In the not-too-impossible-to-imagine future, a gay Jewish man has been elected president of the United States. Until the governor of one state deci...
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May 13, 2008
Jennifer
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Reviewed by Christian C. for TeensReadToo.com
Decades from today, the results of the election are out, and for the first time in the history of the United States, a gay, Jewish president, Abraham Stein, has been elected. After the Greater Depression, the War to End All Wars, the Reign of Fear, and the Jesus Revolution, the moment has arrived. Seventeen-year-old Duncan, who has spent the last few months working with his boyfriend, Jimmy, as a volunteer at the campaign headquarters, can More...
Decades from today, the results of the election are out, and for the first time in the history of the United States, a gay, Jewish president, Abraham Stein, has been elected. After the Greater Depression, the War to End All Wars, the Reign of Fear, and the Jesus Revolution, the moment has arrived. Seventeen-year-old Duncan, who has spent the last few months working with his boyfriend, Jimmy, as a volunteer at the campaign headquarters, can More...
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Mar 23, 2008
Wordwizard
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This was an excellent story of teenage romance, self-discovery, self-confidence, and a struggle against bigotry set in a not-so-distant future. Major themes include discovery, perseverance, and social activism against a setting where religious and political motives have shifted slightly from our own time. . . for some people.
Great read for those who want to feel that someone else has had the same ideas as they have about government corruption or religious hypocracy (in the book, the More...
Great read for those who want to feel that someone else has had the same ideas as they have about government corruption or religious hypocracy (in the book, the More...
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Jul 28, 2011
Wide Awake by David Levithan is set a few decades in the future and examines a group of teens who are active in the election of the U.S.’s first gay and Jewish President. The story is told through Duncan, a young openly gay teen who is working as a campaign volunteer for openly gay and Jewish presidential candidate Abraham Stein, who had won the election by popular and electoral vote. But a challenge from the governor of Kansas questions the close victory and calls for a recount. Stein calls
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Nov 29, 2011
Sharon
rated it: 
Interesting point of view - bottom line it, what's it about? love, sacrifice, personal beliefs, doing what's right, and standing up for what you believe in. It gives an interesting perspective of a young boy who happens to be a gay Jewish boy, working on the campaign of a potential president who also happens to be gay and jewish. Although the story line could be told from any perspective, the author choose the gay rights perspective I believe to show tolerance. The book is set in a time that
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Oct 04, 2011
The_antichris
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My brain says this should be tagged as sffantasy, but my gut says not. I don't know why; it doesn't have the focus on technological change that I'd expect from near-future SF (phones are just slightly smarter than they are right now), but normally an exploration of social change, how we got there from here, would qualify a book as SF for me, and it certainly has that. But it's only sketched out in the background; the focus is on various romantic complications and on the political fairytale. The
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Aug 30, 2011
Cara
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David Levithan was recommended to me as an author who could write about homosexuality front and center and give it a happy ending. But this book was not really what I was looking for. It was an interesting journal of a political movement, but honestly, it was really a one note samba. It definitely wanted to give a positive message, but the nuance it had in the beginning was swept away as Duncan joined the protest.
In the end, the only thing i found convincing about the book was the relati More...
In the end, the only thing i found convincing about the book was the relati More...
May 27, 2011
Sarah
rated it: 
First off, I'm a big fan of David Levithan. I've read several of his books and liked them all. I liked Wide Awake too -- the premise was good, our main character, Duncan, was strong and liked his relationships with his friends and boyfriend. But I think Levithan spent too much time on the message in his book and not enough on the story. [return][return]The book is filled with scattered italicized sections of text that represent excerpts from speeches given by the president-elect of the novel --
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Oct 04, 2010
Sean
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The two books I have read from David Levithan so far have required quite a bit of suspension of disbelief - in "Boy Meets Boy" it was a bit easier to get over the initial resistance to it, but "Wide Awake" suffers because of it. It's a shame, because it could have been a truly great and inspiring YA novel. Levithan's world-building always seems to push a bit too far - my first stumbling block was the notion that in the future we no longer shop for stuff, but just go to look
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Apr 14, 2009
Sheila
rated it:
I really enjoy David Levithan’s work. From the worlds he creates to the characters I have no problem falling in love with. I love the simplicity and the complexity of the relationships and the hope I feel for our future. That being said, from the moment I read the following passage I knew, no matter what happened, I would like this book. Because I can’t put into words the affect the following has had on me. How it has helped to remind me of who I am and where I’ve been and how I look at myself.
