Review: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Release Date: October 26, 2012
by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Num Pages: 260
Links: Goodreads/Purchase

"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 red a left notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy tho 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.


My Review:

Oh, Dash! Oh, Lily! Where have you been all my life?

Love, love, love.
Why oh why did this book have to be only 260 pages long? If it had been 800 pages, I would've wanted it to be longer! This book is incredible and maybe just maybe one of the best I have ever read. AHHH! I just love this book to pieces. If I could, I would marry this book.
No question that the characters are my favorite part. I especially enjoyed reading from Lily's point of view, although I LOVED Dash, too. Sometimes books with alternating point of views annoy me because I'll like one character better than the other and just skim through the parts of the character that I don't like. But this one was SO different! I loved both point of views and I WANTED THIS BOOK TO NEVER EVER EVER END!!!!!!!!!!
Lily, who is called Shrilly because of her ability to shriek shrilly when she's upset, is 16 years old. She loves Christmas. In fact, the first line of her POV is "I love Christmas." Understandably, right? I mean, who doesn't love Christmas??? Well Lily loves it just like any other rational human being (I'm getting to Dash in a minute). Lily was crazy and that's what I loved about her so much. She was so different from any other person in a book I've read about! She was a bit of a klutz and a bit all over the place, if you know what I mean, but I loved her for it. She just wanted to find that one right guy. And she wasn't having a fun Christmas. Her brother, Langston, is gay and spending all his time with his boyfriend. Her parents are away for Christmas (leaving Lily and her brother alone!!!!) celebrating their anniversary.
Dash is absolutely hilarious. He's a lovable nerd bookworm who I just fell in love with plain and simple. Every time someone sees him the word "Snarly" immediately comes to mind XD. Dash is the last person I'd guess to play along with the red moleskine notebook thing, but he does. He might be in love with Lily but he doesn't know since he hasn't met her yet.
How cool would that be? To pass along a red notebook, sharing your innermost secrets and your crazy thoughts to someone you've never even met??!!! It makes me want to try something like this, although unfortunately I do not live somewhere as exciting as New York City. I read this book right after Christmastime and let me tell you, I wished I could fast forward back in time ("fast forward back in time"... is that even an expression??) and relive Christmas all over again with this beautiful book that has become my new best friend. AND I WANT TO GO TO NEW YORK CITY NEXT CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The plot of this book is absolutely incredible. It's so creative! I was hooked from page 1 and didn't put it down even when I was in school! I abandoned social life for the week and instead ate my lunch with the book hidden under my desk instead of socializing with friends. I fear that my love have books has made me become antisocial. But whatever. Books are my friends, so at least i'm being social with books, right?? XD
This book grabbed me like no other book has ever done. This book hugged me and never let me go, but not in a get-off-of-me type of way, in a YAY! I LOVE YOU SO MUCh! type of way. I freaking love this book and it is definitely on my list of all-time-favs. Better than favs!

Fun Fact: David Levithan, who wrote Dash's POV, is Maggie Stiefvater's editor! So you know that whatever he writes must be good!

5/5 stars