Love Is the Higher Law    by David Levithan Order:  USA  Can Knopf, 2009 (2009) Hardcover, e-Book Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Lyn Seippel In the minds of three New York teenagers, Levithan takes readers from the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center to March, 2003 when Bush declares war on Iraq. With the sincerity of youth, Clare, Peter, and Jasper try to understand why their world changed. With every glance at the Manhattan skyline, with every trip to Ground Zero, they try to come to terms with an intentional disaster that killed almost 3000 people. Jasper, a Korean gay, sleeps through the event. Already depressed, he now feels guilty. Peter and Jasper have a date on 9/11 which they delay until the next week when traveling around New York becomes easier. The date disappoints both. Clare meets Jasper at Ground Zero. Having seen him at a party, she introduces herself. She begins to explore her feelings about what happened and how it changed her life - something she hasn't been able to do with anyone else. Jasper opens up as they walk together, facing his own emotions for the first time. Clare goes to prep school with Peter although she doesn't know him well. After 9/11 they become good friends as they face their sorrow and give something back to a world where an unexplainable tragedy make strangers reach out to comfort strangers. Few young adult books have been written about 9/11. In Love Is the Higher Law, Levithan shared some of the feelings of New Yorkers that the rest of the world can only imagine. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews