The Problem: short attention span, no interest in finishing the books I've started.
The Solution: "The Lover's Dictionary" by David Levithan.
It was just what I needed.
1) A quick read.
2) An intelligent read.
3) A real modern love story.
Levithan writes YA Fiction with gay and straight teen characters, best known for "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" he also co-authored "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" a novel I recently read and enjoyed. "The Lover's Dictionary" is exactly what is says, a story of a couple told through applicable dictionary entries. Everything we know about the couple, (met online, live in NYC, stable/unstable backgrounds) is told through the narrator's first-person POV, his words are directed at the love interest only as "you." This allows the characters to be read as gay or straight, The Guardian sees it as a 'boy meets girl' story, but Levithan did write, "Boy Meets Boy" in 2005... I feel by leaving the character gender neutral a broader cross-section of people will personally identify and enjoy this universal story of tenderness and heartbreak. I hope Levithan decides to write more adult fiction, (nothing against the teens -I love YA literature) he nailed the quirks and nuances of adult relationships in such a concise form, I'd love to see what he'd do with a longer novel.
