Seventeen-year-olds Craig and Harry are trying to set a new Guinness World Record for kissing. Around them, Ryan and Avery are falling in love, Neil and Peter are falling out of love, and Cooper might be somewhere, but he is also, dangerously, nowhere.
Narrated, Greek-chorus style, by the generation of gay men lost to AIDS, this novel is a thematic companion to David Levithan's groundbreaking Boy Meets Boy, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2013. Two Boys Kissing is trademark Levithan- warm, sharp and real. It is also something new and completely extraordinary.
Industry Reviews
'Two Boys Kissing is wise, respectful and honest, and David Levithan writes with integrity and sensitivity about young love without titillation or sensationalism. I wholeheartedly recommend this extraordinary book.' * Readings Monthly *
'Levithan never descends into the trite or sentimental. His observations are sharp and insightful...The book made me smile, made me cry, it made me sad and angry and at the end gave me an incredible sense of gratefulness and awe for the beautiful fragility of life and love. Would I recommend this book? You bet!' -- OutInPerth
'Two Boys Kissing is phenomenal. Beautiful. And I highly recommend it. Everything about this novel was authentic and moving.' -- YA Midnight Reads
'David Levithan's poignant novel follows the stories of gay teens joined through an unconventional protest.' * Entertainment Weekly *
'Two Boys Kissing reveals [Levithan's] command of an intriguing, complex narrative with an unusual point of view: the first-person plural. This 'we' is the combined voice of men who died during the AIDS pandemic several decades ago. As the boys' stories become more closely entwined and connect in a satisfying finale, the reflections of these 'shadow uncles' lend a quality of retrospection that is rare (and refreshing) in YA literature.' * Washington Post *
'A landmark achievement from a writer and editor who has helped create, in literature, a haven for queer youth.' * Publishers Weekly *
'genuine moments of insight and wisdom...Inspiring.' -- Kirkus Reviews
'a masterpiece' -- Dennis Abrams * Publishing Perspectives *
'Messages about identity, relationships and life in general that are valid for both boys, girls and adults, gay or not. A powerful novel.' * Weekend Herald *
'What this story does brilliantly is put the reader in the shoes of those young men who are coming to terms with being gay...Levithan is a much-loved author who writes with sensitivity on issues relevant to young adults. This realistic novel about gay boys is both timely and profoundly moving.'
* Herald Sun *
'David Levithan's latest release is timely and important but, most of all, it is astonishingly sophisticated...Levithan has outdone himself.' * Courier Mail *
