Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

14 reviews

my_weird_bookish_heart's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Transphobia

Moderate: Eating disorder and Body horror

mothman19's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Death and Hate crime

luisalopes's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

I'd like to say that this was the first book by David Levithan I've ever read. It touched my very soul. As someone who's been struggling with feeling like an outsider since I was little, never feeling quite understood, validated, and depressed, it was the first time I ever felt like an author had looked right into my very core, touched it with all the care in the world and warmed it up by telling me "it's okay to be you; please give yourself the chance to see how far you'll go". He's been my all around-favourite author ever since. I haven't read many of his books, but if anyone ever asks me, I'll read every single thing he puts out there for this book alone. I might like it or not, no book seems to come close to what Two Boys Kissing did for me as an LGBTQ+ teen nearing adulthood, but I sure won't forget what the author did for me. I cannot express my gratitude, no matter how much I try.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Death

As a book about contemporary struggles LGBTQ+ youth faces, especially gay couples, there are some mentions of suicidal thoughts, self-destructive behaviour, descriptions of extreme discomfort

(one of the main couples is trying to break the world's longest kiss record and they have to keep kissing for hours and hours, so it gets pretty uncomfortable and emotionally draining)

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someonelikeblue's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

5.0

There are many boys kissing in this book. They lead different lives in different relationships and all feel like real couples. Seeing their struggles and joys breaks and warms your heart. Through their interlocking narratives, the supportive, melancholic, touching, encouraging commentary of the Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS is woven. This is the bit that makes it even more than a YA novel, a piece of poetry. 

My only concern is with how Avery, the trans boy, describes himself. It reads as a cis person describing a trans experience. And then there is that sceptical part in me that knows not all cis LGB people (past or present) would be as welcoming to him as the Chorus is.



This book still holds up after the 3rd read. Better still, there are always new passages and sentences to find and marvel over.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Terminal illness, and Homophobia

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Transphobia