After finishing Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan, I honestly found myself somewhat underwhelmed. That’s not to say that this is a bad book. Leviatan’s inclusion of quirky and unique characters keeps the reader’s attention and makes the novel memorable. And who doesn’t love reading a good fantasy book about a utopia?  Especially a utopia in which (arguably*) all people are treated as equals, regardless of sexual or gender identity.

I think what was lacking for me was that the characters’ distinctive, complex personalities kept me from identifying with any of the characters and, since I unfortunately do not live in the utopia world that Leviathan has created, I couldn’t relate to the characters’ experiences.

Still, this book is critically acclaimed and, after looking at numerous book talks by teens on Youtube, a lot of young readers seem to find Boy Meets Boy relatable. According to this article describing why David Levithan won the 2016 Margaret A. Edwards Award, Levithan’s “stories are lead-in conversations as well as reminders that the reader is not alone.”

Now, to me, setting the narrative in this fictional utopia where the main character does not have to deal with bullying from friends and/or family is, sadly, unrealistic and therefore not relatable and comforting. If anything, I imagine Paul’s story would make a young queer reader more upset with the injustice of reality. Perhaps what makes the book relatable to teens isn’t the portrayal of Paul’s experiences as a part of the LGBTQ community, but the more general elements of the story, such as the high school love story and friendships portrayed. This interpretation seems to be in line with the thoughts of this teen reader. Another explanation could be that, since each character has so many different sides to their personality, the reader can identify with some part of all the characters. Or perhaps Levithan’s work is so positively received because its depiction of a LGBTQ utopia inspires readers to reflect upon the problems in our society.

I’m interested to hear what other people think. Did you find the book relatable? What elements of the story do you think cause young readers to identify with the characters and their experiences?

*I think it is important to note that there is still discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community in this novel. Paul is beat up for being gay, and one of his “friends” frequently calls him “gay boy” just to annoy him. Also, Kyle is embarrassed to identify as bisexual. But this is an entirely different issue. So, for the purposes of this post, I will assume that Levithan succeeded in his goal of creating an alternate reality in which everyone is accepting and supportive of the LGBTQ community.