Product Description

One cold night?? in a most unlikely corner of Chicago?? Will Grayson crosses paths with . . . Will Grayson. Two teens with the same name?? running in two very different circles?? suddenly find their lives going in new and unexpected directions?? and culminating in epic turns-of-heart and the most fabulous musical ever to grace the high school stage. Told in alternating voices from two YA superstars?? this collaborative novel features a double helping of the heart and humor that have won them both legions of fans.

Amazon.com Review

Amazon Best Books of the Month?? April 2010: What's in a name? A pretty fantastic book ide"tarters. At heart?? Will Grayson?? Will Grayson is about a couple of kids figuring out how to be themselves. Two of those kids happen to have the same name?? and not much in common outside of that?? but their serendipitous friendship sets the stage for a much larger?? braver?? and more candid story than the simplicity of the plot might suggest. The relevance for teens here is clear--high school is the only time in your life when you have the undivided opportunity to obsess over your every move?? sentence?? and outfit change--but the part about understanding who you are doesn't stop when you graduate. That's what makes Will Grayson?? Will Grayson as interesting a pick for adults as it is for teens: the questions don't get simpler?? but looking at them through the eyes of a 16-year-old brings a welcome sense of honesty and humor to this thing called life. No one's ever too old to enjoy that. --Anne Bartholomew

David Levithan

To my knowledge?? there are only two other David Levithans in the world ? my dad??s cousin?? and a lawyer in South Africa who?? as far as we can tell?? isn??t family. The last name Levithan is actually the invention of an immigration official ? when my great-grandfather came to America from Russia?? it should have translated to Levitan. But somehow the h got in there. Now?? whenever I meet another Levithan (which i"odds are good that he or she is related to me.

That said?? the story of Will Grayson?? Will Grayson came from someone whose name is close to mine?? but not identical. David Leventhal went to Brown at the same time I did?? and people would confuse us often.

This ended up being something of a joke?? because David was an extraordinary dancer?? while I was??not an extraordinary dancer. So people would exclaim?? ??We had no idea someone as clumsy as you could be so graceful on stage!?? and I??d have to say?? ??Well?? un?? that wasn??t me.?? Finally?? right before graduation?? I contacted David and we met up. We became instant friends?? and when we both moved to New York after college?? we were always in each other??s company. The similarity of our names often threw people for a loop?? and I thought?? well?? that might make an interesting story.

Amusingly?? David Leventhal??s college roommate??s name was . . . Jon Green.

John Green

I was named after my great-grandfather?? John Michael Crosby?? an itinerant minor-league baseball manager and occasional catcher. I like my name?? but being a John Green can certainly be inconve