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

Book Summery:

“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. -goodreads.com

Book Review:
I'll admit. I was a bit hesitant on this one. I had previously picked up Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and thumbed through it at the bookstore. I'll admit, I didn't really give it a proper chance. I was distracted by the enthusiastic use of the F-bomb. While I'm not one to mind profanity (I use it quite a bit myself), it was so overused that it was distracting. However, I recently read a few reviews on Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, and most of them were stellar, so my interest was piqued. The BF and I headed over to the bookstore, and I picked up a copy and was immediately adsorbed into the pages. Rich said that he has never heard me laugh aloud so much while reading. This book has it all...laughter, sorrow, mystery, love, heartache. I fell in love with the characters, and found myself wanting to a part of their life. I cannot recommend this book enough. It stole my heart from page one. To the point that I plan on picking up a copy of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist on my next trip to the bookstore and give it the proper chance it deserves. For more info, check out Rachel Cohn's website and David Levithan's site. :)

Favorite Quote:

"I was usually in the mood to look for nothing in particular when I went to the Strand. Some days, I would decide that the afternoon was sponsored by a particular letter, and would visit each and every section to check out the authors whose last names began with that letter. Other days, I would decide to tackle a single section, or would investigate the recently unloaded tomes, thrown in bins that never really conformed to alphabetization. Or maybe I'd only look at books with green covers, because it had been too long since I'd read a book with a green cover." (p.3)

Cover Art Commentary:
It took me a while to figure out what exactly I liked about the cover. For some reason, it grabbed my attention long before I decided to purchase and read it. After finishing the last page, it finally dawned on me. What I like most isn't a single item in the cover, but rather the overall conveying message of possibility. You're on a street, downtown...anything can happen. It's a recurring theme throughout the book, and the cover artist has captured it nicely. :)

Overall Rating: