Levithan lovin'
Feb. 9th, 2010 11:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rainbowunicorn_readsDavid Levithan is really, really cool. He's listening to bands like Travis,
watching the hottest indie movies (like Hedwig and the Angry Inch),
making all the appropriate pop-culture references and writing young adult
books that gained him a cult following with books like Nick and Norah's
Infinite Playlist and Boy meets boy.
I was still reeling from a David Levithan high, having finished his book of
short stories about love, entitled "How they met" and the fairytaleish
"Boy meets boy" when I saw his book about 9/11, entitled "Love is the higher law".
Nothing brings people closer together than a catastrophe. It's a proven test
of faith and character, and this book is an effort in highlighting that
closeness, and how different types of people deal with a major change.
"I can't help but think, this was supposed to be a good day. I feel nostalgia
for an hour ago, when Sammy and I were walking from the subway stop,
taking in the sunny weather, making jokes about Spongebob
Squarepants."
It's touching in some parts, and started with the events happening already,
working its way backwards in terms of characterization: Here are the
people affected, here's what happened, now let's take a closer look at the
characters. The characters are flawed, surely, quirky in their own ways, like
most of Levithan's characters, but I particularly couldn't stand Jasper, and I
find him very unlikeable.
"One of the things the terrorist attack has done was to send us all into these
Sliding Doors-scenarios--all these what ifs. What if I'd gotten up earlier that
morning?"
This is a book that makes you think about your own mortality and reflect on
the fragility of life. I can't quite say I loved it, but I didn't hate it either. It was
just okay for me, not really memorable. It swooped during the first few
chapters but then it somehow failed to sustain that momentum.
What I think: 6 unicorns
After reading this, I picked up another Levithan, Rachel Cohn collab,
"Naomi and Ely's No-kiss list", about how Naomi loves Ely, but Ely can't
reciprocate since he's gay, so it really has nothing to do with her, but then
she's all drama and "I'm so SO HOT, and all the boys adore me, why can't
you?!??" and I found it a tad annoying. I could not stand this Naomi
character and she had all these irritating quirks which reminded me of
those mean girls back in highschool, a place I do not want to revisit for the
meantime.
Each chapter is told from a character's pov, a la Nick and Norah (another
Levithan-Cohn collab), and it had all these pictograms which look cute for
the first few pages but becomes too gimmicky and tired after a while. Also, I
could do without having to read about people with the same names (two of
them!) in one story, which made it just confusing, (hence the need for
pictograms depicting male and female) when there are a gazillion names
to choose from, by the hammer of Thor!
There are some memorable parts though, like how resident beefcake
Gabriel is a sensitive-playlist-making dude, with an entire chapter
defending his song choices but I was a bit disappointed that he chose
(predictable) Naomi instead of the tres interesting Robin (female). Or how I
was also disappointed when Robin (female) doesn't end up with Naomi,
which would definitely make this a more interesting story, imho.
They have a nose and smell exhibit, which I found very wonderful and is
the best part of the book for me, along with Bruce the second discovering
how Ely shared his passion for X-men:
"Then we hit the nose amplifiers, where you can plug in your nostrils and
breather in different scents. Everything else is blocked out, like using
headphones in your ears. I try some out (the plugs are one-use only, much
to my hygienic relief) and am dosed up with the deepest, purest almond
I've ever experienced, including taste. Then I stupidly stop and smell the
coffee, and I can't black out the morning anymore. It's there and I can't
escape what it means."
If you've ever fought with a friend over a guy/girl or if you've ever fought with
a friend period, or if you've fallen in love with someone who's not that into
you, this might just be the salve to your forgotten wounds. I just wished
wished wished that Naomi character was better-written.
What I think: 7.5 unicorns
watching the hottest indie movies (like Hedwig and the Angry Inch),
making all the appropriate pop-culture references and writing young adult
books that gained him a cult following with books like Nick and Norah's
Infinite Playlist and Boy meets boy.
I was still reeling from a David Levithan high, having finished his book of
short stories about love, entitled "How they met" and the fairytaleish
"Boy meets boy" when I saw his book about 9/11, entitled "Love is the higher law".
Nothing brings people closer together than a catastrophe. It's a proven test
of faith and character, and this book is an effort in highlighting that
closeness, and how different types of people deal with a major change.
"I can't help but think, this was supposed to be a good day. I feel nostalgia
for an hour ago, when Sammy and I were walking from the subway stop,
taking in the sunny weather, making jokes about Spongebob
Squarepants."
It's touching in some parts, and started with the events happening already,
working its way backwards in terms of characterization: Here are the
people affected, here's what happened, now let's take a closer look at the
characters. The characters are flawed, surely, quirky in their own ways, like
most of Levithan's characters, but I particularly couldn't stand Jasper, and I
find him very unlikeable.
"One of the things the terrorist attack has done was to send us all into these
Sliding Doors-scenarios--all these what ifs. What if I'd gotten up earlier that
morning?"
This is a book that makes you think about your own mortality and reflect on
the fragility of life. I can't quite say I loved it, but I didn't hate it either. It was
just okay for me, not really memorable. It swooped during the first few
chapters but then it somehow failed to sustain that momentum.
What I think: 6 unicorns
After reading this, I picked up another Levithan, Rachel Cohn collab,
"Naomi and Ely's No-kiss list", about how Naomi loves Ely, but Ely can't
reciprocate since he's gay, so it really has nothing to do with her, but then
she's all drama and "I'm so SO HOT, and all the boys adore me, why can't
you?!??" and I found it a tad annoying. I could not stand this Naomi
character and she had all these irritating quirks which reminded me of
those mean girls back in highschool, a place I do not want to revisit for the
meantime.
Each chapter is told from a character's pov, a la Nick and Norah (another
Levithan-Cohn collab), and it had all these pictograms which look cute for
the first few pages but becomes too gimmicky and tired after a while. Also, I
could do without having to read about people with the same names (two of
them!) in one story, which made it just confusing, (hence the need for
pictograms depicting male and female) when there are a gazillion names
to choose from, by the hammer of Thor!
There are some memorable parts though, like how resident beefcake
Gabriel is a sensitive-playlist-making dude, with an entire chapter
defending his song choices but I was a bit disappointed that he chose
(predictable) Naomi instead of the tres interesting Robin (female). Or how I
was also disappointed when Robin (female) doesn't end up with Naomi,
which would definitely make this a more interesting story, imho.
They have a nose and smell exhibit, which I found very wonderful and is
the best part of the book for me, along with Bruce the second discovering
how Ely shared his passion for X-men:
"Then we hit the nose amplifiers, where you can plug in your nostrils and
breather in different scents. Everything else is blocked out, like using
headphones in your ears. I try some out (the plugs are one-use only, much
to my hygienic relief) and am dosed up with the deepest, purest almond
I've ever experienced, including taste. Then I stupidly stop and smell the
coffee, and I can't black out the morning anymore. It's there and I can't
escape what it means."
If you've ever fought with a friend over a guy/girl or if you've ever fought with
a friend period, or if you've fallen in love with someone who's not that into
you, this might just be the salve to your forgotten wounds. I just wished
wished wished that Naomi character was better-written.
What I think: 7.5 unicorns