Review of Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel and David

Format: Paperback
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Christmas
Pages: 260
Publisher: Mira Ink
Release Date: 05/12/12
Find The Author: (Rachel) Website ¦ Twitter
Find The Author: (David) Hunt down his address and stalk him.
Book Depository ¦ Amazon UK/US ¦ Goodreads

 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.

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.

I fell in love with the idea of this story. I mean, who wouldn't? Perusing the bookshelves one day you find a notebook and inside, a treasure hunt across the city with the promise of romance in the air. Christmas is coming, your parents are away, what could possibly go wrong?

 Well, if Dash wasn't such a pretentious ass it would be lovely. But then, as soon as I started reading about Dash I knew it was Levithan speaking. I knew this because I've read one of his books before and I hated it so much I almost drop kicked it off of the nearest highest building. That story was a rehash of Christmas Carol and it was just all kinds of ergh.

 Lily on the other hand was just lovely. I fell in love with her pretty quickly and I knew this must be Rachel writing. Lily is a very complex, naive character whose been sheltered her whole life by her overbearing relatives and it's only when her parent's leave on holiday that she finally gets to stretch her wings a little bit. Her stories of Shrilly were hilarious and just made me love her more.

 The story was pretty good. I really like the way the notebook passed back and forth and once I got used to Dash, he was okay. Still an ass, but okay. It was quite big on family and family relationships which was quite funny considering both Dash and Lily's parents were temporarily out of the picture.

 I would call this a hipster book. Simply because it's Leviathan writing half of it and I swear he's trying to keep up with John Green (stop trying. Please.) and also because in a modern world, these two teenagers seem to read nothing written in the last 40 years and even list Salinger as a favourite book as a child. The most modern thing we encountered was a Madame Tussaud's, which I didn't even know they had in America, admittedly.

Although they were two different characters, somehow when Dash and Lily got together, they worked as a couple and I could see them together easily, which surprised me. Hence the high rating! It's a fun read, especially near Christmas.

Comments

  1. Becky Baker7:15 pm BST

    I keep meaning to read this book, and I admit I've been put off by the voice of Dash too. Definitely pretentious. I am going to attempt to read it again at some point, simply because I have heard good things. It's not like it's a long read, but it is just so difficult to bring yourself to read a book when you don't like the voice of one of the characters. Maybe I should save it for Christmas when I might have new motivation to read a seasonal book?

    Great review though, I like to hear the good and the bad so I know what to look out for and what will make me stick with. I shall trust that Lily is an easier character to read than Dash and get round to it eventually

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