Wednesday, January 9, 2013

[Book Review] Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Title: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
Authors: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Date of Publication: October 5, 2012
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: 4/5

Links: 
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

About the Book:
“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 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.

Quotes:
Cinderella was such a dork. She left behind her glass slipper at the ball and then went right back to her stepmother's house. It seems to me that she should have worn the glass slipper always, to make herself easier to find. I always hoped that after the prince found Cinderella and they rode away in their magnificent carriage, after a few miles she turned to him and said, "Could you drop me off down the road please? Now that I've finally escaped my life of horrific abuse, I'd like to see something of the world, you know? Maybe backpack across Europe or Asia? I'll catch back up with you later, Prince, once I've found my own way. Thanks for finding me, though! Super-sweet of you. And you can keep the slippers. They'll probably cause bunions if I keep wearing 'em." (-Lily) 
Maybe the prince would be relieved. Maybe he was tired of being asked who he was going to marry. Maybe all he wanted to do was go back to his library and read a hundred books, only everyone kept interrupting him, telling him he couldn't ever let himself be alone. (-Dash)

Review:
A hilariously delightful boy-meets-girl-in-an-unconventional-way-and-then-some kind of story!

ZOMG. Where can I find my own Dash?!

I was supposed to read this book last December 2012, but I kept putting it off because of so many things. Mainly because the holidays was such a busy time for me. Now, that I've actually finished reading it, I regret not reading it sooner!

The beginning was slow. Well, for me it was slow because both Lily and Dash has this habit of ranting on and on about so many random things one after the other inside their heads. As each chapter was written on their point-of-view alternately, you can just imagine how their thoughts can go astray in a matter of seconds. However, I felt that the beginning was necessary for the reader to get fully acquainted with the protagonists. Personally, the beginning helped establish the characters.

Dash and Lily are also very lovable characters. They couldn't be more different yet they found a kindred soul in one another. They're not your average angsty teens who rebel at the smallest opportunity. Well, they have their own problems, but you don't see them wallowing in sorrow over them. Also, they are very relatable because both of them have their own quirks that make them unique. They are exactly your average teenagers; they are still trying to figure out where they were supposed to fit in.

Early in the story, I already found myself leaning towards Dash because I'm a little bit of a sapiosexual. And no, sapiosexual doesn't mean anything dirty. It just means I get attracted to intelligent people. Dash sure is intelligent, although a bit of a smartass at times, but still kind and charming. And I admit that I pretty much sounded like a freak because I admitted being attracted to a fictional character. Oh, well.

The storyline is simple yet endearing. It reminds me of innocence and pleasant naivety. Surprisingly, this book is the sort that does nothing potentially ground-breaking or even jaw-dropping, but makes you stay to read one more page nonetheless. Also, the writing is vivid and quirky! It's the kind that can be so random at times yet still stay in-sync to the plot of the story. The witty remarks from Dash were especially appreciated. I love sarcasm especially if it's used effectively.

Oh, and the lines! So many dialogues and lines that can be quoted! I just loved it. To end this review, I'd go with the line I loved most: "I love books about freaks." Because I am one. You might be, too. Let's be freaks together?



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