Set in New York during the holiday season, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares was a charming tale which I think greatly illustrated the idea of falling in love with someone's personality. The curious notebook which was continuously passed between our two protagonists held their whole relationship between the pages.
The description from Amazon:
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.
At the urge of her lucky-in-love brother, sixteen-year-old Lily has left a red notebook full of dares on her favourite bookshop shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept. Curious, snarky Dash isn’t one to back down from a challenge – and the Book of Dares is the perfect distraction he’s been looking for.
As they send each other on a scavenger hunt across Manhattan, they’re falling for each other on paper. But finding out if their real selves share their on-page chemistry could be their biggest dare yet….
It is no secret that I am obsessed with John Green. After devouring Will Grayson, Will Grayson, I decided that the next logical step would be to check out some more of David Levithan's books. Cowritten with Rachel Cohn, Dash and Lily's Book of Dares was my first selection.
The opening of the novel showed Dash discovering the little red notebook hidden on a shelf in his favourite book store. This immediately drew me in, as an unusual plot always does. Although I would call this a light read, it was definitely captivating to watch the relationship grow and to feel their bond developing through only written word.
Lily really is a heartwarming character. She made me smile with her acts of kindness, and I definitely found myself rooting for her happy ending. I do feel that Lily is definitely more relatable than the male lead; Dash. Through no fault of the author, as I thought Dash's chapters were written beautifully, I personally warmed more to Lily. In other reviews I've read, readers do seem to have mixed opinions about Dash. I have seen the word 'pretentious' frequently used to describe him. While I do not agree with this, I do think to some degree that in an attempt for a quirky character, Dash has appeared a little cold and harder to relate to than the sweet Lily.
I think that a really important factor of this book is that the relationship is formed before Dash and Lily meet. They love communicating through the notebook and sharing stories with each other, and are not caught up with what the other person looks like. By the time they finally meet, they have formed a bond so strong that although they are intrigued find out who they have been talking to, they know it will change nothing.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this novel. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is another book written by the same authors, and is definitely next on my list!
Love, Niamh x
No comments:
Post a Comment