Boy Meets Boy

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan, ISBN 0375824006, Alfred A. Knopf, 2003, 185 pages.
Plot Summary: Paul goes to a unique high school.  Everyone is accepted and there are no prejudices.  In the beginning of the story Paul meets Noah, the boy of his dreams.  He begins a relationship with Noah, but things get complicated when his ex tries to come back into his life.  Paul's best friend Joni is fading away and his other best friend Tony has very religious parents and he is hiding the fact that he is gay from them.  Factor in the school quarterback is a girl named Infinite Darlene and the cheerleading squad all ride Harley's and the reader is in for a good laugh at the author's attempt to describe his ideal world.  
Critical Evaluation: Even though this story has well-meaning, it is very unrealistic.  The high school that Paul attends will never exist in today's world.  The book and its plot is very unrealistic and many teens will not be able to identify with it.  Even though the writing is funny and witty, I think struggling teens will not be able to relate to the book because it is unrealistic and they may become frustrated that Levithan has gone overboard in this fantasy idealistic world.  
Author Information: David Levithan was born in 1972, graduated from Brown in 1994 and wrote his first book in 2003 (Boy Meets Boy), which started out as a story he wrote for his friends on Valentine's Day.  He is an editorial director at Scholastic and the founding editor of PUSH Imprint.  He writes mostly in his spare time on the weekends.  (http://www.davidlevithan.com/)
Genre: Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ
Curriculum Ties: N/A
Booktalking Ideas: Do you feel this book was a realistic portrayal of what it is like to be a teen in high school?
Reading Level/Interest Age:  14+
Challenge Issues: This book might be challenged because it is about a boy that is gay. If this book was challenged I would go to, ALA's Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials.
Why included? In the genre presentation David Levithan was mentioned as a great author in the LGBTQ genre and I was not disappointed.