Benfield Reading Activists 

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan – review

Benfield Reading Activists: 'This book follows several different teenage boys in unrelated stories. What they have in common is they are all gay, but their experiences are very different to each other'
  
  


This book follows several different teenage boys in unrelated stories. What they have in common is they are all gay, but their experiences are very different to each other.

Two boys, Craig and Harry are kissing on the field outside their school. They have attracted the attention of the world's media and have a huge Facebook and Twitter following because they have been kissing for over 24 hours and are attempting to break the world record for the longest kiss.

Many supporters turn up at the high school, but there are also homophobes who come to throw eggs and shout abuse.

Peter and Neil are a happy couple who have been together for a while and are following the progress of the kiss.

Avery and Ryan meet at a gay prom and are just finding out about each other on their first dates. We thought the idea of a gay prom was brilliant; we'd not really thought about how the whole prom thing might be hard for gay students before.

Cooper is alone, depressed and isolated. His Dad finds out he's gay in a really bad way and his reaction makes Cooper drive off and attempt suicide.

As the kiss progresses throughout the book, all the characters, their friends and families and numerous other people who have seen it on the media re-evaluate their relationships and their attitudes.

There is also a commentary on the action from the voice of the dead gay men and boys of the past who suffered from the curse of the AIDS epidemic and all the homophobia that unleashed.

We think it's a good book to make straight people think and a good book for any gay teens to help them deal with stuff. It shows us that we should all be more supportive and understanding to gay people.

• Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop

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