Teen Fiction

Wide Awake

Name: Wide Awake
Author: David Levithan
ISBN: 9780375834677

by David Levithan

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Overview

In the not-too-impossible-to-imagine future, a gay Jewish man has been elected president of the United States. Until the governor of one state decides that some election results in his state are invalid, awarding crucial votes to the other candidate, and his fellow party member. Thus is the inspiration for couple Jimmy and Duncan to lend their support to their candidate by deciding to take part in the rallies and protests. Along the way comes an exploration of their relationship, their politics, and their country, and sometimes, as they learn, it's more about the journey than it is about reaching the destination.

Only David Levithan could so masterfully and creatively weave together a plot that's both parts political action and reaction, as well as a touching and insightfully-drawn teen love story.

Synopsis

Publishers Weekly

Levithan (Boy Meets Boy) again creates a refreshingly offbeat world to impart an uplifting message. In this novel, set slightly in the future, a gay Jewish man is elected president of the United States, much to the joy of gay teen Duncan, who worked on his campaign. But when the governor of Kansas-the decisive state-begins a recount and starts "disqualifying as many Stein votes as possible," narrator Duncan, his boyfriend and their campaign friends head to a giant rally in Topeka to stick it out until the race is decided. Along the way, Duncan meets new friends, struggles with his relationship, and figures out what it means to stand up and be "a part of history." The author includes some whimsical details, some of which work well (Duncan and his friends go to a "non-shopping mall" where, after "the prices were scanned in, you made a donation to a worthy cause instead of buying the stuff"), others of which are clever but rather distracting (the hero meets a boy named Sue who learns that his name fits because "there were parts of me that liked being a girl"). Not everyone will agree with Duncan's perspective, but most readers will find plenty to think about in terms of where our society is headed-and what role each individual can play in directing its future. Ages 14-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

About the Author, David Levithan

David Levithan has said that with Boy Meets Boy, he "set out to write the book that I dreamed of getting as an editor -- a book about gay teens that doesn't conform to the old norms about gay teens in literature." According to the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers program -- and his rabid readers of all ages -- he's succeeded.

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Editorials

Publishers Weekly

VOYA - Nancy Zachary

Levithan continues to illuminate the emotional issues that present themselves in teen gay/lesbian relationships while catapulting the reader into a futuristic American liberal world. AIDS is an issue of the past, and democracy reigns through some humorous, fictitious changes. Decades from now, a gay Jew named Abe Stein has won the presidency of the United States, and his election is being contested in Kansas. Historical notes to the authentic Bleeding, Kansas, and the Boston Tea Party immediately draw the high school social studies student into the dialogue of the story. Allegorical factions play diverse political roles, including "The Decents" and the "God Squad." Duncan Weiss is the teen protagonist, in love with a more radical classmate, Jimmy. Readers watch his romance develop, understand his natural feelings, and observe sexual scenes that fit the characters' relationship. It is easy to anticipate Duncan's reactions to his female friends' dishonesty in their lesbian connection. Prejudice, tolerance, and freedom are key themes, and first love is equally significant to this high school drama. As the youth travel to Kansas to voice their support, parental concerns are noted, and the believable rallies and police presence move the narrative to its predictable yet enjoyable conclusion. Shelve this highly recommended title next to Levithan's earlier books with equal enthusiasm for the social milieu and characters he creates.

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-In this novel set in the near future, The Decents, who use God and family values to spread hate, are in the minority. The real Jesus freaks, who feel He would have loved everybody regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation, have prevailed. Gay, Jewish Duncan Weiss, 17, is elated when gay, Jewish Abe Stein is elected President of the United States. Then the governor of Kansas calls the election into question. The teen and a busload of his friends travel to Topeka to join millions in protest. Duncan's arc from well-meaning bystander to political participant stands as allegory to the uselessness of empathy without action. Levithan's dialogue is as natural and evocative as ever, and elegant, persuasive political speeches help sustain the wondrous mood. Duncan's friend Gus, a campy man-slut who ends each sentence with "la," provides much-needed comic relief. The members of The God Squad, Janna and Mandy, are equally natural and believable. Oddly, though, the romances lack juice. Duncan's earnest narrative will engage any teen who has felt powerless, but his militant boyfriend, Jimmy, is just too flat to care about. Keisha, Mira, and Sara, a love triangle of indistinguishable lesbians, speak of pain that readers never feel. The story still moves briskly, by force of the uncertain outcome more than by involvement with the characters. However, in conjuring a world where every vote actually counts, Wide Awake stands with Levithan's extraordinary Boy Meets Boy (Knopf, 2003) in sheer creativity of plot, setting, and message.-Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

As if the gaytopic world he created for Boy Meets Boy (2003) wasn't radical enough, the setting in this protest-song/call-to-political-action/romance reaches even further into a near-magical realm where tolerance reigns supreme. Here, readers meet thoughtful, 16-year-old Duncan and his fearless, multi-racial boyfriend Jimmy at the threshold of a new political era where the first gay Jewish president of the U.S. has just been elected. When a recount in Kansas calls the victory into question, Duncan, Jimmy and a colorful troupe of friends and allies travel across the country to rally support. There's no question as to the nature of Levithan's agenda, but he avoids the risk of didacticism by balancing his hilariously unapologetic one-track bandwagon of a plot with a dedicated and eclectic assortment of fully fleshed characters from all walks of life. With wide-eyed optimism, he connects their unique stories to the very sweet and very real romance between Duncan and Jimmy into a cohesive, eye-opening journey packed with enough humorous, button-pushing, acoustic-guitar strumming satire to keep readers laughing, but with enough political wallop to fill them with urgency, hope and inspiration. (Fiction. YA)