A Little Book Told Me...

                                                                                                                                -Paul,

                                                                                              from Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Mini Reviews (Because I'm drowning in books!) Part II

Part two of my mini reviews feature more YA fiction.  I know, some might wonder if I'm already crossing over to mainly YA books but it's just that there were a lot of YA books lying around in my TBR pile so I went ahead and read them to make way for some adult fiction (like True Grit by Charles Portis, which I'm very excited to read).

Girl, Stolen by April Henry
Henry Holt and Co., 213 pages
From The Boyfriend, bought from Fully Booked 

Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen—with her inside! Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes — now there’s a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn’t know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price?

Review:  After reading Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott, it's no wonder that I would want to read something similar but entirely different, and in my opinion, Girl, Stolen by April Henry made that grade.  It was refreshing to read about a handicapped protagonist who, although burdened with a disability, was very resourceful and courageous.  It was great to read about someone that I know I and a lot of other people would want to look up to, someone who could be a role model.  Cheyenne deserves to be emulated by teens everywhere, as she tackles her situation and conquers her fear with her quick thinking, resourcefulness, and intelligence.  The second best character in this book in my opinion was not Griffin, but his father, Roy, who was so pathetic and scary and was nothing short of a monster.  I know that his presence - and the plot itself - might classify this book as from a darker YA genre, but there really are people like Roy who exist in real life, and his character was very spot-on.  Ms. Henry was able to write about a unique story with as much poignance, clarity, and emotion as possible.

Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten
Point, 288 pages
Received via Random Acts of Kindness from Ashley @ BookAHolics Anonymous  

Nina was beautiful, wild, and adored by her younger sister, Ellie. But one day, Nina disappeared. 2 years later, everyone has given up hope that Nina will return, but Ellie knows her sister is out there. If only Ellie had a clue where to look.Then she gets one, in the form of a mysterious drawing. Determined to find Nina, Ellie takes off on a crazy, sexy cross-country road trip with the only person who believes she's got a chance - her hot, adventurous new crush. Along the way, Ellie finds a few things she wasn't planning on. Like love. Lies. And the most shocking thing of all: the truth.

Review:  Obviously, this is one book I would place on my wishlist.  Why?  For its title.  I'm such a sucker for books that has characters with the same name as me.  So I really thank Ashley @ BookAHolics Anonymous for including this to the books she sent me for RAK.  

Moving on, I really thought Lynn Weingarten's Wherever Nina Lies was such a joyride I had to read it thrice after the first reading.  It was that good.  Sure there were some elements there that do not add up in reality, but those were exactly what made it more fun to read, because it was written with such convincing clarity you would willingly step into its fictional world and accept it as truth.  I also loved the characters and their unique personalities.  Really great read, and cover too!

Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz
Bantam, 368 pages
Bought from Celina's Books and Magazines 

The news that he had incurable cardiomyopathy struck Ryan Perry as hard as any heart attack. The 34-year-old Internet tycoon felt that his days were numbered; but thanks to a transplant, he was able not only to survive but to move forward, enjoying every day with the gratitude of a true survivor. Then one day a gift arrives; a heart pendant accompanied by a Valentine's Day box of candy hearts. With it comes a chilling message ("Your heart belongs to me") and an even more frightening video. Suddenly, Ryan's healthy, throbbing heart has become the target of a madwoman.

Review:  I was really looking forward to my first-ever Dean Koontz book.  I was so interested in the story of Your Heart Belongs to Me that I did not hesitate to buy myself a copy.  The plot was awesome, the characters awesomer, the beginning was great, the middle was great plus one, but the end?  Not so much.  It began to get muddled and it was almost as if another story was spliced to the ending.  I thought that Mr. Koontz was trying to wax philosophical with this novel but it ended up being something entirely different.  Otherwise, I would still keep this book if only for the beginning and middle parts.

Wide Awake by David Levithan
Knopf Books for Young Readers, 240 pages
Bought from Celina's Books and Magazines 

In the not-too-impossible-to-imagine future, a gay Jewish man has been elected president of the United States. Until the governor of one state decides that some election results in his state are invalid, awarding crucial votes to the other candidate, and his fellow party member. Thus is the inspiration for couple Jimmy and Duncan to lend their support to their candidate by deciding to take part in the rallies and protests. Along the way comes an exploration of their relationship, their politics, and their country, and sometimes, as they learn, it's more about the journey than it is about reaching the destination.

