REVIEW: Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Title: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
Author: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Format: hardcover, 272 pages
Genre: Young Adult
Source: library
Published: October 2010 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

“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 Timesbestselling 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.

Why I Read this Book: As soon as I read the blurb for this book, I knew I had to read it. It’s like a romantic scavenger hunt! Rachel Cohn wrote Lily's part, David Levithan wrote Dash's. Makes sense; the female author writing from the girl point of view and the male author writing the boy's perspective. This particular book is their third collaboration, though the first I’ve read.

What I Liked: The beginning took off and wasted no time sucking me right in. I read the book within 9 hours, it had that much sucking-in power.

What I Didn’t Like: But towards the end, a wrench was thrown in and it knocked me off my rocker. I got most way through the book feeling really good about the story and then it just got really bizarre. Up until that point, the story was brilliant. The moleskin notebook, the missions, the intense conversations that were had by these two teenagers – all of it was well done. But when I got to the part with Boris and the baby, I rolled my eyes. I mean, it just went way off into left field. I was kind of bummed at that point but carried on.

When I got to the ending, I felt empty. If I were into Fan Fiction, this is one book I would want to re-write the ending to. There was also quite an awkward conversation that took place between Lily’s Aunt and Dash. What teenager talks like Dash and Lily do? I sure didn't. It was an adult voice coming through the two main characters, not a YA voice, and it felt out of place.

Overall Impression: I wanted to love this book but it just didn't turn out that way. The storyline didn’t pan out the way I though it was going to and I was left disappointed. If you take it as an exaggerated story (one way out there in left field), then you might enjoy this one.

The Book Vixen’s Rating: