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Boy Meets Boy Paperback – May 10, 2005
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This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance.
When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.
This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.
- Reading age12 - 17 years
- Print length240 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level7 - 9
- Lexile measure730L
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.46 x 8.25 inches
- PublisherAlfred A. Knopf
- Publication dateMay 10, 2005
- ISBN-100375832998
- ISBN-13978-0375832994
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"In a genre filled with darkness, torment, and anxiety, this is a shiningly affirmative and hopeful book." —The Bulletin, starred review
"Levithan's prophecy of a hate-free world in which everyone loves without persecution makes this a provocative and important read for all young adults, gay or straight." —School Library Journal, starred review
"Using a diverse cast of queer characters, David Levithan’s semi-utopian Boy Meets Boy...affirm[s] that there is a whole rainbow of ways to be gay." —The Horn Book
From the Back Cover
When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he's found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul's not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.
This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.
"From the Hardcover edition.
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
9 p.m. on a November Saturday. Joni, Tony, and I are out on the town. Tony is from the next town over and he needs to get out. His parents are extremely religious. It doesn't even matter which religion--they're all the same at a certain point, and few of them want a gay boy cruising around with his friends on a Saturday night. So every week Tony feeds us bible stories, then on Saturday we show up at his doorstep well versed in parables and earnestness, dazzling his parents with our blinding purity. They slip him a twenty and tell him to enjoy our study group. We go spend the money on romantic comedies, dimestore toys, and diner jukeboxes. Our happiness is the closest we'll ever come to a generous God, so we figure Tony's parents would understand, if only they weren't set on misunderstanding so many things.
Tony has to be home by midnight, so we are on a Cinderella mission. With this in mind, we keep our eye on the ball.
There isn't really a gay scene or a straight scene in our town. They got all mixed up a while back, which I think is for the best. Back when I was in second grade, the older gay kids who didn't flee to the city for entertainment would have to make their own fun. Now it's all good. Most of the straight guys try to sneak into the Queer Beer bar. Boys who love boys flirt with girls who love girls. And whether your heart is strictly ballroom or bluegrass punk, the dance floors are open to whatever you have to offer.
This is my town. I've lived here all my life.
Tonight, our Gaystafarian bud Zeke is gigging at the local chain bookstore. Joni has a driver's license from the state where her grandmother lives, so she drives us around in the family sedan. We roll down the windows and crank the radio--we like the idea of our music spilling out over the whole neighborhood, becoming part of the air. Tony has a desperate look tonight, so we let him control the dial. He switches to a Mope Folk station, and we ask him what's going on.
"I can't say," he tells us, and we know what he means. That nameless empty.
We try to cheer him up by treating him to a blue Slurp-Slurp at the local 24-7. We each take sips, to see whose tongue can get the bluest. Once Tony's sticking his tongue out with the rest of us, we know he's going to be okay.
Zeke's already jamming by the time we get to the highway bookstore. He's put his stage in the European History section, and every now and then he'll throw names like Hadrian and Copernicus into his mojo rap. The place is crowded. A little girl in the children's section puts the Velveteen Rabbit on her shoulders for a better view. Her moms are standing behind her, holding hands and nodding to Zeke's tune. The Gaystafarian crowd has planted itself in the Gardening section, while the three straight members of the guys' lacrosse team are ogling a bookstore clerk from Literature. She doesn't seem to mind. Her glasses are the color of licorice.
I move through the crowd with ease, sharing nods and smiling hellos. I love this scene, this floating reality. I am a solo flier looking out over the land of Boyfriends and Girlfriends. I am three notes in the middle of a song.
Joni grabs me and Tony, pulling us into Self-Help. There are a few monkish types already there, some of them trying to ignore the music and learn the Thirteen Ways to Be an Effective Person. I know Joni's brought us here because sometimes you just have to dance like a madman in the Self-Help section of your local bookstore. So we dance. Tony hesitates--he isn't much of a dancer. But as I've told him a million times, when it comes to true dancing, it doesn't matter what you look like--it's all about the joy you feel.
Zeke's jive is infectious. People are crooning and swooning into one another. You can see the books on the shelves in kaleidoscope form--spinning rows of colors, the passing blur of words.
