Tuesday 17 July 2012

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares - Rachel Cohn and David Levithan; Review.


Book Details:
Paperback: 260 pages
Publisher: Ember (11 Oct 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375859551
ISBN-13: 978-0375859557

Summary:
“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 best-selling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favourite 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?

Links To Buy:


Rating:
Review:

I haven't fallen in love with a book in so long - and this incredulously swept me off my feet. I was browsing through one of my favourite blogs - PrettyBooks and stumbled across her review on this book. Intrigued, I checked GoodReads for other reviews and found that people were falling for this left, right and centre. 

So I had to see for myself, and I was drawn in from the very first line and couldn't put it down till I had finished it few hours later. I sat there with such a goonish smile on my face and tonnes of highlights and bookmarks littering my Kindle to mark all my favourite passages and quotes - of which there were plenty.
The book was such a sweet treat - a contemporary romance fiction which had me laughing out loud, made me feel anxious, and generally caught up in the whirlwind adventure that the characters Dash and Lily go on.
The authors Cohn and Levithan have created such a magical book, filled with inspiring characters that you can literally reach in to the book and touch. You can feel them walking the streets beside you. Their writing style was simple yet profound, they had a touch which turned normal thoughts in to magical quotes. I loved every single word. 

As for the way they reached out to the reader? I haven't felt that from a book in so long, the last being Looking For Alaska by John Green. Both authors managed to encapsulate what it feels like to be a teen, on the brink of making new friends or something more - the fear, the happiness, the anxiety, all portrayed in such a simple yet effective manner. I felt like I could really relate to both the characters, in the way they saw life, their fondness for books, their mischievous manner.

I loved Dash straight away. His witty retorts, his viewpoint on life, his love of books and his willingness to respond to the adorable little red moleskin on which the story travels. *gosh, I so want to find a moleskin in my favourite book store now, just to re-live this book*

As for Lily, she was adorable, she was filled with life, humour, adventure, and despite the contrast in Dash and Lily's nature, I was rooting for them the whole way. Throw in the eccentric mix of characters, such as the Aunt *who I LOVED. Her and Dash are perfect* as well as Lily's older gay brother, and even her cousin who worked on the strand. All the little pieces of people came together perfectly to form this little Christmas wonder.


The fact that this was meant to be a Christmas themed book, and the revolving event of it, didn't put me off in the least bit and despite it being July as I read this book, I loved every single minute of it. Who says you can't have Christmas in July?!

This book was magic, and it's definitely in my top 10 list of favourite books. I implore you all to go check it out. Yes. Right now. Get up. GO GO GO.

In the meantime, here are some of my favourite quotes from the book. Yes, I hereby give you permission to fall in love.
_______________________________

“I want to believe there is a somebody out there for me. I want to believe that I exist to be there for that somebody.” 

“The important people in our lives leave imprints. They may stay or go in the physical realm, but they are always there in your heart, because they helped form your heart. There's no getting over that.” 

“I mean, what if love isn't a yes-or-no question? It's not either you're in love or you're not. I mean, aren't there different levels? And maybe these things, like words and expectations and whatever, don't go on top of the love. Maybe it's like a map, and they all have their own place, and then when you see it from the sky - whoa.” 

“There are just lots of possibilities in the world...I need to keep my mind open for what could happen and not decide that the world is hopeless if what I want to happen doesn't happen. Because something else great might happen in between.” 

"With all due respect, if you’re forty-three, then I’m a fetus.” 

“In a field, I am the absence of field. In a crowd, I am the absence of crowd. In a dream, I am the absence of dream. But I don't want to live as an absence. I move to keep things whole. Because sometimes I feel drunk on positivity. Sometimes I feel amazement at the tangle of words and lives, and I want to be a part of that tangle. "Game over," you say, and I don't know which I take more exception to- the fact that you say that it's over, or the fact that you say it's a game. It's only over when one of us keeps the notebook for good. It's only a game if there is an absence of meaning. And we've already gone too far for that.” 

1 comment:

  1. I've been waiting soooooo long to read this book, it looks oh so goood! I must pick up a copy somewhere. There's nothing like a Christmas in July.

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