Rachel Cohn

Told in the alternating voices of Dash and Lily, two sixteen-year-olds carry on a wintry scavenger hunt at Christmas-time in New York, neither knowing quite what--or who--they will find.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

David Levithan

A whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, now a Netflix original series! 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.

Dash And Lily's Book Of Dares (Dash & Lily, Book 1)

ReadwithZanariah 

One of the failures of cellular communication is that tiredness often comes across as sadness.

No word is too grand or too infinitesimal to be considered

anna

This was such a cute and fun book to read. Although also a bit emotional at some point. A great book to get in the Christmas spirit. I loved the premise of the book and it did not disappoint. It's also a super-fast read! (it just took me two weeks to finish it because I was reading other books).

I wanted to read it before watching the tv show and although the show is quite different, it's still a nice adaptation. I loved both!

Annika Arguemore

Words cannot define how much this book amazed me with its exquisite flow, inspiring choice of words, interesting characters and basically the whole story altogether. I loved it. Every single bit of this delectable prose.

Fluff fluff fluff. I decided to read this one after the emotional damage that was The Song of Achilles and it helped.

Dash and Lily. They're the type of people I would'nt mind to be friends with because you know they're so weird but fun?? They're so annoying at times and this book seems unrealistic but I find them so cute especially at the last chapter. Oh the fluff. With that train station and bookstore scene. Dash you made me blush. 

New York in a snowy Christmas season? Yes please. Old books and old movies references? Yes please. I really love the festive atmosphere it created it made me feel so giddy.

It seems Disney would do in one of their movies or another teenage movies you would put if you just want to chill so grab this book if you're up into simple reads. Enjoy!

Ally

3.5? I watched the Netflix adaptation first and was surprised to see how similar the two are. I was in. a small reading rut at the beginning of the novel, which lead to my dislike, buttttt the middle was cute (there I go again with calling books cute). I just didn't fall for them as much as I should've for a ya contemporary romance

Samantha gust 

I loved this I loved the adventures and being able to stay anonymous. Getting to know each other with out being able to judge the person for how they look. I went and watched the whole Netflix series right after I finished this and will definitely reread maybe this Christmas. There were parts I was like no no no I canttttt and then I was like yesssssss it was a roller coaster i didn’t wanna get off

Melissa Palmer

Book #137 Read in 2016
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

A reader has to love a book that is set partially in The Strand, one of NYC's famous bookstores. Lily leaves a red notebook there for someone to find and Dash is that someone. The two begin a written communication and book of dares that eventually leads them to meet. Will they begin a friendship? A romance? Both? A nice YA Christmas-time romance book that I highly recommend to high school and adult readers alike. I borrowed this book from the public library and the sequel is on its way to the library for me.

In a story told in the alternating voices of Dash and Lily, two sixteen-year-olds carry on a wintry scavenger hunt at Christmastime in New York, neither knowing quite what--or who--they will find.

Lauren Grey

The premise of this book is intriguing and makes you want to go out and strategically place your own notebook around town in hopes some cute boy picks it up. At the beginning I really liked this book. It was cute and witty, but as it continued it became more and more far-fetched.

First, I have decided that these are not normal sixteen year olds. I was sixteen a few years ago and felt that I was a bit more mature than either of them seemed to be, but they also over thought everything. I liked Dash from the start, but Lily got on my nerves. She seemed sort of whiny and babyish.

Dash’s ideas to do in a bookstore were really interesting. He claims that sometimes he goes to the bookstore and tackles a single letter by checking out all the authors that begin with that letter or a single section/genre or a certain color. I really want to try that one day when I have tons of time to kill.

Like I said, the characters were extremely interesting and not like anyone I have ever met in real life, but I do respect the term: frequaintance- which is a person who is somewhere between a friend and acquaintance. I am definitely going to be stealing this word.

I understand that the whole idea was far-fetched, but it just became more and more to the point that I grew bored with how unreasonable the story got. I didn’t really love the ending, but was glad to get there. Honestly, it was a cute book, but I am not quite sure I understood where all the hype was coming from. Perhaps if I was younger I would have liked it more.

Krystyna 

I really enjoyed this book. The setting takes place in NYC during Christmas and New Years. It is a very cute book. Dash and Lily are adorable characters. Also, I loved how much they were into books and the whole red moleskin notebook idea. Perfect book to read during December.

Manda

I have to say that the synopsis of this book pulled me in immediately. The fact that the story begins in a bookstore had me from the beginning. I absolutely adored this book. Dash and Lily live in my world, and not just the one inside my head. They are avid readers, they live in this eclectic book store and they’re intelligent, witty characters. I knew that I would be very happy with this novel, and I was right.

First off, I completely 100% adore both Dash and Lily. I’m having a hard time picking which I like best, but if it came down to life and death I guess I’d have to say Dash. He is so witty and smart. Everything about his character is just perfect. I love that Cohn and Levithan have written such intelligent, wise teenagers. You don’t see this often in this genre and it was refreshing. I really loved Lily as well. I love how quirky she is and how ok she is with being different. I feel like if I could be best friends with two characters they would be Dash and Lily. I also really liked all of the secondary characters in this book, though to be honest, Boomer really annoyed me. I think that was the point, but I couldn’t work out how someone so dim could be best friends with someone like Dash. I guess it just shows how much of a good guy Dash is.

As far as setting goes, I love anything that takes place in New York. It just seems like you just get so many interesting scene choices in such an eclectic city. I loved everything about The Strand. I wish that I had a bookstore this amazing sounding that I could go hide away in. I loved that the employees fit so well with the feel of such an amazing sounding store. Everything that Cohn and Levithan put into their setting was perfect and I don’t think this book could have taken place anywhere else.

All in all, this was an amazing novel. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a smart, witty book with spark. I really love what Cohn and Levithan do together as writers and can’t wait to read more from them in the future.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through Netgalley.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Joana da Silva

Just a cute holiday YA Rom-Com to get the Christmas spirit going. (Or just to pump my reading challenge because this is only 193 pages long eheheh.) This book proved to me yet again that I'm growing out of the YA genre. It was very cute and quirky, but Lily was just too self-conscious for me. I mean, she's against swearing and I have the mouth of a sailor.

A fun and cute Christmas read. A prefect start for Christmas. Simple and a delightful book.

Savindi Jinasena

** spoiler alert **
           This is the first book I’ve read by collaboration partners Rachel Cohn & David Levithan. I’ve read Will Grayson Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan and The Lover’s Dictionary by Levithan. At first I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book because a lot of bloggers have raved about this book, and I’ve come to realize that I don’t fall into the category where “everyone likes this book.” I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Clearly I’ve got a date with this book again at the end of the year! And once again my cover gushing continues, but I really can’t help it! The cover of this book is adorable and I like all the colours of the buildings and lamp posts. Of course I can’t forget the heart-shaped crossing sign and snow flakes.

First off I will say how the book is written. David Levithan wrote all of Dash’s chapters while Rachel Cohn wrote Lily’s chapters. The story takes place in New York City, where Dash is spending Christmas by himself, he’s told both his divorced parents that he’s spending Christmas with the other, when in reality he’s by himself and quite happy with this arrangement. Lily on the other hand is upset and angry with her parents celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversary in Fiji and Grandpa spending Christmas in Florida whilst she’s stuck with her brother Langston and his boyfriend Benny. The Red Moleskin Journal of Dares is Langston’s idea because he believes Lily needs a boyfriend and thus the story continues with the journal being passed back and forth between the two protagonists. Of course not everything goes smoothly with journal passing in New York City, but are Dash & Lily meant for each other? Read the book to find out!

This is the second book that I’ve read that has been co-written and I enjoyed the different writing styles. Plot wise, the story was unique. The concept of a person having to leave their comfort zone and try something new, in New York City of all places is exciting and adventurous. I think it is fair to say that this book tells a coming of age story, where Lily in particular is given an opportunity to venture out into the ‘real world’, away from her protective family and experience different things, even if the results are disastrous. For Dash I think it was about accepting and understanding people for who they are, rather than what he made them to be in his head. One of the things that made this book wonderful was the setting. There’s something about New York City during Christmas time that is magical. The places that Dash & Lily visited definitely had a hipster feeling to it and I enjoyed that aspect. And I actually didn’t know that there was a Madame Tussaud Museum in New York until I read this book, so I guess you learn something new everyday. There were some filler paragraphs in certain chapters, especially in Lily’s which was somewhat annoying, but I was able to brush those flaws away and just enjoy the book. The ending of the book as expected was a little corny, and to my surprise I didn’t mind. Usually I’m a person who just groans at the prospect of corny endings, but the end was written in a way that made you gush and smile.

