache this book still manages to make you laugh and immediately whimper after it.

Closing this book was like leaving friends behind. It was a journey that struck a note with me. It's filled with so many wonderful quotes that you can take with you on your way, my favourite being something that I associate with this book:

"As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once." 

I don't want to be cheesy but this quote resonates so much with me for this book, you come accustomed to the wonderful writing and the magnificent characters John Green has created and you feel yourself being succumbed to the book's charm. And then you suddenly realise when you close this book that its nothing like anything else. It is perfect:  ★★★★★

My Top 3 Book to Movie Adaptations.

So today I thought I'd bring to you, what many have certainly done before me, my favourite book to film adaptations. I've avoided talking about my least favourite for now, maybe I'll do that in the future. But here it is:

"The Hunger Games" (2012)
Dir. Gary Ross | Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth.

What I loved about this film was there was incredibly little for me to complain about. It is a definite mantra that a film will never be as good as its novel counterpart, and with that accepted, The Hunger Games does a pretty good job at not only being very faithful to the book but being an enjoyable, well-acted and very well-made film on its own. I loved Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Elizabeth Banks as Effie and Stanley Tucci as Caeser especially.

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (2001)
Dir. Chris Colombus | Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson.

I feel that the introductory film to the massive film franchise was a perfect adaptation. The first book in the Harry Potter series is a much lighter, child-friendly book than its successors and this film matched that. I do feel that if the films had followed this visual style then it would not be as faithful to the books, but as a first in a series of films, compared to the novel, it was a brilliant opener. It was as magical and fantastical as 7-year-old Robert could have hoped for.

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (2012)
Dir. Stephen Chbosky | Cast: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller.

Wow. I read this book and was blown away. I know of so many people who adore this book, and I know so many people that don't. I always get the impression that at the end of this scale lies the hipster liking it because its deep and mentions the smiths, then later hating it because its popular. Ignoring that, the book to me was so raw and unlike anything I'd ever read before. One thing I loved was it being an epistolary novel. This actually resinated well with the film, Charlie, the protagonist, became a narrator writing the letters, occasionally narrating and introducing parts of his life within the film. The cast in this were everything. They were everything i'd envisaged and I could see those 'friends' I'd made while reading it being brought to life in the energetic and emotional portrayal by Logan, Emma and Ezra especially. An emotional film that still makes me cringe when Charlie kisses the 'wrong girl'.

***

Ultimately, what I think is important is to initially look at a film as a separate medium, because it is! I try to restrict my "well that doesn't happen in the book!" or "they missed this, this and this!" as it does tend to spoil any viewing experience. Yes, each of these films had their flaws but ignore that and what you get is not only a pretty solid stand alone film, but also a fantastic adaptation that can be compared to the book and doesn't spoil the viewing experience.

Thanks for reading guys, hope you're having a lovely day,

Robert.

June Favourites (BOOKS).

So we say goodbye to June (okay it ended a week ago, but still), and hello to July!

In the month of June I read a total of eight books, and this particular post will focus on my two favourites of the month. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.  A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire #3) by George R.R. Martin.

'A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold' is the third book in George R.R. Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series and continues on from his previous novel, 'A Clash of Kings'. 

In the UK, (and maybe other countries, I'm not too sure), the book is cleverly split into two parts, the first being 'Steel and Snow' with the second being 'Blood and Gold'. 

This book continues straight off from where the first part finishes and we are plunged right into the action and drama that exists in Martin's mythical world. We again see chapters divided between numerous character's perspectives, those being: Catelyn Stark, Bran Stark, Sansa Stark, Arya Stark, Jon Snow, Jaime Lannister, Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, and Samwell Tarly. 

Martin's clever dispersal of places and people continues to be a brilliant narrative device that helps to continue to construct the world he's created. 

I don't wish to say too much about this book's plot as I don't particularly want to ruin it for those who haven't read it but do follow the series.

What can I say about this book other than I completely adored it and that it is by far the best continuation of a fantastic fantasy series.
What I love about Martin's 'A Song of Ice and Fire' series is that he is not afraid to go where other authors wouldn't. He creates a fantasy world that becomes incredibly real, in which the characters aren't animated stereotypes but, however cliché it may sound, they are real people. 

There's so much character development that it's a reader's heaven, and don't get me started on the events which take place in this book, Martin could slow it down a bit and I'd be happy but no he rewards his readers with shocking event after shocking event that manages to come full circle from his first book in the series, 'A Game of Thrones'. 

All in all, a fantastic book and I can't wait to read 'A Feast for Crows'; Martin better not fail me now!

2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

We've all heard of F. Scott Fitzgerald's infamous novel, 'The Great Gatsby' and with the buzz surrounding Baz Luhrmann's film adaptation of the book, I thought there was no better time to read this book. 

I opened this book with a clear head; I knew nothing about The Great Gatsby, I daresay I didn't realise Gatsby was a person. Nonetheless, this created, what I found to be a wonderful reading experience. 

The novel follows Nick, the protagonist, whose viewpoint the novel is based around. Nick's recently moved to New York and its fictional village of 'West Egg' and there he lives next door to the house known for its lavish and glamourous parties, which a man name Gatsby is responsible for. The novel delves into Gatsby's life more than it does Nick's as Nick stumbles upon Gatsby's world through Gatsby's connection to Nick's cousin, Daisy. After this premise is set up, take a seat, have a brew and enjoy the next two hundred and odd pages of sheer literary fulfilment. 

I've never read a book so well written, so well paced, and just so god damn intriguing. The character of Jay Gatsby is mysterious and fabulous, and the book leaves you wanting to know more and live more with this enigmatic human. 

This is a book that certainly lived up to the hype, and my goodness, I will probably read it again. A true classic.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My goodreads account contains my ratings and full reviews of other books that I read in the month of June. These include: The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie, The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes Investigates by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman, The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis, and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. 

Thanks for reading and I hope you're having a lovely day!

Robert.