content warnings:

Spoiler

fatphobia, homophobia (incl. slurs; challenged), bi erasure/biphobia, underage drinking, suicidal ideation, fantasies of self-harm, ableism, acephobic jokes, being catfished

rep:

Spoiler

gay MC with depression [will grayson], fat major character [Tiny], gay secondary & minor characters, M/M relationships

This is one of those books that was radically diverse when it came out (2010), but some parts of it ... really haven't aged well. The unchallenged fatphobia and bi erasure — one of the main characters literally says that

Spoiler

being attracted to girls = you can't be attracted to boys

—were painful to read; the MC with depression reads like a walking emo stereotype.

So although the premise is cute, themes of friendship and self-discovery and learning to love yourself and others are lovely, and Green and Levithan are generally great storytellers, Will Grayson, Will Grayson really wasn't for me.

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CONVERSION: 8.4 / 15 = 3 stars

Prose: 8 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 6 / 10
Emotional Impact: 6 / 10
Development / Flow: 5 / 10
Setting: 2 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Memorability: 3 / 5