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Aug 09, 2011
Stacey
rated it:
Ah, David Levithan is one of those authors that I can sit down and read and read and read. His poetic style just sucks me in, and makes me feel like tattooing his work all over me. Such is the case here, in a future society when a gay Jewish president is elected, and then has to fight to hold onto his win.
The story is from high schooler Duncan's POV, who is also gay and Jewish, and very much in love with his boyfriend Jimmy, who insofar as I can tell, is a black-hispanic kid of the More...
The story is from high schooler Duncan's POV, who is also gay and Jewish, and very much in love with his boyfriend Jimmy, who insofar as I can tell, is a black-hispanic kid of the More...
Jan 30, 2011
Dormouse
rated it:
I really liked this book *and* it also felt like a book about all those ticky-boxes that needed ticking... which annoyed me.
It's set in a not-far future, and there is,
an election in which a gay Jewish man has just been elected president of the USA
a main protagonist who is gay and Jewish and has a boyfriend
a friendly supportive liberal librarian.
There are lesbians and other gay people and different relationships, some short, some long-term, one confused person who More...
It's set in a not-far future, and there is,
an election in which a gay Jewish man has just been elected president of the USA
a main protagonist who is gay and Jewish and has a boyfriend
a friendly supportive liberal librarian.
There are lesbians and other gay people and different relationships, some short, some long-term, one confused person who More...
Apr 01, 2010
Molly
rated it:
Duncan -- sixteen, gay, and Jewish -- and Jimmy -- his politically active boyfriend -- have just achieved the seemingly impossible: they have taken part in the successful campaign of Abraham Stein, the first gay and first Jewish president-elect of the United States of America. But when the election results are called into question, Duncan must overcome his fear of confrontation and conflict in order to stand up for what he believes is right. If he can't do it in time, he risks losing Jimmy. T
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Oct 12, 2011
Manar
rated it:
This is a good book, and I think that most people will really enjoy it, but it's just not really my thing. Whether or not I agree with the points they try to make, I'm not really a fan of novels that seem to exist for the sole purpose of pushing an agenda or just making a political allegory. I mean, using fiction to reveal a larger truth is obviously both accepted and appreciated, but I don't really like books that focus entirely on the idea that they support (especially because I read a lot of
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Oct 04, 2009
Ellen
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Wide Awake is a political book and a love story. It takes place about thirty years in the future, as nearly as I can work out, because Duncan remembers the years of the Greater Depression. As he explains, it all started with 9/11, decades before he was born. The politicians decided “to use fear to get what they wanted. Fear of mass destruction. Fear of nonwhites and non-Christians.” More bad things happen “caused, in part, by the way we alienated the nonwhite non-Christians with out fearful aggr
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Jul 11, 2009
Lydia
rated it: 
This is a most interesting YA read.
The U.S. has an elected a gay, Jewish president -- or so it seems until Kansas decides maybe the count is off. The group of 16-yr old teens who worked so hard on the campaign are devastated, just as the "Decents" who opposed the candidate are. The tag line of the book is "What are you willing to do for what you believe in?"
Levithan is an excellent writer and may have missed his calling when he decided not to become a More...
The U.S. has an elected a gay, Jewish president -- or so it seems until Kansas decides maybe the count is off. The group of 16-yr old teens who worked so hard on the campaign are devastated, just as the "Decents" who opposed the candidate are. The tag line of the book is "What are you willing to do for what you believe in?"