Review:  Background Music:  Imogen Heap's 'Have You Got It In You'

Wide Awake by David Levithan could have been a prequel to Boy Meets Boy, where equality in all sexes was already prevalent; except some scenes from the latter were obviously more dated and occurred earlier than Wide Awake.  Emotionally-charged despite less heavy and traumatic scenes, the story happened in less than a week and tackled some dire issues heavily debated among communities such as homosexuality, religion, and politics (which I almost never talk about).  This book would really help the younger generation to become more self-aware and keep their eyes open for social issues confronting their times, at the same time maintaining that patented David Levithan intelligent humor and appeal that will certainly captivate its readers and advance their vocabulary.


*****
Four more books down!  


Check out my Mini Reviews Part One

10 Good Things on a Monday: My Ten Favorite Quotes From Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

10 Good Things on a Monday is a weekly feature  I am doing dedicated to every person's compulsive list-writing.  Every Monday we are going to make a list of 10 things that will cheer us up and help tide us over the whole week.

<a href="http://buoyreading.blogspot.com/search/label/good%20things" target="_top"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZLJhw831LIwGjiA8RrpkyCa2Kw0vJ-MCDZ92vwi4is-CRlAzDfrov1rTTH16ntcfHxERkDFchxdM-bLazZ6g9M8tSP4JfsgI1z6BjiHzILQVknmvbcSdG9PpCXAdG9SZ1LU5PvsKPpM/s1600/10.JPG" border="0" /></a>

Here's how it works:

1. Think of a particular group of good things you want to make a list on, does not necessarily have to be about books, e.g. your current book wish list, or your favorite book foods (you know, foods you love to eat while reading, if you're like me), or your favorite girly names, whatever you can think of, as long as it makes you feel good.
2. If you have no ideas for a list, you can always visit my blog post to check out my theme for that week and you can take a cue from my list.
3. Post your list on your blog, grab that cute ARGH button above and put it on your post too, so we'd know you're doing this meme.
4. Leave the link for your post on my own 10 Good Things post for the week, if you see others doing it, comment too and let's share our good things with everybody.
5. Everybody goes through the whole week happy!

----------

My 10 Good Things for this week:  Ten  Favorite Quotes from Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Ever had a book that if you're marker-happy, that book's pages would all be marked in some neon-colored marker or something?  Well, mine's this book.  I loved Will Grayson, Will Grayson from start to finish and it was really a struggle not to highlight any of those favorite passages of mine.  I did, however, write them down as I read them.  

1. "You like someone who can't like you back because unrequited love can be survived in a way that once-requited love cannot. " 
2.  "I have a friend request from some stranger on Facebook and I delete it without looking at the profile because that doesn't seem natural. 'Cause friendship should not be as easy as that. It's like people believe all you need to do is like the same bands in order to be soulmates. Or books. omg... U like the outsiders 2... it's like we're the same person! No we're not. It's like we have the same English teacher. There's a difference." 
3. "This is why we call people exes, I guess - because the paths that cross in the middle end up separating at the end. It's too easy to see an X as a cross-out. It's not, because there's no way to cross out something like that. The X is a diagram of two paths."  
4. "Anything that happens all at once is just as likely to unhappen all at once, you know?" 
5. "Dear Jane,
   
   Just so you know: e. e. cummings cheated on both of his wives. With prostitutes.
   
   Yours,
   Will Grayson"  
6. "rolf! what? are you really rolling on the floor laughing? well, please stay down there for a sec while I KICK YOUR ASS." 
7. "I call my mom from the car. I tell her that Neutral Milk Hotel is playing at the Hideout and she says, 'Who? What? You're hiding out?'..."
8. "Compromise is when you do what I tell you and I do what I want."
9. "i am constantly torn between killing myself and killing everyone around me. those seem to be the two choices. everything else is just killing time." 
10. "You like someone who can’t like you back because unrequited love can be survived in a way that once-requited love cannot." 

-----

Admit it, those quotes were awesome! 

So what are your Good Things?

Have a great Monday, everyone!

BEA is just around the corner, I sure am bummed not to be going, but to those who will, don't forget us who won't be there okay?  Tell us your stories, include us in the fun!

Maybe someday I will come :D

Book Review: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Photo taken from Goodreads

Book Info

Title:  Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist 
Author:  Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Publisher:  Knopf Books for Young Readers

Language: English

Format:  Paperback 

Pages:  183 pages

ISBN-10:  0375835334

ISBN-13:  978-0375835339

Source:  Purchased, Fully Booked

Buy this book on Amazon 

 

Summary

From Goodreads:

"It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date."

Review

It is confirmed – I have definitely read all of Rachel Cohn’s and David Levithan’s work backwards, beginning with Dash and Lily, then Naomi and Ely, and now, Nick and Norah.

