DASH AND LILY'S BOOK OF DARES by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

(from 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.”

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.


I give this book a 3.5/5*. This wasn't the sort of book I would normally pick for myself to read, but with all the positive reviews on it and the gushing accompanied with mention of this book I thought I would check it out for myself. Besides, I loved the cover!

This book is about 2 teenagers, Dash and Lily (as the title tells us), who communicate by writing in a red notebook and leaving it in different places around town. Until they finally meet face-to-face (and even though they con't with the notebook).

The notebook comes about because Lily's older brother thought it would be something fun to do. He started the first few pages of the notebook with a scavenger hunt of sorts, except instead of finding objects, the founder of the notebook, had to find words. Fill in the blank. Then Lily left the notebook in between other books at the huge bookstore that she visited all of the time.

Basically the person who found the notebook was dared to do what was asked in the notebook and if they didn't want to then they were told to please put the notebook back where they found it.

Well, Dash happened to be the person to find the notebook and he went ahead and did what the notebook asked of him. The last thing the notebook asked was for him to leave the notebook along with book of his choosing with a certain store employee. And this begins the exchange of the notebook and the dares inside between Dash and Lily.

They each open themselves up a little bit each time in this notebook, which seemed fine since they didn't actually know the other person.

This goes back and forth this way for a few days until Lily forgets to leave the notebook one time and instead leaves something else accidentally, and because of this she is afraid that she will never hear from Dash again (although she doesn't know his name at this point).

But because of the accidentally left item, Dash seeks her out. Unfortunately the first time he comes face to face with her isn't the best time for her, and once again she thinks she has blown it with him.

This book alternates between Dash and Lily's voice. One chapter is Lily's voice (Rachel Cohn) and the next chapter is Dash's (David Levithan). There are also other characters in this story that you get to know and who have wonderful or unique personalities and become almost more then secondary characters.

This book is basically about two strangers getting to know each other through a series of dares and writings in a notebook. They neither see or speak to each other until days later they seek each other out. This book isn't love at first site nor is it all lovey dovey, which I am so glad that it wasn't. But it was honest, I think, about some teens today.

I loved the sarcasm and the witty comebacks of both Dash and Lily, but especially Dash. I loved Dash's friend, Boomers innocence. And I really like Lily's aunt, Mrs. Basil E. She was so witty and fun.

If it wasn't for these characters I have to admit that I wouldn't have liked this book much. I like my books to have high drama in them and this did not. It was though, a feel good, fun read.


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