Comments on: Wide Awake, by David Levithan (or, David Levithan for presidential speechwriter!) http://www.parenthetical.net/2009/01/20/wide-awake-by-david-levithan-or-david-levithan-for-presidential-speechwriter/ Book reviews, snark, and adventures in locovoration Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:48:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Miriam http://www.parenthetical.net/2009/01/20/wide-awake-by-david-levithan-or-david-levithan-for-presidential-speechwriter/comment-page-1/#comment-53027 Miriam Sat, 24 Jan 2009 18:52:09 +0000 http://www.parenthetical.net/?p=564#comment-53027 Oh! And I thought of something else silly - what the heck was up with maudlin version of the boy named Sue? He was yanked straight from the Johnny Cash song, and I was really really hoping that he and his now-a-woman dad would still get into an epic bar fight. I am a terrible person, alas. Oh! And I thought of something else silly – what the heck was up with maudlin version of the boy named Sue? He was yanked straight from the Johnny Cash song, and I was really really hoping that he and his now-a-woman dad would still get into an epic bar fight. I am a terrible person, alas.

]]> By: Sam http://www.parenthetical.net/2009/01/20/wide-awake-by-david-levithan-or-david-levithan-for-presidential-speechwriter/comment-page-1/#comment-53024 Sam Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:44:48 +0000 http://www.parenthetical.net/?p=564#comment-53024 That is an excellent point about Israel. I didn't even think of that -- mostly because the anti-Semitism interested me so much less than the homophobia. He didn't get into what was going on in the rest of the world much, period. Which I agree is a gap. In general, the book is a daydreamed, sketched-out utopia way more than it is a novel. It's, "hey, wouldn't it be awesome if this happened and we could all get really excited about it?" And since some version of "this" *did* just happen, I was feeling charitable. :) (As for being inside a 17-year-old's head, I feel like I've spent the last 13 years there. It's a little scary.) That is an excellent point about Israel. I didn’t even think of that — mostly because the anti-Semitism interested me so much less than the homophobia. He didn’t get into what was going on in the rest of the world much, period. Which I agree is a gap.

In general, the book is a daydreamed, sketched-out utopia way more than it is a novel. It’s, “hey, wouldn’t it be awesome if this happened and we could all get really excited about it?” And since some version of “this” *did* just happen, I was feeling charitable. :)

(As for being inside a 17-year-old’s head, I feel like I’ve spent the last 13 years there. It’s a little scary.)

]]> By: Miriam http://www.parenthetical.net/2009/01/20/wide-awake-by-david-levithan-or-david-levithan-for-presidential-speechwriter/comment-page-1/#comment-53023 Miriam Thu, 22 Jan 2009 02:28:38 +0000 http://www.parenthetical.net/?p=564#comment-53023 I read the book, and I'm afraid it didn't do a whole lot for me. I was intrigued by the dystopia part, but of course it's so much harder to write even a quasi-utopia. My main criticism is that the difficulties of the Jewish aspect of the president didn't make sense - where was Israel? The US relationship with Israel would be the #1 hot button issue in the event of a Jewish president (what with weird right-wing bedfellows and oil politics) - yet I'm pretty sure that Levithan didn't mention it once. But I supposed my fundamental lack of interest in relationship negotiation (at least in books) was what really did me in. It really did feel like being inside a 17 year old's head - and I don't want to be there. :) I read the book, and I’m afraid it didn’t do a whole lot for me. I was intrigued by the dystopia part, but of course it’s so much harder to write even a quasi-utopia. My main criticism is that the difficulties of the Jewish aspect of the president didn’t make sense – where was Israel? The US relationship with Israel would be the #1 hot button issue in the event of a Jewish president (what with weird right-wing bedfellows and oil politics) – yet I’m pretty sure that Levithan didn’t mention it once.

But I supposed my fundamental lack of interest in relationship negotiation (at least in books) was what really did me in. It really did feel like being inside a 17 year old’s head – and I don’t want to be there. :)

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