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bushraboblai's review
5.0
This may as well be one of the most beautiful books written by David Levithan. With lines like "Discovery cannot be rediscovered." and the way the two brother misunderstood each other, whilst still loving and trying to understand each other, made me cry at how beautiful it all was. I loved the ghetto scene. But the thing that affected me most was the shoelaces incident. Keep breaking my heart.
harleybasswood's review
4.0
This book reads like the perfect indie movie. By that, I mean it doesn't shy away from the bad, it delights in the lighter moments and it is really just a slice of a life spied on from a distance.
The thing I live about David Levithan is that his work reads like lyrical poetry. Many times when I read a book, certain words will throw me, or turns of phrase will shatter the illusion, but there is a subtle, imperfect perfectionism in Levithan's work. His characters are genuinely flawed and genuinely searching, and while they may not always have the right words, as their biographer, Levithan always has the right words - and often the simple beauty of those words, of those turns of phrase are breathtaking.
Are We There Yet is a simple book - a tale of parents hatching a plan to reunite their sons who have grown apart both physically and emotionally. They send the boys on a trip to Italy to reconnect and rediscover their relationship. The inevitable issues arise as they do for any people vacationing together - while our issues may not be the same, the story of vacation interuptis is all too common. The perfection striven for is never quite reached and leaves you feeling like a failure for not being able to achieve that greatness in the short amount of allotted time. Frankly, the story works because we've all been in a similar situation of struggling to know our companion - whether family, friend or lover - and realizing that we don't, but also recognizing that some inherent truths are still there - there is still a connection, a base to build on, a foundation to raise up the broken.
Levithan excels at reminding readers that we're all flawed, and that it's perfectly ok to BE flawed. It's the recognizing that you're flawed, that everyone is flawed and that perfection is overrated that matters. It's about stripping pretenses bare and reimagining our base relationship with fresh, un-tainted eyes. It's about seeing the flaws and embracing them. Levithan's work is so wonderful, so poetic and so moving in its simplicity because it doesn't try to whitewash characters or humanity. There is never any black or white, and the gray area is a wide, languid, lazy river where you can drift and imagine to your hearts content.
The thing I live about David Levithan is that his work reads like lyrical poetry. Many times when I read a book, certain words will throw me, or turns of phrase will shatter the illusion, but there is a subtle, imperfect perfectionism in Levithan's work. His characters are genuinely flawed and genuinely searching, and while they may not always have the right words, as their biographer, Levithan always has the right words - and often the simple beauty of those words, of those turns of phrase are breathtaking.
Are We There Yet is a simple book - a tale of parents hatching a plan to reunite their sons who have grown apart both physically and emotionally. They send the boys on a trip to Italy to reconnect and rediscover their relationship. The inevitable issues arise as they do for any people vacationing together - while our issues may not be the same, the story of vacation interuptis is all too common. The perfection striven for is never quite reached and leaves you feeling like a failure for not being able to achieve that greatness in the short amount of allotted time. Frankly, the story works because we've all been in a similar situation of struggling to know our companion - whether family, friend or lover - and realizing that we don't, but also recognizing that some inherent truths are still there - there is still a connection, a base to build on, a foundation to raise up the broken.
Levithan excels at reminding readers that we're all flawed, and that it's perfectly ok to BE flawed. It's the recognizing that you're flawed, that everyone is flawed and that perfection is overrated that matters. It's about stripping pretenses bare and reimagining our base relationship with fresh, un-tainted eyes. It's about seeing the flaws and embracing them. Levithan's work is so wonderful, so poetic and so moving in its simplicity because it doesn't try to whitewash characters or humanity. There is never any black or white, and the gray area is a wide, languid, lazy river where you can drift and imagine to your hearts content.
sidneyellwood's review
5.0
[review written 2011]
Are We There Yet by David Levithan is one of those books you don’t think are very good until you read it. It’s a quick read, yes, but it’s good. It makes you think. It’s inspiring, and the writing is phenomonal. Levithan is defintiely one of my favorite authors.
The funny thing about this story is the use of present tense, which normally isn’t that good of a writing style to use. Maybe only in fanfiction, short stories. But he manages to make a novel perfect using the use of present tense, first person. Go read this now. I promise you it’s one of the best stories you’ll read.
Are We There Yet by David Levithan is one of those books you don’t think are very good until you read it. It’s a quick read, yes, but it’s good. It makes you think. It’s inspiring, and the writing is phenomonal. Levithan is defintiely one of my favorite authors.
The funny thing about this story is the use of present tense, which normally isn’t that good of a writing style to use. Maybe only in fanfiction, short stories. But he manages to make a novel perfect using the use of present tense, first person. Go read this now. I promise you it’s one of the best stories you’ll read.
barbarianlibarian's review
2.0
A teen book that I don't think would actually appeal to very many teens, and didn't hook me either. 'Nice' brother story but DULL.
queencleo's review
4.0
When I'm sad I read YA.
This is the unexpectedly sweet story of brothers Elijah and Danny, 7 years apart in age, whose parents send them on a surprise trip to Italy as a bonding experience.
A light travel tale about finding yourself away from home, it resonated with me today after my trip to Tasmania was cancelled (the latest in a string of travel plan bad juju).
I only wish Julia didn't make an appearance and the boys came to the same conclusions organically
This is the unexpectedly sweet story of brothers Elijah and Danny, 7 years apart in age, whose parents send them on a surprise trip to Italy as a bonding experience.
A light travel tale about finding yourself away from home, it resonated with me today after my trip to Tasmania was cancelled (the latest in a string of travel plan bad juju).
I only wish Julia didn't make an appearance and the boys came to the same conclusions organically
librariandest's review
4.0
I read this before I went to Italy because it's about Americans going to Italy. I thought it was great.
katie_barty's review
3.0
“Don't go for normal," Ari suggests. "Go for happy. Go for what you want it to be instead of settling for what it is.” ✈️
mmk5110's review
4.0
I'm not sure why this book took me as long to read as it did. I loved the story of the brothers being distant and forced by their parents to make the trip. I wanted to know if Elijah and Cal got together. Also the story of the hotel door... They look a lot of naps. I cant understand with the time change and excitement but you are missing out on Italy. I liked it a lot.