Book Reviews #7: Will Grayson, Will Grayson...By David Levithan and John Green

"Will, you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose."
-John Green, Will Grayson,Will Grayson
"i am constantly torn between killing myself and killing everyone around me."
-David Levithan, Will Grayson,Will Grayson

"Will Grayson, Will Grayson" is a relatively easy book to read, and while yes that's partially because it's not all that complicated or complex, it's primarily because this book is such a compelling read. Despite it having it's dry spots, it still doesn't cease to be a page turner.
I think what makes this so compelling is that it's a collaboration between two authors, John and David, and despite them both being YA authors they're styles, at least in this book, are definitely different. John Green's sections of the book come off as warmer and more welcoming, while David's sections of the book feel a lot more lonely and pessimistic.
Personally, I preferred David's sections of the books, I feel like all of his characters had this sense that there was more to them than you'd think at face value. It's actually rather subtle how you get just a glimpse into the side character's inner struggles and turmoil. While David had less side character's than John, I did find them far more interesting; I can barely remember half of John's side characters due to everyone other than (the fabulous) Tiny and Jane feeling boring and two dimensional. He failed at convincing me that these people had lives when they weren't on the page. I did however thoroughly enjoy the character of Tiny, he was fun and eccentric and really brought joy and character to John's sections of the book. With him spontaneously falling in love with every guy he dates he felt like a genuine teenager, I especially loved how his insecurities were explored later in the book. I equally enjoyed the development of the relationship between (John's) Will and Jane, they contrasted each other nicely and i feel that the pacing of the progression they made together and the relationship itself was done nicely.
While I did enjoy John's sections of the book, I did feel that his Will Grayson was no where nearly as interesting as David's Will Grayson. John's just felt like your average joe, and I didn't really feel anything about his character really made him stand out for me, and while he did have his moments (him breaking down later in the book and him realising how much Tiny means to him being highlights of the book) overall he just felt rather generic and kinda bland. Don't get me wrong, he was a nice guy, he just wasn't all that interesting. He's not a bad character, but he's not great either. On the flip side I loved David's Will Grayson and just how much he grows during the duration of the novel. He starts off so bitter and angry, but also lonely and insecure. He's a flawed character, in fact there were moments in this where I really disagreed with his treatment of others, especially Maura, and just how self centered he can be at points of the book. He was very much in his on head too much and failed to see how he was affecting the people around him. But I think this was done intentionally, and by the end of the book he was a rather likable character. I just really enjoyed seeing him come to terms with himself and the people around him. I also enjoyed the dry, darker sense of humor in David's sections of the book.
All in all, I did really enjoy this collaboration between John Green and David Levithan. It was a fun, humorous read that actually had some really impactful, genuinely touching moments. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's already a fan of young adult fiction.

Book Reviews #6: I Am Legend, By Richard Matheson

"Full circle. A new terror born in death, a new superstition entering the unassailable fortress of forever. I am legend."
-Richard Matheson, I Am Legend

"I Am Legend", at it's core, is a tale of human loneliness. It masterfully explores what it means to truly be alone, and the effect that that can have on a man, and just how desperate they can become for any form of companionship.
The main character, Robert Neville, exceeds in being believable, and really sells the idea of what the last man on earth would be like. The character's actual arc through out the story felt natural, and also very believable. At the start of the book, Robert comes off as very bitter, very reckless and somewhat suicidal. However, by the end of the book, he just feels like a genuinely better person, he's far more likable and it's really great to see the journey he goes on emotionally from when the beginning of the book, which is set only a few months after he became the last person on earth, and the end of the book, after roughly two years have passed since the beginning.
Another aspect of Robert's character that I think made the book a lot more relatable to the average reader is the fact that, unlike the film adaptations, he isn't a scientist, or anything special really. He's just your average Joe who happens to be immune to the virus. And while yes this makes it easier for the reader to relate to the character, it also makes seeing him survive for so long all the more interesting. I particularly enjoyed the scenes where Robert would go to the library and take books home and actively try to research, and try to understand what exactly it was that turned everyone into "vampires", their weaknesses, if their was any possibilities of finding a cure. Watching Robert spending most of the middle of the book try to wrap his head around all these concepts, and theories in science, and watching him unable to fit the pieces together then getting extremely frustrated with himself only to finally come to understand these concepts and understanding why the "vampires" are the way they are was strangely fascinating.
Oh and I also loved how Robert would question why the people who were infected with the virus took on the characteristics and traits of vampires, a man made legend. A gripe I have with a lot of zombie stories, a perfect example is the walking dead, is that the characters never really show any signs that they are already familiar with what a zombie is, they always act as if it's their first time ever seeing a zombie. Sometimes they don't even call them zombies. It just always seemed strange to me, so it was a pleasant surprise when Robert would actually ponder on whether or not these superstitions about vampires became a reality, or it was mere coincidence.
So, to conclude, I highly recommend "I Am Legend". It was fast paced and engaging, but still managed to be thought provoking, and is a wonderful blend of horror and science fiction.