Be More Chill

By: Ned Vizzini

Adapted by: David Levithan

Art by: Nick Bertozzi

Discarded hardcover 139 pages

Published: 2021

Genre: YA coming of age, SciFi (a bit)

 

Apparently, this story was written as a novel by Vizzini in 2004. Then it was made into a musical. Now Levithan and Bertozzi have turned it into a graphic novel.

"Jeremy is your average high school dork. Day after day, he stares at beautiful Christine, the girl he can never have, and dryly notes the small humiliations that come his way. Until the day he learns about the 'squip.' A pill-size supercomputer that you swallow, the squip is guaranteed to bring you whatever you most desire in life."

The squip and technology "advancements" in general are what made me call this SciFi. It isn't so far-fetched with AI and other recent techno to think that someday we can have something like a "squip." The results, of course, are awful. (But then, any time humans try to improve upon God's creation . . . )

It was a well-written and drawn book. I had not heard of this musical or novel before. I will donate this book to a high school teacher. I think it would appeal to some readers quite a bit.

I liked Christine and Jeremy's friend (whose name I can't find right now). This was an interesting read. It would make for a good book club discussion with teens.

Every Day

by David Levithan
Hennepin County library audiobook 7 discs
read by Alex McKenna
genre: YA SciFi gender fluidity

A - changes bodies every day, sometimes a male and sometimes a female. Has been this way since birth but didn't realize it was unusual until reaching the age of 4.

Rhiannon - changes A's life by being herself. A is in her boyfriend's body for a day and falls in love with her. A is determined to stay with her.

Nathan - is inhabited by A for a day and KNOWS something happened to him. He confides in a preacher who has a website looking for people's stories of "demon possession."

Overall, I disliked this story but found that it stuck with me. Though the premise was far-fetched (a person whose "self" lives in a different body each day of existence), Levithan made it worked. I cared about A and wanted "him" to have a happy ever after . . .

The author's stance that gender is superfluous and same-sex, trans, and every other permutation of sexuality is irrelevant in light of who the person is "on the inside" came through loud and clear. Rhiannon's hesitance to kiss A when A is in a female body is roundly denounced by A, who doesn't see why it should bother her.

Ultimately, the story had my attention and I was pleasantly surprised by the resolution . . . although it brought me back to the oddness of the premise. Levithan is a talented storyteller, no question. I just didn't enjoy this one. 

Two Boys Kissing

by David Levithan
read by the author
Hennepin County Library audiobook 5 discs
genre: teen realistic fiction, relationships

I couldn't even get past disc one. . . not enough of the *stories* of Craig and Harry, Peter and Neil, Avery and Ryan . . . and too much of the historical and cultural perspective on teen and young adult homosexual relationships and how much has changed in the past few decades. I know I'm not his target audience, but this just didn't appeal even from a "story" perspective. The back flap gives more info:

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

by John Green & David Levithan
Hennepin County Library audioCDs 7 discs
read by MacLeod Andrews and Nick Podehl
genre: teen romance, friendship, GLBTQ acceptance

Will Grayson is friends with flamboyant and huge Tiny Cooper, who tries to set him up with Jane.
The other Will Grayson is an angry in-the-closet gay teen who's on anti-depressants. His "friend" Maura takes goth and darkness to new levels.
What I like about this story: the characters' growth as individuals, the compelling story.
What I didn't like: extreme profanity, the second Will Grayson's depression and anger.