"I've left some clues for you."
From Rachel Cohn and David Leviathan comes Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, in which Christmas, absent parents, and a red notebook change the lives of two teenagers forever. When Dash finds a notebook full of riddles at a store called the Strand shortly before Christmas, his hard-won interest is quickly piqued. Its author, a girl named Lily, has asked him to fill in some blanks and leave the notebook with the clerk, along with his email address. In a fit of rebellion, Dash leaves a note instead, sparking an epic scavenger hunt around the vast snow-covered sprawl of New York City. Every day, one of them will hide the notebook somewhere strange for the other to discover, updated with personal and existential questions that face-to-face acquaintances wouldn't dare ask. As they grow closer, though, they have to wonder: can they handle meeting in person, or is their relationship better off written down? And then the choice is taken out of their hands.
This is exactly the kind of quirky, fun romance that likes to lurk in the back corners of a store. Thanks to a couple of lies and two estranged parents, Dash has ensured he's alone for the holiday season. Lily, on the other hand, is stuck with an older brother who's more interested in his boyfriend than in hanging out with his bored-to-death sister. Her parents are in Fiji, her grandpa's off proposing to his girlfriend, and she has no friends--not even a dog to talk to. What starts as a halfhearted attempt to socialize during Christmas quickly transforms into an outlet for Lily's and Dash's innermost thoughts, observations, and fears. From the shopping mall's Santa meet-and-greet to a wax museum and a stranger's front yard, they explore their city together in new, bizarre ways, and make certain to never take themselves seriously.
Dash and Lily are incredibly unique individuals with full-fledged lives beyond the notebook. Dash is a Christmas-hater; Lily recently organized a short-lived caroling group. Lily is the goalie for her soccer team, while Dash would probably be content reading alone for the rest of his life. Despite their differences and distinctive personalities, though, the two are somewhat flat. It's as though the roundness of a brilliant character was spread evenly among the entire cast, so that supporting characters and protagonists alike can glow magnificently for a scene or three and then fade into words on a page for the rest of the tale. This in turn influences the tension and stakes, as conflicts which affect a two-dimensional character either don't ring true or don't carry much weight.
Given the nature of the central relationship, it's not surprising that this novel doesn't ring many warning bells. When it does, it's a halfway thing. For example: cursing is almost nonexistent, with the sole exception of the F-bomb, which is used fairly often. Romance doesn't progress beyond kissing, yet the protagonists seem to get a kick out of making readers think things are about to escalate frighteningly quickly. They also enjoy pushing each other into awkward situations, such as a creepy Santa's lap and a nightclub for Jewish rock bands. Lily's brother spends most of his December holed up with his boyfriend, and has no interest in hiding why. On the plus side, all of that happens off the page. Violence is kept to a minimum.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, quirky read about a young couple genuinely enjoying each other's company despite having never met. Their red notebook goes everywhere, followed closely by adventures these ordinary teens would never have dreamed of without it. This fun, debatably clean romance is well-written and entertaining, and although the cast could use a little more dimension every character shines in their own unique way. For a fun premise, a grand adventure, and two engaging protagonists, Rachel Cohn and David Leviathan's Dash & Lily's Book of Dares deserves three stars.
This is exactly the kind of quirky, fun romance that likes to lurk in the back corners of a store. Thanks to a couple of lies and two estranged parents, Dash has ensured he's alone for the holiday season. Lily, on the other hand, is stuck with an older brother who's more interested in his boyfriend than in hanging out with his bored-to-death sister. Her parents are in Fiji, her grandpa's off proposing to his girlfriend, and she has no friends--not even a dog to talk to. What starts as a halfhearted attempt to socialize during Christmas quickly transforms into an outlet for Lily's and Dash's innermost thoughts, observations, and fears. From the shopping mall's Santa meet-and-greet to a wax museum and a stranger's front yard, they explore their city together in new, bizarre ways, and make certain to never take themselves seriously.
Dash and Lily are incredibly unique individuals with full-fledged lives beyond the notebook. Dash is a Christmas-hater; Lily recently organized a short-lived caroling group. Lily is the goalie for her soccer team, while Dash would probably be content reading alone for the rest of his life. Despite their differences and distinctive personalities, though, the two are somewhat flat. It's as though the roundness of a brilliant character was spread evenly among the entire cast, so that supporting characters and protagonists alike can glow magnificently for a scene or three and then fade into words on a page for the rest of the tale. This in turn influences the tension and stakes, as conflicts which affect a two-dimensional character either don't ring true or don't carry much weight.
Given the nature of the central relationship, it's not surprising that this novel doesn't ring many warning bells. When it does, it's a halfway thing. For example: cursing is almost nonexistent, with the sole exception of the F-bomb, which is used fairly often. Romance doesn't progress beyond kissing, yet the protagonists seem to get a kick out of making readers think things are about to escalate frighteningly quickly. They also enjoy pushing each other into awkward situations, such as a creepy Santa's lap and a nightclub for Jewish rock bands. Lily's brother spends most of his December holed up with his boyfriend, and has no interest in hiding why. On the plus side, all of that happens off the page. Violence is kept to a minimum.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, quirky read about a young couple genuinely enjoying each other's company despite having never met. Their red notebook goes everywhere, followed closely by adventures these ordinary teens would never have dreamed of without it. This fun, debatably clean romance is well-written and entertaining, and although the cast could use a little more dimension every character shines in their own unique way. For a fun premise, a grand adventure, and two engaging protagonists, Rachel Cohn and David Leviathan's Dash & Lily's Book of Dares deserves three stars.
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