Levithan is an excellent writer and may have missed his calling when he decided not to become a More...
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Mar 28, 2009
Ozimandias
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Levithan has this natural way of making what is currently out-of-the-ordinary completely normal. This book takes that to the next level, creating a world where the U.S. is about to elect its first gay, Jewish president, with a Latina VP. It is a world where Christians have evolved into lovers of peace and tolerance and the Republican party has turned into evil creatures called Decents. In the center stands a cute teenage couple, one guy at least partially black, the other guy, Jewish. The tensio
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Jan 03, 2012
Jennifer
rated it:
Okay, so I enjoyed this book even if sometimes I didn't understand some of the language because it's set in the future. I liked the characters and the problems that are presented to them, and I felt that it was realistic based on the way the country seems to be going. The one glaring thing that was wrong - but was right at the time the book was published - was the mention that America did not yet have a black president. Well, we do now! So aside from that book which dated it, it was a great piec
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Jun 09, 2011
Keri
rated it:
How far would you go to fight for something you believe in? To stand up for your principles? To support the future of your country?
I have read two of David's co-written books: 'Will Grayson, Will Grayson' and 'Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist.' Both are among my 5-star reads, so I was eager to read one of his solo novels. 'Boy Meets Boy' and 'Wide Awake' have caught my attention in the past, so when I saw this at the Strand bookstore, I picked up a copy.
In 'Wide Awake,' More...
I have read two of David's co-written books: 'Will Grayson, Will Grayson' and 'Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist.' Both are among my 5-star reads, so I was eager to read one of his solo novels. 'Boy Meets Boy' and 'Wide Awake' have caught my attention in the past, so when I saw this at the Strand bookstore, I picked up a copy.
In 'Wide Awake,' More...
Nov 25, 2011
Nicole
rated it:
Can it be historical fiction if it's set in a fictional future? Because this book is all about making history...in the future. When a gay Jewish man becomes president. You know, when that happens. Someday. Maybe. Possibly...
This was not my favorite Levithan and I've been trying to work out why this book didn't sear into my soul like his other books. (Alright, maybe not my soul, but definitely into my beneath the surface emotions. Definitely there.)
I think it's because More...
This was not my favorite Levithan and I've been trying to work out why this book didn't sear into my soul like his other books. (Alright, maybe not my soul, but definitely into my beneath the surface emotions. Definitely there.)
I think it's because More...
Mar 29, 2011
Katie
rated it:
I loved this book and I have no idea why it's not more well-known. I'd never heard of it before though I've seen Levithan and some of his other books praised all over the place. I happened to see it at my local library and since I really liked his other books I picked it up. Wow. It's unexpected and wonderful. I don't want to get into it too much but I enjoyed seeing Levithan's thoughts in 2006 about politics and comparing them to where we are now (he apparently thought there would be a female p
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Jul 08, 2011
Jenny
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Of the Levithan YA books I've read, this one wasn't my favorite; however, reading it right after Cory Doctorow's novel Little Brother was interesting. Both books are set in the future - though Little Brother takes place in the near future, while Wide Awake occurs several decades from now - and they could be classified as dystopias, but they aren't so far from the current state of affairs; in each case, it's a recognizable, possible future. Doctorow's novel is lengthier, more complex, and more im
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Jan 26, 2012
Taryn Brittany
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In the not too distant future, a gay Jewish man named Abraham Stein has been elected President of the United States. Sixteen-year-old Duncan, who is also gay and Jewish, is thrilled. He and his friends have helped support the election campaign because they believe in the President’s vision of tolerance and community. Unfortunately, the governor of Kansas decides that the results of his state’s election are invalid, and therefore the other presidential candidate (who just so happens to belong to
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Jan 02, 2012
Jessie