I have watched the movie version and I totally loved it, but this book was a very different adventure.  Not because this book was bad – it wasn’t.  The movie could not even compare.

Flashback to when I was eight years old and just watched The Little Mermaid in the movies:  My mother said, “Everything becomes different in movies.”  She couldn’t have been more spot-on.  Aside from changing storylines, the experience of reading about it instead of watching it has always been more significant to me.  If anything, it’s my imagination that is at work – not that of the director’s, or the scriptwriter’s or even the costume designer’s.  I am the one who decides how Nick and Norah looks like, and although Michael Cera came a bit close to the Nick in my head, but Norah was way, way off Kat Dennings. 

And so because this is the last book (for now) that I would be reading from this dynamic writing duo, I felt that I owed it to them to do a different style of book review for this book.  And because Levithan’s books make me play music in my head as I read, I thought making a playlist for the different aspects I loved about this book would be cool. 

Here goes:

The Fight is Over by Urbandub. 

Breakup Song

Nick and Tris, Norah and Tal.  Tris broke up with Nick and he could not move on; meanwhile, Norah is in a controlling relationship with Tal, which has left her cold and a teeny bit disillusioned.  The relationship of these two pairs of ‘ex-lovers’ were shown quite effectively without too much storytelling.  Yes, Nick’s parts obviously focus around the breakup with Tris but it is not hard to grasp the gravity of the situation for him, and elicited just the right amount of sympathy without seeming to be too trying hard or pathetic.  As for Norah and Tal, the story of their relationship is much less ‘out there’ than Nick’s, but it is also very easy to understand without too much ‘garnishing’ that try to force emotions from readers, but only succeed in making them irritated because of too much uncomfortable and unnecessary details. 

Don’t Call It Love by Vinyl Pinups

The Kiss

When Nick asked Norah if she’d be his five-minute girlfriend, Norah answered by giving him a kiss.  And that’s when they both realized that something is bound to happen between them.  However, none of them knew yet what they were in for, and were still in denial about what is happening.  That’s why I think this song fit that moment perfectly, not just for its slow sound, but also for the lyrics.  That Kiss between Nick and Norah was excellently described; it felt like we were actually watching it instead of just reading about it, but better.

Help I’m Alive by Metric

For the Characters

The characters are very human and believable, and quite likable.  Even Tal and Tris, with their impossibly possible irritating traits like constantly interrupting a potentially sweet moment for Nick and Norah, were actually very funny and endearing, especially Norah’s revelation of Tris as an occasional good friend.  Have you noticed that Nick and Norah have names that start with ‘N’ while they’re exes’ names both begin with a ‘T’?  I wonder if it has some significance.  I also like how some characters only had small parts in the story and yet drew a huge impact, from me, at least.  I especially liked Norah’s Dad for being ‘such a dad,’ and because even if he was mentioned just briefly, it was for me, one of the best parts of the book. 

Give A Little More by Maroon 5

For the Writing

In my opinion, although this is a great story on its own, the next two books written by Cohn and Levithan read a bit better and had more solid writing to back up their stories.  I guess as time passes and with more practice, we really do get better at things we do, considering that Dash and Lily is my favorite among the three books they wrote together.  But that is not to say that this book is not good.  I liked the plot, the storyline, and the dialogue.  And judging this book by its own merit, I could still say that this is up there with those other really cool stories for the YA genre.  The voices were distinct and quirky, very solid.  It was intelligently written and had a great lyrical, smooth tone.  The story, told through two points of view, flowed seamlessly and effortlessly, and did not sound redundant.  Some books that do multiple points of view tended to repeat a single scene through their heads which can sometimes be confusing and tiring because you get to read about one scene several times, with the views rotated among the characters but nonetheless still the same.  In this book, a scene is examined by both Nick and Norah only if it is important enough.  If not, it would only be mentioned in passing just so the connection between their stories does not get broken. 

Hey Hey You by Vinyl Pinups

For the Whole Book, Part 1

This is the song that played through my head throughout the story.  Obviously, the song mostly referred to how Nick and Norah met, but the upbeat tempo also made me think of their two personalities.  I know that Nick is very hardcore punk, and Norah is such a music snob they’re sure to be offended by how little I know about music, but as I said, if I like the beat, I listen to it.  And I like the beat of this song in the same way that I liked their catchy story. 

