Review: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
By Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Published October 26th, 2010 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

“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?                           

                                                                            -goodreads

Review

Thank goodness it’s winter! It might sound silly, but I actually purposefully made myself wait until the end of November to read this so it would tie into December, the holiday month! Unfortunately… my plan totally backfired and I finished the book in TWO days in NOVEMBER!

                This book was amazing! From the plot to the characters, everything was crafted so splendidly! I’m normally not a huge fan of alternating-POV books, but Rachel Cohn and David Levithan pulled it off sooo unbelievably well. There was absolutely no confusion as to who was narrating which chapter—Dash and Lily’s identities were so… clear.

                Words can’t even describe how much I loved Dash and Lily. (Funny how I’m always at a lost for words when I have a blog to talk about books…) Anyways, Dash and Lily were the perfect characters.

                Dash might possibly be one of my all-time favorite male characters—and yes, that is among the rankings of Percy Jackson, Etienne St. Clair, Dimitri Belikov/Adrian Ivashkov, Wes, etc. The thing is, he’s just so different from all the other male characters out there! I mean, come on, who out there knows of a guy, fictional or real who wants an OED (unabridged!) for Christmas and wishes to be “esoteric” and “confound people with their own language?” Also, he is absolutely freaking hilarious. There are so many quotes by him in this book that had me rereading over and over again and laughing eve single time. He is the King of Snark (but in a totally lovable way), yet is very thoughtful and deep and has great moments of gentlemanliness.

                And Lily! Oh my gosh, she is the quirkiest, most awesome female characters I have ever encountered! And she’s also pretty darn hilarious. She has this great view on life and I can’t help but wish I were friends with someone like here. And Dash of course too. These two characters are opposites in so many ways, but somehow they complement each other exceptionally well.

                All the supporting characters was great too—they were all incredibly unique and memorable—my favorites being Boomer and Mrs. Basil E. (gosh I would seriously love to have an aunt like her.)

                The one, only one, aspect of this book that I wasn’t so crazy about was the lack of action, of a climax. Yes, the dares between the two were hilarious and great, but there was no huge maraschino cherry and sprinkles to the Sunday to some sort of major climax, which was unfortunate, but overall I still really enjoyed the book.

                In fact… I’m highly tempted to go out and get my own copy! My bibliophilic ways are seriously taking a toll on my wallet!

4/5 stars

And now on to some of my favorite quotes (because to be honest, I’d like to quote the whole book to you guys so you know how awesome it!)

“You think fairy tales are only for girls? Here's a hint - ask yourself who wrote them. I assure you, it wasn't just the women. It's the great male fantasy - all it takes is one dance to know that she's the one. All it takes is the sound of her song from the tower, or a look at her sleeping face. And right away you know - this is the girl in your head, sleeping or dancing or singing in front of you. Yes, girls want their princes, but boys want their princesses just as much. And they don't want a very long courtships. They want to know immediately.”                -Sofia

“I was horribly bookish, to the point of coming right out and saying it, which I knew was not socially acceptable. I particularly loved the adjective bookish, which I found other people used about as often as ramrod or chum or teetotaler.”                           -Dash

“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.”                                 -Boomer


“Well sure, who doesn't need a boyfriend? but realistically, those exotic creatures are hard to come by. At least a quality one.”               -Lily

"You bookish little pervert."               -Mark