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I have to admit that throughout the course of reading this book I wasn't really that intrguied by it. I didn't feel the compelling urge to want to continue reading the book and see what happens. I often felt that it was drawn out too much in certain areas. That being put aside, I found it difficult to read this book for the fact that the way it's written in a way that it's in the "future" but yet has a lot of similarities that our country currently has and yet still be quite differe
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Apr 24, 2010
Duane
rated it:
Duncan & Jimmy are boyfriends in the near future who find themselves caught up in the latest presidential election. What makes this election so special is that the so-called victor happens to be a jewish gay man. When the election is contested, Duncan has to find the courage to stand up for what he believes is right and travel to Kansas (where the votes are contested) and show his boyfriend that he really cares about their future. Filled with subplots that are believable and enjoyable, this is a
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Aug 16, 2010
Jamie
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A fascinating alternate future in which the perils of homophobia, Christian hatred and the electoral college play out during a contested election that could place a gay Jewish man (and his husband and kids) in the White House. The story is told through the eyes of a group of Jersey teens (not the Jersey Shore crew) and their family and friends. There are some great messages here especially about the silent majority of loving Christians who are out there focusing on Jesus's messages of love and
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Oct 22, 2009
Lindi
rated it:
Umm -- slow day at work, so I read my first Levithan. I know, I'm embarrassed on two fronts.
Yes, it's super-idealistic, but why not? Isn't that what this country is all about? It was founded in idealism and I just keep wondering, where is our outrage? I sleepwalked through the Bush presidency. I could not believe that I lived in a country where he was elected! Eight years and I didn't do anything, not really, to express my dismay. Well, I love that David Levithan imagines a better wo More...
Yes, it's super-idealistic, but why not? Isn't that what this country is all about? It was founded in idealism and I just keep wondering, where is our outrage? I sleepwalked through the Bush presidency. I could not believe that I lived in a country where he was elected! Eight years and I didn't do anything, not really, to express my dismay. Well, I love that David Levithan imagines a better wo More...
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Mar 30, 2011
Cassy
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 11, 2010
Kat
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Highly entertaining, fast-paced novel weaving one part politics, one part "the future", and one part teen love story.
Incredibly enjoyable read. The future as we may-come-to-know-it is realistic, though pleasantly different. World-wide public healthcare has come. 9/11 has been joined by many other dates. There's been a new Jesus Revolution. Phones have video.
Even more identifiable than the possible future are the characters. Duncan, Jimmy, Virgil and all the oth More...
Incredibly enjoyable read. The future as we may-come-to-know-it is realistic, though pleasantly different. World-wide public healthcare has come. 9/11 has been joined by many other dates. There's been a new Jesus Revolution. Phones have video.
Even more identifiable than the possible future are the characters. Duncan, Jimmy, Virgil and all the oth More...
Mar 06, 2010
Jennifer
rated it:
Wide Awake is set in the future (to the point where the teens don't know what 'getting jiggy with it' or 'who let the dogs out' mean. BTW that made me feel old...LOL). Anyways, a gay Jewish man is finally elected president of the United States of America. This makes the main character, Duncan, extremely excited not only because he worked on the campaign, but also because he is gay and Jewish.
But not all can stay in the happy, celebrating mode because the governor of Kansas (the decis More...
But not all can stay in the happy, celebrating mode because the governor of Kansas (the decis More...
Aug 07, 2011
Amanda
rated it:
It’s several decades in the future, and the first gay, Jewish man has just won the presidency. Duncan and his boyfriend Jimmy, both of whom campaigned for the new president, are ecstatic, until the election results are called into question. Suddenly no one is very sure of anything anymore.
This is a very, very political book. I would say first off if you are not a liberal person who believes in freedom and equality for all people, this book (and probably this review) will not appeal to More...
This is a very, very political book. I would say first off if you are not a liberal person who believes in freedom and equality for all people, this book (and probably this review) will not appeal to More...