Character wise I liked Dash more than I did Lily. I liked Dash because he was a self-confessed word nerd and I have to say I like guys who are articulate and intelligent. Sometimes I couldn’t believe that he was 16-year-old because of his vocabulary. His use of the word “Frequaintance” made me laugh because I had used the exact same word when I was talking to my old housemate a few weeks back! I certainly didn’t meet many guys who could articulate themselves as well as Dash when I was 16. Another thing that I admired about Dash’s character was his independence and how comfortable he was with being by himself. Also most of the quotable parts in the book were in Dash’s chapters. I liked that Lily was also comfortable being her own person instead of going along with the crowd. And it was great that she was into sports, especially Football (Soccer) like I am! Sometimes I did find her character to be a bit high-strung and I found myself wanting her chapters to end quickly.

The secondary characters were equally awesome and funny. I especially liked Dash’s friend Boomer and his ex-girlfriend Sofia. At some parts I felt like Sofia was the right one for Dash because it seemed that she was more level-headed than Lily, but in the end I had to admit that Lily was the one for Dash because she brought out his quirkiness. Boomer was a joy as character because he was always happy and he was a great friend, especially when it came to being a sort of character reference to Dash. Lily’s great-aunt Ida was also cool because she was Lily’s voice of reason and always had her back.

Overall Dash & Lily’s Book Of Dares was a great read. I liked the concept of the book, the setting, the dares, the characters, everything was enjoyable. The book definitely brought New York City to life for me and now I want to go and visit The Strand bookstore! It also made me want to go on an adventure of my own where I can explore all the cities of the world. Preferably I would like to start my Red Moleskin Journal Dare adventure in London, England, but at this point I’ll take any city!This book is one for the holiday season despite me reading it over the summer. Even with its flaws and sometimes annoyances Dash & Lily’s Book Of Dares will make you smile. It’s also got great quotes which is an added bonus!

My Rating: 4.5/5

Would I Recommend It? Definitely

A whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, now a Netflix original series starring Austin Abrams and Midori Francis Lily left a red notebook full of challenges on her favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. Dash, in a bad mood during the holidays, happens to be the first guy to pick up the notebook and rise to its challenges. What follows is a whirlwind romance as Dash and Lily trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations all across New York City. But can their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions, or will their scavenger hunt end in a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (Netflix Series Tie-In Edition)

brianna

Ivy X

This was an enjoyable Christmas break kind of book. However, I feel like I still don't know the characters very well and how they managed to get this whole process to work. It felt like it was up to chance for the majority of the book and they constantly let things up to chance in the book. It was enjoyable but I want more character depth.

Steph Lodico

This was a super wholesome read. I loved how neither main character was the stereotypical love interest and how very different/very similar they were. Everything about the story was playful and quirky; I appreciated how it didn’t take itself too seriously while managing to share a valuable lesson about choices vs fate. 

It was fun, but not something I’m dying for more of - as in, I won’t read the sequel because I am quite content with this story as a stand-alone. It’s definitely meant for younger YA audiences but I think is suitable for any age as a merry holiday book. 

Some of the language used is outdated, which makes sense because it was written in 2010 and appropriate terminology and phrasing is always evolving, but something to keep in mind especially for younger audiences.

Anna Bold

Out of the three collaborations between David Levithan and Rachel Cohn, this one is definitely my favorite. It is simple and sweet, and yet it is beautiful written and a ridiculously interesting narrative. I definitely recommend this for all.

Talia Dominguez 

hmmm well this book was interesting and it had me laughing! it was kind of boring in some parts though

Jantien 

** spoiler alert **
           Lord, I found Lily sooo obnoxious! I have watched the Netflix series last year around the holidays and loved it, so I have gifted myself the books for Christmas eve. 
It is not the same.
Lily sounds like she’s 12 years old and I can’t stand it. Dash on the other hand, seems to be an actual good guy. 
The only holiday themed book I read this year, and definitely not the best choice I could have made.