I sway. I sing. I elevate. My friends are by my side, and Zeke is working the Huguenots into his melody. I spin around and knock a few books off the shelves. When the song is through, I bend to pick them up.
I grasp on the ground and come face to face with a cool pair of sneakers.
"This yours?" a voice above the sneakers asks.
I look up. And there he is.
His hair points in ten different directions. His eyes are a little close together, but man, are they green. There's a little birthmark on his neck, the shape of a comma.
I think he's wonderful.
He's holding a book out to me. Migraines Are Only in Your Mind.
I am aware of my breathing. I am aware of my heartbeat. I am aware that my shirt is half untucked. I take the book from him and say thanks. I put it back on the shelf. There's no way that Self-Help can help me now.
"Do you know Zeke?" I ask, nodding to the stand.
"No," the boy answers. "I just came for a book."
"I'm Paul."
"I'm Noah."
He shakes my hand. I am touching his hand.
I can feel Joni and Tony keeping their curious distance.
"Do you know Zeke?" Noah asks. "His tunes are magnificent."
I roll the word in my head--magnificent. It's like a gift to hear.
"Yeah, we go to school together," I say casually.
"The high school?"
"That's the one." I'm looking down. He has perfect hands.
"I go there, too."
"You do?" I can't believe I've never seen him before. If I'd seen him before, it would have damn well registered.
"Two weeks now. Are you a senior?"
I look down at my Keds. "I'm a sophomore."
"Cool."
Now I fear he's humoring me. There's nothing cool about being a sophomore. Even a new kid would know that.
Product details
- Publisher : Alfred A. Knopf; Reprint edition (May 10, 2005)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 240 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0375832998
- ISBN-13 : 978-0375832994
- Reading age : 12 - 17 years
- Lexile measure : 730L
- Grade level : 7 - 9
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.46 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #853,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

David Levithan is the author and co-author of over twenty YA novels, many of them bestsellers. His first YA novel was Boy Meets Boy in 2003. For more about David and his books, you can check out his website davidlevithan.com. His lover's dictionary can also be found on Twitter at @loverdiction.
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book to be a delightful young love story with satisfying sub-plots, featuring life-like characters with distinct voices. The writing is easy to read, and customers describe it as both poignant and touching, with one comparing it to Gilmore Girls on Steroids. Customers appreciate the book's acceptance of LGBT themes and its incredible journey of friendship, with one noting how the high school drama is relatable.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book truly amazing and charming, with one customer noting it can be enjoyed multiple times.
"...What stood out to me the most in this book, besides the wonderful, accepting world these characters live in, was the beautiful relationships between..." Read more
"...very happy to know that kids today have access to this wonderful, charming book. Yes, it is a 'gay' novel, but one that doesn't belabor that point...." Read more
"...quot;what-if-my-school-was-like" and rolls it all up into one very engaging and humourus story...." Read more
"...today (March 2012), I think this would make a brilliant and well-received movie, but I can see how it wouldn't have been as successful in 2003." Read more
Customers enjoy the story of this charming romantic comedy, describing it as a delightful young love story with satisfying sub-plots.
"In this charming romantic comedy, the typical high school setting is turned upside down with cheerleaders who ride Harleys and a transgendered..." Read more
"...While the surface attributes are whimsical to the point of making the setting seem like an alternate universe, the cores of the characters ring..." Read more
"...The wit and charm of his writing are there. Unique, quirky, and random still describes his writing, but his writing has grown in his more recent..." Read more
"...one moment, you can't help but to drop the book because you are laughing so hard, the next moment your face turns all red and your excited, and the..." Read more
Customers appreciate the character development in the book, finding them life-like, with one customer noting that each character has their own distinct voice.
"...otherworldly quality about it, perhaps only for the fact that unique characters such as these are still so far ahead of their time...." Read more
"...The characters are real, yet they may feel like cartoons at times: Infinite Darlene ('nuf said if you read the book)...." Read more
"...Levithan's characters become completely believable, and the high school drama surrounding the various relationships is relatable...." Read more
"...That the characters didn’t grab me, I put down to the enormous difference between us, both in terms of age and experience...." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it excellent and easy to read, with one customer comparing it to Gilmore Girls on Steroids.
