Bibliography: Cohn, Rachel and David Levithan. (2010). Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares. New York: Knopf Books for Young Readers. IBSN: 978-0375866593 (hc) 978-0375859557 (pb)
Plot Summary: On his own in New York for the Christmas holidays, Dash finds a red moleskine notebook in the J.D. Salinger section of the Strand bookstore. The notebook contains a challenge from the mysterious Lily. Are Dash and Lily destined to meet in real life? Or do they only live in the notebook they pass back and forth?
Critical Analysis: One of my dreams is to visit New York City during the Christmas season. With this book, I felt like I was there. I really liked the clever collaboration, and I will need to go back and read their other joint novels (Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Naomi & ely’s No Kiss List) to see what other fun I missed. The dares were fun, Lily’s crazy family who assisted her and Dash’s diverse group of friends just added to the story. Lots of humor and wit along with holiday details and a New York back drop make this an excellent holiday read for teens and adults.
Review Excerpts: “Cohn and Levithan use a familiar but fun formula for this holiday-themed collaboration–think Saint Nick & Norah–mixing an enticing premise with offbeat characters and some introspective soul searching….there are more than enough amusing turns of phrase and zigzag plot twists to keep their attention”–Publisher’s Weekly
“The spirit of the season amplifies Dash and Lily’s loneliness and heightens the connection between them, in another surefire hit from the creators of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2006).”–Booklist
“As they did in Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (Knopf, 2006), the authors combine their talents to write an appealing book. It makes readers long to buy a notebook, begin filling its pages, and find a friend who might turn out to be more. This book will spend as much time off the shelf as Lily’s notebook.”–School Library Journal
Reviewed from public library e-book copy. Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
