Love Is the Higher Law by David Levithan

That might have something to do with the fact that Levithan himself is gay, but that’s not the point. Levithan is a master of originality, for no one could have predicted a book about the 9/11 tragedy would also describe the lives of a few East Coast gay relationships. Jasper, a lazy, laidback teen has deep discussion with Claire, which not only gives him a wake up call, but the reader himself.Īs with most Levithan books, this one has a few gay characters. For Claire, she focuses on the world and why it runs the way it does. The two other main characters, Claire and Jasper, deal with the tragedy in their own way. And Levithan beautifully captures that love when Peter ends up at a concert, where not only does he make the reader feel as if he can hear the screaming and shouting of all the fans, but also makes the reader understand Peter himself, and why music is so important to his life. Peter is someone who loves music essentially, it’s his escape, especially after the tragedy on September 11th.

For the character of Peter, a gay, music loving young adult in college, Levithan really captures of the feeling of being a teenager. Instead of focusing just on the tragedy itself, Levithan transcends into the hearts and minds of his characters. The book involves three teens who experience the tragic day of Septmeber 11th, 2001, and how their lives intersect over time. Young adult writer David Levithan (Boy Meets Boy, co-writer of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) definitely covered some new, and familiar, territory in his latest novel, Love is the Higher Law.

Love Is the Higher Law by David Levithan