Wide Awake Now

Informationen zum Autor David Levithan is the author of several books for young adults, including Lambda Literary Award winner Two Boys Kissing; Every Day; Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (co-authored with Rachel Cohn); Will Grayson, Will Grayson (co-authored with John Green); and Boy Meets Boy . In 2016, David received the Margaret A. Edwards Award for his significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. Klappentext "From the New York Times bestselling author of Every Day, this is a queer love story set against the backdrop of the 2024 presidential election, in a reimagining of David Levithan's 2004 novel Wide Awake."-- Leseprobe one I can't believe there's going to be a gay Jewish president. As my mother said this, she looked at my father, who was still staring at the screen. They were shocked, barely comprehending. Me? I sat there and beamed. two I think it was the Jesus Freaks who were the happiest the next day at school. Most of the morning papers were saying that Stein's victory wouldn't have been possible without the Jesus Revolution, and I don't think Mandy or Janna or any of the other members of The God Squad would've argued. Mandy was wearing their jesus is love T-shirt, while Janna had a love thy neighbor button on her bag, right above the stein for president sticker. When they saw me walk through the door, they cheered and ran over, bouncing me into a jubilant hug. I wasn't the only gay Jew they knew, but I was the one they knew best, and we'd all been volunteers on the Stein/Martinez campaign together. After the hugging was done, we stood there for a moment and looked at one another with utter astonishment. We'd done it. Even though we wouldn't be able to vote for another two years, we'd helped to make this a reality. It was the most amazing feeling in the world, to know that something right had happened, and to know that it had happened not through luck or command but simply because enough people had understood it was right. Some of our fellow students walked by us and smiled. Others scoffed or scowled--there were plenty of people in our school who would've been happy to shove our celebration into a locker and keep it there for four years. It was only by one state, one of them grunted. Only seventy-six thousand votes in Kansas. Yeah, but who got the popular vote? Mandy challenged. The guy just spat on the ground and moved on. Did he really just spit? Janna asked. Ew. I was looking everywhere for Jimmy. As soon as the results had been announced, I'd gone to my room to call him. Can you believe it? I'd asked. I am so so so happy, he'd answered. And I was so so so happy, too. Not only because of the election but because Jimmy was around to share it with. I had two things to believe in now, and in a way they felt related. After years of questioning whether the world was only going to get worse, I believed in the future, and in our future. I love you, he'd said at the end of the call, his voice bleary from the hour but sweetened by the news. I love you, too, I'd replied. Good night. A very good night. Now I wanted the continuation, the kiss that would seal it. Stein had triumphed, the electoral college was secure, and I was in love with a boy who was in love with me. Somewhere Jesus is smiling, Janna said. Praise be, Mandy chimed in. Keisha and Mira joined us in the halls, fingers entwined. They looked beamy, too. Not a bad day for gay Jew boys, huh? Keisha said to me. Not a bad day for Afro-Chinese lesbians, either, I pointed out. Keisha nodded. You know it's the truth. We had all skipped school the previous two days to get out the vote. Since most of us weren't old e...

Klappentext

From the New York Times bestselling author of Every Day, this is a queer love story set against the backdrop of the 2024 presidential election, in a reimagining of David Levithan’s 2004 novel Wide Awake.

When David Levithan published Wide Awake in 2004, he set it in an imagined 2024, where a gay Jewish man had just been elected president of the United States, until a governor decides that some election results in his state are invalid, awarding crucial votes to the other candidate and his fellow party member. What follows is the story of teens Jimmy and Duncan as they explore their relationship, their politics, and their country.

In Wide Awake Now, David Levithan is flipping the script and rewriting Jimmy and Duncan’s story in the real 2024, rather than his imagined version. This is a protest novel for today.

Once again, David Levithan proves the critical importance of standing up for what you believe in and the cost of apathy in today’s political climate.

Leseprobe
one

I can t believe there s going to be a gay Jewish president.

As my mother said this, she looked at my father, who was still staring at the screen. They were shocked, barely comprehending.

Me?

I sat there and beamed.

two

I think it was the Jesus Freaks who were the happiest the next day at school. Most of the morning papers were saying that Stein s victory wouldn t have been possible without the Jesus Revolution, and I don t think Mandy or Janna or any of the other members of The God Squad would ve argued. Mandy was wearing their jesus is love T-shirt, while Janna had a love thy neighbor button on her bag, right above the stein for president sticker. When they saw me walk through the door, they cheered and ran over, bouncing me into a jubilant hug. I wasn t the only gay Jew they knew, but I was the one they knew best, and we d all been volunteers on the Stein/Martinez campaign together. After the hugging was done, we stood there for a moment and looked at one another with utter astonishment. We d done it. Even though we wouldn t be able to vote for another two years, we d helped to make this a reality. It was the most amazing feeling in the world, to know that something right had happened, and to know that it had happened not through luck or command but simply because enough people had understood it was right.

Some of our fellow students walked by us and smiled. Others scoffed or scowled--there were plenty of people in our school who would ve been happy to shove our celebration into a locker and keep it there for four years.

It was only by one state, one of them grunted. Only seventy-six thousand votes in Kansas.

Yeah, but who got the popular vote? Mandy challenged.

The guy just spat on the ground and moved on.

Did he really just spit? Janna asked. Ew.

I was looking everywhere for Jimmy. As soon as the results had been announced, I d gone to my room to call him.

Can you believe it? I d asked.

I am so so so happy, he d answered.

And I was so so so happy, too. Not only because of the election but because Jimmy was around to share it with. I had two things to believe in now, and in a way they felt related. After years of questioning whether the world was only going to get worse, I believed in the future, and in our future.

I love you, he d said at the end of the call, his voice bleary from the hour but sweetened by the news.

I love you, too, I d replied. Good night.

A very good night.

Now I wanted the continuation, the kiss that would seal it. Stein had triumphed, the electoral college was secure, and I was in love with a boy who was in love with me.

Somewhere Jesus is smiling, Janna said.

Praise be, Mandy chimed in.

Keisha and Mira joined us in the halls, fingers entwined. They looked beamy, too.

Not a bad day for gay Jew boys, huh? Keisha said to me.

Not a bad day for Afro-Chinese lesbians, either, I pointed out.

Keisha nodded. You know it s the truth.

We had all skipped school the previous two days to get out the vote. Since most of us weren t old enough to drive, we acted as dispatchers, fielding c…