"I absolutely adore this book. It was a very easy read and I instantly fell in love with many of the characters...." Read more
"...Unique, quirky, and random still describes his writing, but his writing has grown in his more recent books...." Read more
"...This book reads like Gilmore Girls on Steroids... At one moment, you can't help but to drop the book because you are laughing so hard, the next..." Read more
"...Levithan weaves a beautifully well-written story of love, friendship, break ups, make-ups, and crushes in a community unlike any other, where the..." Read more
Customers find the book heartwarming, with many noting its poignant moments and emotional impact, though some describe it as sad.
"...funny moments due to Levithan's oblique wit, and some very poignant ones too...." Read more
"...A very charming, heartwarming and hate free atmoshpere, where gay boys and girls could love freely, this one is a gem of a story." Read more
"...book was a charming read with some gentle chuckles and some genuinely touching moments...." Read more
"...the experiences the main character goes through are quite moving and emotional. The book will make you laugh, smile so hard it hurts, and cry...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's message of acceptance and support for the LGBTQ+ community.
"...What stood out to me the most in this book, besides the wonderful, accepting world these characters live in, was the beautiful relationships between..." Read more
"...takes as on an incredible journey of friendship, self-discovery, and acceptance...." Read more
"...portrays an alternate world where the town they are in is fully accepting of LGBT folk, to such a degree that a week long serenade between the..." Read more
"...I would recommend this to anyone looking for a feel good LGBTQ+ story." Read more
Customers love the relationships in the book, particularly the incredible journey of friendship, with one customer noting how the high school drama is relatable.
"...accepting world these characters live in, was the beautiful relationships between them. I loved Paul’s friends!..." Read more
"...the turbulent month of November, he takes as on an incredible journey of friendship, self-discovery, and acceptance...." Read more
"...Levithan weaves a beautifully well-written story of love, friendship, break ups, make-ups, and crushes in a community unlike any other, where the..." Read more
"...Paul has a close circle of friends, which includes his gal-pal Joni and Tony, who in sharp contrast has fundamentalist parents that are trying to..." Read more
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It's a good read on a stormy night
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2014In this charming romantic comedy, the typical high school setting is turned upside down with cheerleaders who ride Harleys and a transgendered homecoming queen named Infinite Darlene who used to be just Daryl. When Paul meets Noah, he’s sure that he’s the perfect guy for him, but things go awry and Paul must fight to win back Noah’s affections. With the whole school betting against him, his good friend Tony caught up with his ultra-religious parents, and his best friend Joni consumed by her new relationship, Paul is on his own to find a way to set everything right again.
When I first began reading this book, my immediate reaction was one of disbelief. I mean, where on Earth does this perfect high school exist where everyone understands and nobody is shamed for their sexuality? As I read more, though, I began to wonder why not? Why can’t we live in a time where the homecoming queen is transgendered and the gay-straight alliance is the place to be for both the gay and the straight? As I became involved with these characters I began dreaming of a time and place where the setting of this novel might be reality and the more I thought about it, the more I wondered why not now.
What stood out to me the most in this book, besides the wonderful, accepting world these characters live in, was the beautiful relationships between them. I loved Paul’s friends! It was wonderful to see him coming to the aid of Tony and being a true friend when he really needed it, and even though Joni goes off the rails a bit, I identified with Paul’s struggle to accept the loss of his very best friend. I would have liked to have seen even more of Infinite Darlene, who absolutely stole the show in every scene she was in.
The romance between Paul and Noah is both real and perfect in every way. They fall in love organically in that absolute teenage way where nothing matters but the person you’re infatuated with, and when drama threatens to tear them apart they take a step back to re-evaluate the meaning of absolutes. I absolutely adored the way they traded notes between every class and the gentle way that Paul goes about winning back Noah’s affections. Every grand gesture reminded me of a 1980s John Hughes film and left me grinning from ear-to-ear.
This book is about love and friendship and the lengths we all go to in order to secure those things in our lives. It’s also a book about acceptance that reminded me that although we’re not quite there yet, we’re not all that far from where we need to be.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2010I absolutely adore this book. It was a very easy read and I instantly fell in love with many of the characters. The language is beautiful and elegant in a simple, streamlined manner. Though not truly a fantasy, David Levithan's Boy Meets Boy has a dreamy, otherworldly quality about it, perhaps only for the fact that unique characters such as these are still so far ahead of their time.
