I didn’t love this or hate this. I think a lot of teens would like to read this and see characters they can either relate to personally or want to understand better. This writing is very typical of David Levithan, which is not a bad thing. Levithan’s books will always represent a diverse population in all ways, which is always requirement in any good library.

It is 2024 and the presidential election is over. A gay Jewish man has won the presidency … or has he? The governor of Kansas believes that the election results in his state are invalid and transfers his state’s votes to the other party. Jimmy and Duncan feel the election is being stolen and they cross the country with others to protest this action. Who really won the election? What will Jimmy and Duncan learn about themselves during this adventure?

Wide Awake Now is a stand-alone reimagining of Levithan’s 2004 novel Wide Awake set in 2024. This book is politically charged and contains many topics that may be against some reader's personal points of view. Overall the story was a quick read with many timely topics, but which includes too many issues that seem put there solely to push an agenda. Readers should start this book knowing these concerns ahead of time.

#NetGalleyARC I wish I had read the original version of this book, but overall I liked this book. It’s very timely, the characters are super realistic and almost familiar. The author does a great job of handling tough situations without over doing it or kid gloving it. The thing that got me the most about this book is that it didn’t read LIKE a book, it read like I could have been somewhere listening to a group of kids telling their story. A great read.

This book was really good and also quite interesting. I thought it was so cool to see an imagination of a very near future, with something that could actually happen. The story line was super interesting, and I loved seeing how the main characters stood up for what they believed in.

It’s 2024 a gay, Jewish man named Abraham Stein has just been elected President of the United States. One governor in Kansas, driven by bigotry, believes that the result of the election is invalid and tries to change the result. 16-year-old Duncan and his mixed-race boyfriend, Jimmy have been volunteering for Stein’s campaign and jump at the chance to join Stein and his followers protesting in Kansas. Meanwhile, Jimmy and Duncan are at a crossroads in their relationship, wondering if their relationship has a future or if it’s dying out.

The plot is sweet and engaging, but slightly unbelievable. Characters are sweet and likable but feel slightly older than they really are. Emotionally charged and politically focused, readers interested in LGBTQ+, realistic fiction, and current events may enjoy reading this novel. Recommended for collections where David Leviathan and LGBTQ+ literature are popular. Due to brief on page sexual content, this book is for more mature audiences. 3 stars, Gr 9 and up.

Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

This book hooked me in from the first chapter. I loved the character development and how the story progressed.

I did not read the first book that this was based off of. Without having run that book I didn’t have the contacts for what the original characters were experiencing. In reading this book, I found myself bothered, frustrated, scared, and overall just worried about what’s to come in this election year.