Ryan and Avery

July 31, 2023
In this brief and intense read, Levithan nonlinearly chronicles 10 dates between queer teenagers Ryan and Avery, supporting characters from Two Boys Kissing. The opening entry, “Snow Day,” finds 16-year-old Ryan and transgender high school junior Avery’s fifth date impacted by a snowstorm that forces Ryan, who lives two hours away, to spend the night at Avery’s house. It takes time for Ryan—who worries about being judged for being queer—to get comfortable around Avery’s supportive parents; once he does, however, the boys revel in their extra time together, using it to kiss unbothered and make snow angels. On their sixth date, they approach the quintessential “what are we” dilemma, prompting a simultaneously awkward and sweet conversation that further establishes their deepening feelings. While the third-person narration sometimes reads as precious, vulnerable prose emphasizes the boys’ fierce intimacy (“It’s still early enough that each kiss contains the revival of all the earlier kisses... and then brings its own twist, its own reason for being”) and forefronts the power and gravity of all-encompassing first love. Ryan and Avery read as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Bill Clegg, Clegg Agency.

September 1, 2023
Two boys--blue-haired Ryan and pink-haired Avery--learn date-by-date what it means to build a relationship. Ryan and Avery met at a gay prom. That night was the beginning of a conversation they both wanted to continue. Neither of them has much experience with dating, so they don't know if they are moving too fast or too slow. Avery's parents are welcoming and supportive when their son brings Ryan to dinner, but Ryan's parents don't know about Avery, because they don't really know their own son. As Ryan and Avery open up to one another, the rift between Ryan and his parents stretches into a chasm that may soon become too wide to cross. An omniscient but personable narrator follows the teens through the first 10 dates of their new relationship. After setting the stage during dates five and six, when Ryan's familial conflicts emerge, the narrative winds back and forth between chapters that progress backward to the night of pride prom and forward to the present. Although Ryan and Avery made their debut in Two Boys Kissing (2013), this novel-length version of their story not only stands alone but also revises Ryan's family relationships and how Avery, who is transgender, talks about his gender identity. Levithan's quietly musing prose overflows with earnest emotion and understanding. The cast of characters is cued white. An intimate unfurling of first love. (Romance. 13-18)

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Starred review from October 1, 2023

Gr 7 Up-Levithan's latest revisits Ryan and Avery, characters from Two Boys Kissing, as they go on their first 10 dates. The story is told out of chronological order, and readers experience the excitement and nerves of Ryan and Avery as they begin their relationship. Avery, a trans boy, comes from a supportive family who embraces Ryan as his boyfriend. Ryan's parents are strict and distant, so he relies on his aunt and friends for support of his budding relationship with Avery. As in most relationships, some dates go better than others. A magical snow day gives the pair an opportunity to connect as if the world around them doesn't exist, while a trip to an abandoned mini golf course leads to a run-in with bigoted classmates. A memorable date to a drive-in showing a LGBTQIA+ movie offers the couple the opportunity to be themselves among other queer youth and adults. Levithan's descriptions of Ryan and Avery's thoughts and moods and the magic that surrounds first love heighten the narrative and will draw readers in. VERDICT A swoon-worthy LGBTQIA+ romance with a lot of heart, this one is a first purchase for all library collections.-Ashley Leffel

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