I Want To Hold Your Hand by The Beatles

For the Whole Book, Part 2

So it turns out, I actually have a little music taste.  But that’s because this song was mentioned in the book and when Dev mentioned this to Nick, it automatically started playing in my head, and I thought, Yeah, this is a great song for this book.  This is exactly what Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist is all about.  Nick needed to hold someone’s hand to help him get through his breakup with Tris.  Norah needed someone to hold hands with in order to get her through life.

And then, it was mentioned there that every pop song sang today could be traced to ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’, and somehow, this book by Cohn and Levithan is sort of a pioneer of its own type of fiction:  The light, easy, compelling, and fun love story between two young people in search of their own place in the world.  Not just once did I see a book that remotely resembles the theme of Nick and Norah, and I daresay this book is one of the inspirations for those other stories. 

Rating

If you have any questions on this particular rating, please refer to my ratings system here.

Notice 

All opinions expressed in this book review are my own and not influenced by any party in any way.

Please contact me for questions, comments, and suggestions. 

Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

 (Photo taken from Goodreads)

Title:  Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List

Author:  Rachel Cohn and David Levithan 

Publisher:  Knopf Books for Young Readers  

Language: English

Format:  Kindle Edition 

Pages:  256 pages 

ASIN:  B000VSW7WU 

Source:  Purchased,  Amazon 

Music In My Head:  Supposed to Be by Default

Buy this book on Amazon

Rating:

 

A friend of mine actually laughed at me when I read this book.  She said that I was doing this Cohn-Levithan collaborations backwards:  First, I read Dash and Lily's Book of Dares - which is the third book - then I now read Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List - the second one.  I quickly point out that I've watched Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, but she also quickly points out that it's not the book so it doesn't count.  I never did got to win an argument with any of my friends.

One of the highlights of writing this review is that I get to include what music played in my head while reading.  Of course, that almost happens only when I read a Levithan work, and seeing as this is one-half Levithan, music suddenly springs up in my brain:  Supposed to Be by Default.  I don't know if you've heard of it, but the tune is pretty catchy and the lyrics really good.  I'm not the best music critic/judge out there, so I can't tell if this is bad music or not, but it's perfect for this book.  I imagine it being sung by both Naomi and Ely, more by Naomi.  Because that's what they are - they're supposed to be.  Here's why: 

The Gospel According to Goodreads:

"NAOMI AND ELY ARE BEST FRIENDS. Naomi loves and is in love with Ely, and Ely loves Naomi, but prefers to be in love with boys. So they create their "No Kiss List" of people neither of them is allowed to kiss. And this works fine - until Bruce. Bruce is Naomi's boyfriend, so there's no reason to put him on the List. But Ely kissed Bruce even though he is boring. The result: a rift of universal proportions and the potential end of "Naomi and Ely: the institution." Can these best friends come back together again?"

Don't you think the song sums up their story perfectly?  Because I do.  I know that the song is actually about romantic love and Naomi and Ely's love is anything but romantic - they're best friends for God's sake.  But it still did not stop me from thinking it's the perfect song because they're meant to be together, they're really meant to be friends forever, and removing sex from the equation - Naomi and Ely are the perfect couple.

Which is exactly what made me pick this one up.  Not really for the fact that one-half of this is written by my favorite author, but because I could not have found a better book about best friends at a cross roads not because they've fallen for each other - that's actually very easy - but because one is in love with the other, but the other is in love with one's boyfriend.  It's a unique take on the love triangle, with a lot of friendship elements that it's really worth reading.

Have you ever wondered how Will and Grace were before they became Will and Grace?  Well, I imagine they're almost like Naomi and Ely.   Sometimes, you have this best friend that you've decided in the early part of your life that you would marry someday.  However, the fact that your friend is gay hinders your fantasy from becoming a reality and that was the main conflict in this story.  Naomi could not seem to grasp the fact that no matter how long their No Kiss List would be, or how watertight it was, she and Ely would not be together.  Even if he did not kiss her Bruce the Second, it would still happen eventually, as I always rationalize:  All things end badly, otherwise they would not end.  What ended here was not their friendship, what ended was Naomi's immaturity.  This may be about Naomi and Ely, but while Ely also does his share of growth and maturity, it was Naomi who was focused mostly on.  Maybe that's why the title was 'Naomi and Ely' and not 'Ely and Naomi.'  Or maybe I'm the only one thinking that.  But still.  

