Wide Awake Now by David Levithan
Published by Alfred A. Knopf ISBN: 0593706978
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Young Adult
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

“Wide Awake Now” is a 2024 reimagining of David Levithan’s 2006 book “Wide Awake.” In “Wide Awake Now,” the first gay Jewish president has just been elected in the 2024 US elections, but the results are contested by the governor of Kansas. Main characters are Jimmy, a gay Jewish teen, and his boyfriend, Duncan, who is a black teen. They travel with their friends to Kansas to protest. They face threats, antisemitism, homophobia, and learn about politics all while wondering what their future will look like. Characters are written smartly and have Levithan’s signature humor. At times the book felt too short to cover so many important issues, but readers will find the novel an interesting take on today’s politics. A recommended purchase where YA speculative fiction about politics is popular.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME.