Review Detail

Many people think that it must be harder to write a novel than a short story, but in many ways, it is the opposite. In a novel, you have time to develop the characters and further the plot line. In a short story, youve got to be quick and good for it to be successful. Thats why it always impresses me when a collection of good (operative word) short stories comes out from an author. Sure, you can get lucky a time or two, but if you can put together an entire collection of short stories that are all good reads, youre a good writer.

And David Levithan has put together a number of short stories over the years. His latest collection (all his own works) is How They Met, and Other Stories and, as you might have guessed, theres a theme behind the stories.

Levithan began writing these Valentines Day stories for his friends when he was just seventeen (that particular one is A Romantic Inclination) and continued writing them over the years, though not always for Valentines Day. They are stories of love in all its glory and triumph and despair and beauty and tragedy. Some are traditional tales, others are more edgy. Some feature gay or lesbian characters and some dont. Some have females as the protagonist, others have males.

In other words, theres something here for everyone. And for every age (yes, theres even a story here that your grandmother would love).

I was most enamored with the straightforward stories of love, though the more cryptic ones are exactly the kinds of stories I would have written back when I was seventeen (and did) and I would have probably loved those more then. Perhaps it has something to do with age&back then, the cleverness of the writerly tricks he plays in a few stories would have grabbed me while now it is the tenderness in the others that pulls me in. Levithans personal stories about his grandparents were also particularly touching and enjoyable.

Recommended for readers aged 14 and up (solely because a few stories talk quite a bit about sex; more than half of them are suitable for any age). While girls will love this collection, I think boys will find it quite engrossing as well (with a bonus that the cover isnt remotely pink or romantic looking).