Will Grayson, Will Grayson (2010) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Characters edit see section history

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• Will Grayson: The Will Grayson who narrates during the odd chapters. His two rules of life are 1) Don't care. and 2) Shut up. His best friend is Tiny Cooper, who fails repeatedly at both these rules.
• Will Grayson (even chapters): Will Grayson who narrates the even chapters and writes with no capital letters. A loner who doesn't have many friends: he has one "friend," Maura, who he doesn't seem to like that much. His only "true" friend is one he's met online, named Isaac, who he shares everything with.
• Tiny Cooper: Will Grayson's friend; "The world's largest person who is really really gay or the world's gayest person who is really, really large." Through the book he is writing, producing, directing & starring in a play about himself called 'Tiny Dancer'.
• Jane: One of Tiny's friends from the GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance) at school.
• Maura: Will Grayson (even chapters)'s friend who he doesn't seem to like that much.
• Gary: Member of the GSA with Jane and Tiny.
• Nick: One of Will's other, not particularly close, friends. He dated Gary and then Tiny for a short time.
• Gideon: Will Grayson (even chapters)'s new gay friend, the only other out character at his school.
• Anne Grayson: Will Grayson (even chapters)'s mother. She works very hard to support herself and Will.
• Isaac: Will Grayson (even chapters)'s Internet boyfriend who he tells everything to.

Quotes edit see section history

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• “Love is the most common miracle...Love is always a miracle, everywhere, every time.”

  Tiny Cooper

• “But with friendship, there's nothing like that. Being in a relationship, that's something you choose. Being friends, that's just something you are.”

  Will Grayson

• “Not that smart. Not that hot. Not that nice. Not that funny. That's me: I'm not that.”

  Will Grayson

• “I have no idea why anyone would want to become a teacher. I mean, you have to spend the day with a group of kids who either hate your guts or are kissing up to you to get a good grade. that has to get to you after a while, being surrounded by people who will never like you for any real reason.”

  Will Grayson

• “this is why we call people exes, i guess -- because the paths that cross in the middle end up separating at the end. it's too easy to see an X as a cross-out. it's not, because there's no way to cross out something like that. the X is a diagram of two paths.”

  will grayson

• “I'm so proud of you that it makes me proud of me. I hope you know that.”

  Mr. Grayson

• “You remember after I first came out, you used to say, instead of like saying, 'Tiny plays for the other team,' you'd say, 'Tiny plays for the White Sox.'”

  Tiny Cooper

• “if frenchy's could bottle him up and sell him as porn, they'd probably own half of chicago within a year. he's what would happen after nine months if abercrombie fucked fitch. he's like a movie star, an olympic swimmer, and america's next top male model all at once. he's wearing a silver shirt and pink pants. everything about him sparkles.not my type at all but...Gay God”

  will grayson

• “"you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose."”

• “"Since when is the person you want to screw the only person you get to love?"”

  Other Will Grayson

• Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers

• when things break, it’s not the actual breaking that prevents them from getting back together again. it’s because a little piece gets lost - the two remaining ends couldn’t fit together even if they wanted to. the whole shape has changed.

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• You like someone who can’t like you back because unrequited love can be survived in a way that once-requited love cannot.

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• i am constantly torn between killing myself and killing everyone around me.

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• Being in a relationship, that’s something you choose. Being friends, that’s just something you are.”

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• this is why we call people exes, i guess - because the paths that cross in the middle end up separating at the end. it’s too easy to see an X as a cross-out. it’s not, because there’s no way to cross out something like that. the X is a diagram of two paths.

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• When you wake up in the morning you swing your legs out of bed and you put your feet on the ground and you stand up. You don’t scoot to the edge of the bed and look down to make sure the floor is there. The floor is always there. Until it’s not.

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• How can our sentient fucking lives revolve around something slugs can do.

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• weltschmerz. it’s the depression you feel when the world as it is does not line up with the world as you think it should be.

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• Not that smart. Not that hot. Not that nice. Not that funny. That’s me: I’m not that.

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• I’ve never known before what it feels like to want someone—not to want to hook up with them or whatever, but to want them, to want them. And now I do. So maybe I do believe in epiphanies.

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Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Chicago, IL

Organizations edit see section history

• GSA: The Gay Straight Alliance at Tiny and Will's school.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Weltschmerz: "The depression you feel when the world as it is does not line up with the world as you think it should be."

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Friendship: Describe this theme.
• Dealing with Bullying
• Homosexuality

Series & Lists edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. David Levithan (Author)
2. John Green (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Awards edit see section history

• Teen Read Awards (Finalist, 2010: Best Lip Lock)
• Amazon Best of the Month (April 2010, #6)
• Stonewall Book Award (2011: Children & Young Adult Literature)

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PZ7.G8233
• Dewey: Add the Dewey Classification.

Notes for Parents edit see section history

This book deals with Depression - one of the characters is on medication for depression. Drinking - One character passes out drunk. Language - The characters frequently swear and use the F word.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Teens › Social Issues › Homosexuality › Fiction
• Books › Gay & Lesbian › Literature & Fiction › Fiction › Gay