So I read all three of the books co-written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan before sitting down to review them. I loved two of them....as for the third, I deeply disliked it. More to the point, I deeply disliked one of the main characters who tainted the whole story.
But first things first:
1. I have not seen the move of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, but I cannot believe that Michael Cera made a good Nick. In the book Nick is cool, but still sweet; heartbroken, but not pathetic. He is funny, likable, and borderline charming. I find Michael Cera a bit annoying. But back to the book. The story is mainly a romance. Cohn and Levithan do a good job of capturing the realities of teendom ...their characters are not perfect and may even have the occasional underage drink or sex, but they are still good people. They are a reminder that the young break rules and cause trouble but this does not keep them from being lovable and good. Honestly, that comment really applies to all three books. Nick and Norah are teens who have both been hurt by love. They meet accidentally when Nick needs Norah to be his "girlfriend" to make his ex jealous. After one "magical" kiss, misunderstandings, jealousies, fights, and special moments ensue until we come to the happy ending that does not come as the reader might expect, but it comes just the same. The only criticism I have is that the ending is perhaps a bit too neat, but on the other hand, Jane Austen's endings were far too neat, tidy, and happy to be completely realistic and those books may live forever. Clearly I really liked this book if I am comparing it to Austen.
2. I did not like Naomi of Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List, and therefore found the whole story annoying. Naomi and Ely are BFFs ...until Ely kisses Naomi's boyfriend Bruce the Second...yes, she calls him Bruce the Second. Because she is self-centered and completely oblivious to anyone else's feelings but her own. A bit of a side plot involves Naomi's mother, who is mired in depression after the break up of her marriage; but even Naomi's occasionally mentioned concern for her mother is not enough to redeem her utter selfishness. Since the three books are not related to each other, you can skip this one. Or read it forewarned about Naomi and focus on the new relationship between Ely and Bruce, which is sweet and readable.
3. So I said at the beginning that I loved two of the three books and I have already revealed which one I did not like, a process of elimination says that I loved Dash and Lily's Book of Dares. (This was actually my favorite of the three.) This is also the only one of the three I could purchase for my middle school library. It too is a romance. It begins when Dash comes across a notebook containing a challenge for whomever finds it. Dash and Lily exchange the notebook back and forth sending each other to interesting places around NYC, like Macy's two days before Christmas and FAO Schwartz on Christmas Eve. The book has an old fashioned feel to it as Dash and Lily start to fall for each other based on what they reveal in the notebook. They both enjoy the facelessness of their conversations, but inevitably they want to meet, which again in Austenian fashion goes supremely wrong. It all works out in the end and we have high hopes for Dash and Lily.
