19 LOVE SONGS

This crowd-pleasing short story collection from the prolific Levithan focuses on love in all its variety, including representation from several points on the LGBTQIA spectrum and topics ranging from quiz bowl to Taylor Swift fan fiction. Longtime fans will relish hearing from familiar characters, such as BOY MEET'S BOY's Infinite Darlene, in a story titled "The Quarterback and the Cheerleader," narrated by Elle Cohen, who nails the playful banter and soft hope of a first date. Shorter but no less sweet is Rebecca Lowman's intimate, emotive performance of a love story in verse. It takes seven narrators to deliver the angst and excitement of the members of a queer youth choir. Most memorable, however, may be the autobiographical works narrated by Levithan himself, especially the concluding track about the profound effects of sharing one's words with others. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]