As if the gaytopic world he created for Boy Meets Boy (2003) wasn't radical enough, the setting in this protest-song/call-to-political-action/romance reaches even further into a near-magical realm where tolerance reigns supreme. Here, readers meet thoughtful, 16-year-old Duncan and his fearless, multi-racial boyfriend Jimmy at the threshold of a new political era where the first gay Jewish president of the U.S. has just been elected. When a recount in Kansas calls the victory into question, Duncan, Jimmy and a colorful troupe of friends and allies travel across the country to rally support. There's no question as to the nature of Levithan's agenda, but he avoids the risk of didacticism by balancing his hilariously unapologetic one-track bandwagon of a plot with a dedicated and eclectic assortment of fully fleshed characters from all walks of life. With wide-eyed optimism, he connects their unique stories to the very sweet and very real romance between Duncan and Jimmy into a cohesive, eye-opening journey packed with enough humorous, button-pushing, acoustic-guitar strumming satire to keep readers laughing, but with enough political wallop to fill them with urgency, hope and inspiration. (Fiction. YA)

Levithan (Boy Meets Boy ) again creates a refreshingly offbeat world to impart an uplifting message. In this novel, set slightly in the future, a gay Jewish man is elected president of the United States, much to the joy of gay teen Duncan, who worked on his campaign. But when the governor of Kansas—the decisive state—begins a recount and starts """"disqualifying as many Stein votes as possible,"""" narrator Duncan, his boyfriend and their campaign friends head to a giant rally in Topeka to stick it out until the race is decided. Along the way, Duncan meets new friends, struggles with his relationship, and figures out what it means to stand up and be """"a part of history."""" The author includes some whimsical details, some of which work well (Duncan and his friends go to a """"non-shopping mall"""" where, after """"the prices were scanned in, you made a donation to a worthy cause instead of buying the stuff""""), others of which are clever but rather distracting (the hero meets a boy named Sue who learns that his name fits because """"there were parts of me that liked being a girl""""). Not everyone will agree with Duncan's perspective, but most readers will find plenty to think about in terms of where our society is headed—and what role each individual can play in directing its future. Ages 14-up.(Oct.)

Gr 9 Up-In this novel set in the near future, The Decents, who use God and family values to spread hate, are in the minority. The real Jesus freaks, who feel He would have loved everybody regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation, have prevailed. Gay, Jewish Duncan Weiss, 17, is elated when gay, Jewish Abe Stein is elected President of the United States. Then the governor of Kansas calls the election into question. The teen and a busload of his friends travel to Topeka to join millions in protest. Duncan's arc from well-meaning bystander to political participant stands as allegory to the uselessness of empathy without action. Levithan's dialogue is as natural and evocative as ever, and elegant, persuasive political speeches help sustain the wondrous mood. Duncan's friend Gus, a campy man-slut who ends each sentence with "la," provides much-needed comic relief. The members of The God Squad, Janna and Mandy, are equally natural and believable. Oddly, though, the romances lack juice. Duncan's earnest narrative will engage any teen who has felt powerless, but his militant boyfriend, Jimmy, is just too flat to care about. Keisha, Mira, and Sara, a love triangle of indistinguishable lesbians, speak of pain that readers never feel. The story still moves briskly, by force of the uncertain outcome more than by involvement with the characters. However, in conjuring a world where every vote actually counts, Wide Awake stands with Levithan's extraordinary Boy Meets Boy (Knopf, 2003) in sheer creativity of plot, setting, and message.-Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Levithan continues to illuminate the emotional issues that present themselves in teen gay/lesbian relationships while catapulting the reader into a futuristic American liberal world. AIDS is an issue of the past, and democracy reigns through some humorous, fictitious changes. Decades from now, a gay Jew named Abe Stein has won the presidency of the United States, and his election is being contested in Kansas. Historical notes to the authentic Bleeding, Kansas, and the Boston Tea Party immediately draw the high school social studies student into the dialogue of the story. Allegorical factions play diverse political roles, including "The Decents" and the "God Squad." Duncan Weiss is the teen protagonist, in love with a more radical classmate, Jimmy. Readers watch his romance develop, understand his natural feelings, and observe sexual scenes that fit the characters' relationship. It is easy to anticipate Duncan's reactions to his female friends' dishonesty in their lesbian connection. Prejudice, tolerance, and freedom are key themes, and first love is equally significant to this high school drama. As the youth travel to Kansas to voice their support, parental concerns are noted, and the believable rallies and police presence move the narrative to its predictable yet enjoyable conclusion. Shelve this highly recommended title next to Levithan's earlier books with equal enthusiasm for the social milieu and characters he creates.-Nancy Zachary.

Starred Review In Boy Meets Boy (2003), Levithan created a town where being gay is no big thing. In his latest, he imagines a future America ter the Reign of Fear, after the Greater Depression, the War to End All Wars, the Jesus Revolution, and the Prada Riots. Living in this not quite but almost believable America are Duncan and his boyfriend, Jimmy, who start out the book rejoicing that Abe Stein, both gay and Jewish, has been elected president. Unsurprisingly, however, the governor of Kansas demands a recount, causing both Stein supporters and Stein haters to travel en masse to Kansas. Into this politically charged atmosphere go Duncan and Jimmy, who experience what proves to be a life-changing journey for them and their country. Levithan is best when he's focused on the two nuanced teenagers. Duncan's first-person narration lnerable, insecure, caring solutely sings, and his relationship with the outspoken Jimmy has all the awkwardness and intensity of first love. Clearly responding to current politics, Levithan's vision of the future occasionally dips into heavy-handed moralizing, but politics are so well integrated and thought-provoking that those moments are forgivable. As much about love as about politics, Levithan's latest reaches out to shake readers awake, showing them how each person's life touches another, and another, until ultimately history is made.