“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.
My Review:
New York, especially The Strand (an enormous book store that makes me miss Acres of Books), truly shined in this novel. It was an adventure in itself reading about the different places the two protagonists visited, even though the places were mostly around Manhattan.
It’s hard to imagine a condescending,16 year old hipster falling in love with a bubbly girl lacking in self confidence. Although the two protagonists were sixteen, they have ideals of someone in their thirties while still being naive. At times, the characters didn’t seem realistic enough to believe. Unfortunately, there is no real development of other more enjoyable characters such as Lily’s great aunt Ida or Dash’s best friend Boomer.
Fans of the other books will enjoy finding a few Easter eggs within the book. Although they are not hard to find (one is quite blatant), it’s nice to see the hidden surprises. It brings back fond memories of the other two novels.
Thank goodness this isn’t a series -- at least not one that I know of. It has been picked up by Scott Rudin Productions (the same company that produced Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist). It should be a fun movie!
The Bottom Line:
It’s certainly a pleasant, romantic holiday novel for teens. New York is wonderful, most of the characters are lovable, and the dares are amusing. 3/5
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