The protagonist, Paul, is a sweet and extremely perceptive gay sophomore in high school. He is outgoing, popular and sharp-witted. He is surrounded by a bevy of friends and acquaintances who are probably, in some ways, unlike any of the kids you went/go to high school with. Yet, in other ways, they're probably exactly like the kids you went/go to school with. Perhaps this is what makes the simply-plotted novel so winning. While the surface attributes are whimsical to the point of making the setting seem like an alternate universe, the cores of the characters ring authentic and true. Like the best fantasy and science-fiction novels, the backdrop is merely a vehicle for speaking of the human condition. While Boy Meets Boy is certainly rooted in more realism than surrealism, it feels completely magical in so many ways.
There is not much to speak of regarding the plot. The central theme is your basic 'a stranger comes to town' setup. There are lots of wacky moments, extremely funny moments due to Levithan's oblique wit, and some very poignant ones too. One particularly moving scene involves one of Paul's best friends, a gay boy dealing with his religious parents' lack of understanding regarding his identity. There are no real 'villains' in this story and Levithan uses economy in describing physical attributes thus allowing the reader's own imagination to flesh out the details. In this case, the choice of minimalism is appropriate.
It makes me very happy to know that kids today have access to this wonderful, charming book. Yes, it is a 'gay' novel, but one that doesn't belabor that point. It makes a refreshing and joyful read for everyone, regardless of age, gender or orientation. I found myself smiling effusively the whole time I was reading it. I think you will too.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2013The beginning didn't feel like a David Levithan novel. His books always have been so grounded and real to me. This started out kind of ridiculous and outrageous. Many of the characters were larger than life. The city it takes place in also seemed nonrealistic. The high school contains a cheerleader biker gang, a high school cover band, and a few drag queens. All of the high school characters seem very sure of themselves. It felt like adult situations just transplanted into a high school and even earlier with stories that go as far back as elementary school. But I think Levithan did this all purposefully.
About 80% into the book I finally understood why Levithan created a world like this. With the protagonist "having it easy" it creates a unique lens to look at other gay youth in different situations. The chapter entitled "Tony" had me on the verge of tears.
This was David Levithan's first published book and I think you can tell. Many of his signatures are just beginning to emerge. The wit and charm of his writing are there. Unique, quirky, and random still describes his writing, but his writing has grown in his more recent books.
I did enjoy this book and I give it a 4/5. But, if you are looking for a modern gay story you should read "Two Boys Kissing". If you are looking for depth and conversations of sexuality, gender, and individuality you should read "Every Day". I will continue to consume as much of David Levithan's writing as I can.
Top reviews from other countries
- CatmanReviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2020
5.0 out of 5 stars A real page-turner!
I really enjoyed this story! It's interesting to have the central character (Paul), as 'sorted' and comfortable with being gay. The story flows well and is a real page turner. The characters are very real, and I cared about what happened to them. Paul's relationship with his best friend, Tony, is very well written. In the end I was left wanting to know what happened next, and that's a sign of good writing. I hope everything worked out well for Noah and Paul, as well as Tony! My only negative comment is lots of characters were introduced early on in the story, and I initially got a bit confused, but that was probably just me! I would definitely recommend this book.
- GruoneReviewed in Germany on July 27, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars lovely
the book is lovely and let you live in a world where homophobia and hate against sexual minorities does not play a role! the main character is intelligent and the narrative is well structured. Lovely book.
-
Celeste RamirezReviewed in Mexico on February 24, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Me hizo llorar
Este libro sin duda es muy hermosos, tiene una historia que a mi me hizo llorar
- Simone McPhailReviewed in Australia on March 30, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars A utopian dream
Beautiful words woven into a beautiful story. Pauls world is the one I want for my boys. It doesn't feel real because most of our world isn't at that point yet. I want their gayness to be as normal as blonde hair or brown eyes. We'll get there, but we're not there yet, and in the meantime we'll keep reading David Levithan books, because they make our boys brave, they make them feel normal and they give us parents insight.
- AndrewReviewed in Canada on September 7, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
This book is a good read