Edgy, clever gay-themed tale about teens with same name.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Language
a lot
Pretty much all of them: "s--t," "motherf----r," "bitchsquealer," "goddamn," "tw-t," "p---y," "c--k," "c--ksucker," "f--k," "s--tbag," "piss," "balls," "bastard," "dumbass," "asshole," "hell," "c--t," and more.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.
One of the book's protagonists has an online romance with another teen boy; many references to masturbating and sex, and a humorous scene in an adult video store. Some fantasized IM sex; but in "real life," the characters never progress further than kissing.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Readers will find positive messages about the importance of friendship and accepting yourself.
Positive Role Models
some
Many wonderful characters, including some very supportive, nurturing parents. Readers may also appreciate that Tiny, while overweight, is still shown pursuing a love life. One Will Grayson suffers from depression and is on medication for it, a depiction that's handled compassionately but isn't used as an excuse for his behavior. On the other hand, the main teenage girls are somewhat mean and egocentric, and they don't compare well to the guys.
Educational Value
a little
The fact that this book was so popular will certainly give readers something to think and talk about. Parents can also use this book to open up conversations about online friends and dating. See our discussion guide below for more specific conversation ideas on both of these topics.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this is the first gay-themed YA novel to wind up on The New York Times best-seller list. It features a gay-friendly school and town and gay characters, including a very out-and-proud character nicknamed Tiny Cooper. Tiny breaks stereotypes by being both overweight and capable of having a love life. Another character, one of the Wills, is taking medication for his depression, a depiction that's handled compassionately. Parental relationships are idealized but heartwarming. While nothing more than kissing happens physically, there's lots of graphic sexual language, and one scene is set in a porn store. The book includes other strong language as well, which might make this book a better fit for older teens.
MY NAME IS NOT WILL GRAYSON, BUT I HELLA LOVE THIS BOOK
this book is great for teens, has great characters and an amazing plot. this book can make you feel anything from joy to sadness to anger, it definitely takes #1 place on my list of favorite books. go here and sign the petition to make it a movie: http://chng.it/G7BFSW8m
This book was the first one to ever give me satisfaction, because I have read a lot of books with plot twists and cliff hangers and its kind of annoying. I have never founded a book that could satisfy me that is why I gave up reading, after however I was tempted to read this book, I never regretted it. FUNNY, SIMPLE, and DECENT makes me feel satisfied with my life after reading this book, still sourcing for more books like these and hoping I could find more books that could extend my satisfaction (I may like typically contemporary styled stories with the plot twists and cliff hangers and all, but because its beginning to be too cliché in the modern world, its beginning to eat my brain so yep it is also one of the reasons why I admire the creation of this book so much) :-)
What's the Story?
WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON has a fun premise: Two narrators, each named WIll Grayson, tell their stories in alternating chapters. Will Grayson No. 1 is a straight, moody teen who's best friends with a large -- and larger than life -- out-and-proud teen named Tiny Cooper. Will Grayson No. 2 is an even moodier, lonely gay teen who first crosses paths with Will No. 1 in a porn store. From there, both Wills orbit around Planet Tiny. Meanwhile, heartbroken Tiny uses his pain to write, direct, and star in a fabulous high school musical titled Tiny Dancer, which wows everyone. But he's not the only one who makes a successful journey: Both Wills also find themselves, with a whole lot of help from their friends.
This book offers lots of humor, lots of music, and fantastic over-the-top moments that we all can only wish would happen in real life. Some of the story is related in IMs and texts, which adds realism and energy. This is the first gay-themed book to wind up on The New York Times children's best seller list, and it's easy to see why.
Readers will certainly get caught up in the book's fun premise -- and even find themselves moved by this clever collaboration about coming-of-age in a gay-friendly big city. Tiny Cooper is a great character; his heart of gold -- and his amazing performance -- are truly unforgettable. Plus, who doesn't love a happy ending? Even if it's not exactly believable...
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the book's portrayals of gay characters. How do character depictions like those in Will Grayson, Will Grayson impact teen readers -- both gay and straight?
What do you think is the significance of the fact that this was the first gay-themed YA novel to wind up on The New York Times best-seller list?
The second Will is misled by his online love interest. He was convinced it was for real. How can you make sure someone you meet online is who you think they are?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
