Review: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Knopf Books (Random House)

Goodreads Synopsis:

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

Review:

I got this and read it around the time it came out, which was last year. I've read their other books and enjoyed them, and I enjoyed this one as well.

I seem to have a hard time differentiating Cohn and Levithan's characters. I know that they're different people, and I know what's happening with both, but their voices tend to mix in my head. So I'm not really able to say which of the two that I preferred.

Anyway, Dash finds a moleskin notebook in Strands (which is a big bookstore in New York, and it is amazing,) that has instructions in it. We find out later that Lily's brother made it and placed it in a particular spot in the store for a person to find, a person for Lily. Dash decides to follow the instructions, and then proceeds to leave the book for the owner, Lily, to find and follow his instructions. And thus starts the passing of the notebook.

I like all of the sightseeing in the book. The two are familiar with New York, as they live there, and do lots of dares before passing the notebook on. And they leave it in lots of different places, which is fun. They don't actually meet, face-to-face, till a bit into the book. And because of that, a lot is focused on them on their own, and their families and friends, and the dares. I especially liked the scenes in Strand, the beginning mostly, because I love Strand and I like how it's pointed out that the customer service isn't amazing.

I didn't particularly like the ending. It left things hanging, and while I see the reason, I still don't like being left hanging. Although I wasn't really expecting a big romantic scene, since I have read their other joint books, and they don't have big romantic scenes in them. More would be nice, but the characters and stories are good enough without them. But I just like lots of romance, so I'm biased.

I did like this book, although I could have liked it more. It's still a good Christmas read, though. There's quite a bit of family time, mostly with Lily, which is nice. All of the sightseeing and adventures are fun. It's a fun holiday read.