RYAN AND AVERY

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.