Books
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

see page history

Description edit see section history

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production... read more

Characters edit see section history

  • 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 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.
Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

Quotes edit see section history

  • “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.
    Highlighted by 323 Kindle customers
  • You like someone who can’t like you back because unrequited love can be survived in a way that once-requited love cannot.
    Highlighted by 297 Kindle customers
  • i am constantly torn between killing myself and killing everyone around me.
    Highlighted by 236 Kindle customers
  • Being in a relationship, that’s something you choose. Being friends, that’s just something you are.”
    Highlighted by 235 Kindle customers
  • 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.
    Highlighted by 232 Kindle customers
  • 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.
    Highlighted by 230 Kindle customers
  • How can our sentient fucking lives revolve around something slugs can do.
    Highlighted by 201 Kindle customers
  • 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.
    Highlighted by 190 Kindle customers
  • Not that smart. Not that hot. Not that nice. Not that funny. That’s me: I’m not that.
    Highlighted by 153 Kindle customers
  • 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.
    Highlighted by 142 Kindle customers
Show all 20 quotes from this book

Setting & Locations edit see section history

Organizations edit see section history

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

First Sentence edit see section history

When I was little, my dad used to tell me, "Will, you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose."

Table of Contents edit see section history

Chapters 1 - 20

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."

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Nominees 2013. (authoritative list)
This book is in Amazon Book Club Picks. (authoritative list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

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

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: Dutton Books
Country: USA
Publication Date: 6 April 2010
ISBN: 978-0-525-42158-0
Page Count: 310

Awards edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Young Adults

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.


We’re hiding the errata, movie connections, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.