Book Review - Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Title: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
Author: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan 
Publisher: Harlequin (UK) Ltd
Release Date: 5 Oct 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1848451728

Synopsis
"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? 

My Review

I had never read anything by these authors before but I was instantly impressed with the writing. David Levithan writes Dash’s chapters and Rachel Cohn writes Lily’s. I was impressed with how well they came together.  I loved the idea behind it; it would be like a dream come true for me, to meet someone who loved reading and had a sense of adventure. The idea of starting a relationship through notebook dares was fresh and exciting, I must admit I've been tempted to try it since reading this book.

Dash is spending his Christmas on his own; he doesn’t particularly like Christmas and wants a distraction. Lily loves the Holiday but finds she wants to try something different and meet someone new. I thought it was a really clever and different idea to explore a relationship between people without them meeting. Wondering if you can get to know someone better if you don’t have any pre-judgements on looks etc.

It took me a couple of pages to get into Dash' way of speaking, he uses quite a lot of bog words and has a very 'posh' way of speaking, but once I had got used to it I came to like it, and really liked his narrations. This book kept me hooked throughout and although I’ve never been to New York I loved exploring the city with them as they journey through different locations chasing the notebook. I read it in less than 3 hours.  I really liked the tone of the book too, the characters voices really seemed to come alive. I felt like I knew the characters, like they were old friends. There is a bit of swearing in it though – just a little warning, but it’s not over the top.

This is a great new twist on a love story and is full of adventure and twists and turns. It all comes together beautifully and I would definitely read more by these authors. This will make the perfect Christmas Gift/Read, so grab a copy ready!

My Rating