I honestly think the TV show added more depth and magic, but overall, I really enjoyed the book as well and would recommend it as a light, fun holiday read.

Shannon Leigh Williams

This book was adorable!

I honestly think the TV show added more depth and magic, but overall, I really enjoyed the book as well and would recommend it as a light, fun holiday read.

Ines Budich 

One of the best stories I've read this year! 

Lots of people suggested this to me (you know who you are), and I'm really grateful to them. 
To begin with, a lot of things hooked me. Right at the beginning, my attention was immediately grabbed by the fact that our main protagonists are avid readers. The plot of adventure in the city and all those secret places was exciting and fun. It made me want to go on an adventure myself. The dual pov also worked very well, as well as the setting. I found it very fun and ingenious.


At the first chapters where they are introduced, I found them trying too hard to sound pretentious or ... smart (?) and I felt like they tried to hard, even if I adore a smart and well-versed guy. Anyway, Dash and Lily made up to it because they completely charmed me off my feet. I felt like I was talking to them right then and there, and they were kind of surprising but adorable. I absolutely loved those kinds of characters. Dash is the kind of guy you do not want to approach for help  hence the nickname Snarl and he is unexpectedly deep and bookish. Lily is the girl-next-door living a good, safe life. 

I loved the idea of riddles and challenges in Christmas-time Manhattan, although of course, it is unrealistic and has about 0.5 % chance of actually happening to anyone, but that's what books are for. I loved the opening, where Dash finds the Book of Dares in a book store. Their connection through prose and poetry is lonely yet romantic, even through their vast differences. They are both witty, and Dash was absolutely disarming with his banter. Although they have different goals, they dream the same dreams deep down inside.

Filled with fun and failed challenges, get ready to fall in love with this book.

One of the best stories I've read this year! 

Lots of people suggested this to me (you know who you are), and I'm really grateful to them. 
To begin with, a lot of things hooked me. Right at the beginning, my attention was immediately grabbed by the fact that our main protagonists are avid readers. The plot of adventure in the city and all those secret places was exciting and fun. It made me want to go on an adventure myself. The dual pov also worked very well, as well as the setting. I found it very fun and ingenious.


At the first chapters where they are introduced, I found them trying too hard to sound pretentious or ... smart (?) and I felt like they tried to hard, even if I adore a smart and well-versed guy. Anyway, Dash and Lily made up to it because they completely charmed me off my feet. I felt like I was talking to them right then and there, and they were kind of surprising but adorable. I absolutely loved those kinds of characters. Dash is the kind of guy you do not want to approach for help (view spoiler)[ hence the nickname Snarl (hide spoiler)] and he is unexpectedly deep and bookish. Lily is the girl-next-door living a good, safe life. 

I loved the idea of riddles and challenges in Christmas-time Manhattan, although of course, it is unrealistic and has about 0.5 % chance of actually happening to anyone, but that's what books are for. I loved the opening, where Dash finds the Book of Dares in a book store. Their connection through prose and poetry is lonely yet romantic, even through their vast differences. They are both witty, and Dash was absolutely disarming with his banter. Although they have different goals, they dream the same dreams deep down inside.

Filled with fun and failed challenges, get ready to fall in love with this book.

Jude Moon

this was so cute and sweet and witty!!! i LOVED their relationship 😔😔😔😔

Now a Netflix original series starring Austin Abrams and Midori Francis! A whirlwind holiday season romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. “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.” 16-year-old Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on her favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. Dash, in a bad mood during the holidays, happens to be the first guy to pick up the notebook and rise to its challenges. What follows is a whirlwind romance as Dash and Lily trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations all across New York City. But can their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions, or will their scavenger hunt end in a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions? Co-written by Rachel Cohn (GINGERBREAD) and David Levithan, co-author of WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON with John Green (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS), DASH & LILY'S BOOK OF DARES is a love story that will have readers scouring bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

Emelie

1,5owls..

Ugh, this book was so boring! And i Didnt like the writing style for Lily!

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

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