The story was written through different points of view, Naomi and Ely, the Bruces, and other friends.  It was like talking to all the characters in order to understand what happened.  It was like being a part of a big group of friends, but something happened while you were away so when you came back, you had to talk to each friend in order to get a book-worthy account of what happened to two of your closest friends - Naomi and Ely.  Also, although other readers found the different POVs confusing and pointless, I felt that it was cool to get different perspectives on what was happening, and you discover which friend made sense, which friend was worth keeping, and which friend should be dumped.  On this issue, you definitely understand what's going on and what to believe.   The writing was hip, edgy, and smart.  I like that each point of view was personalized for that character's personality.  Naomi has these symbols inserted in her chapters which is very creative and which makes the reader 'get' her.  You know, when you sometimes talk to someone and you make gestures for a certain word instead of saying it out loud?  Because of that, I suddenly associated that attitude to Naomi.  She's a gesture girl.  Gabriel, on the other hand, spoke through music tracks which shows he really loves music and it's ingrained in his personality.  The other characters' stream-of-consciousness chapters also have their own unique flavor which makes them stand out among the rest.  So I cannot imagine what other readers were saying when they said that they got confused which chapter they were reading because of the several POVs, I didn't because I recognized certain characteristics unique to a certain character.  The cast were definitely human, and I could relate to any of them, but mostly my favorite character is Gabriel.  Not just because he's hot - although it was because of that mostly - but because he seems to be very perceptive considering his role as a doorman in Naomi and Ely's apartment building. 

You know what else I liked?  That the characters were already in college and around 19 and 20.  Most young adult fiction I've read were all set during high school and it's very refreshing to have a light but intelligent novel for early college kids without it turning serious, dramatic, or trashy.  

Obviously, I liked this book.  A lot.  However, I am not going to compare it to Dash and Lily or even to Nick and Norah (even if I only watched it, not read it), I think that each collaboration between Cohn and Levithan are unique and awesome in their own way.  While reading this book, I've never - not even once - thought of the other two books, although a very important rest room has been frequently appearing in all three novels, each story leaving a mark on that restroom.  I was pleasantly surprised to see something from Nick and Norah on this book, and seeing that something from Nick and Norah and something from Naomi and Ely in Dash and Lily.  I'm not going to say what it is you can find, you have to find it for yourself. :-D

Finally, I'm leaving you with the song that has been playing over and over in my mind while reading this book:

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current recently finished and new favorite read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

My Teaser:

I still have a big Will Grayson, Will Grayson hangover and I would like to dedicate a Teaser Tuesday to them.  This week, I will ignore rule number one above, just for this week, I promise!

"tiny:  847-555-3982
 Gay God:  847-555-7363
 tiny:  WILL SOMEONE PLEASE WRITE THAT DOWN FOR ME?" 


-page 259, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

(Photo taken from Goodreads)

Title:  Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Author:  John Green and David Levithan
Publisher:  Dutton
Language: English
ISBN-10:  0525421580

ISBN-13:  978-0525421580

Music In My Head:  Two Headed Boy by Neutral Milk Hotel

Buy this book on Amazon

Rating:

I finished this book in one go.  I normally have a lot to do during the holidays but once I decided I'm reading this, I let nothing and no one distract me, which is fairly easy because really, when has a David Levithan or a John Green book ever been a drag?  And considering this is a collaboration between the two awesome authors mentioned above, this book is overflowing with awesomeness some of it drips on me!  And because this is partly a David Levithan work, my head automatically plays music and for once, it decides to use one of the songs mentioned in the book, Neutral Milk Hotel's Two Headed Boy, which is Will Grayson #1's least favorite song, but hits the story spot on.  Perfect.

Imagine having another person with your name, not just your first name but your last name too.  Now, suppose you met that person someplace.  I bet some have, and isn't it the strangest feeling?  I have never known anyone named Nina Bermudez - it's my brother who has a namesake, who turns out to be his classmate so imagine the weirdness and the awkward moments when their professor kept confusing them with each other - I do have a fictional character namesake, Nina Bermudez from The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson, but you already know that given that I've mentioned it about 18,546 times on this blog already.  But sometimes, when someone I know reads that book, he/she never fails to tell me about it and say that it felt weird reading about someone in a book that has my name, and they immediately compare me to that character, easily trying to base the character on my personality in high school (which is interestingly, almost the same with what's in the book.  Almost ).  In Will Grayson, Will Grayson,  two 'superficially different' (I'll get to that later) teenagers with the same name meet by accident, and their lives intertwine when Tiny Cooper, Will Grayson #1's (from here on, I shall refer to Will Grayson #1 as WG1 and Will Grayson #2 as WG2) best friend becomes WG2's boyfriend.  A quirky, touching, and cool story about love, friendship, accepting and becoming the real you, and a fabulous school play that brings it full circle.  

If I thought, just by reading the teasers that this would be a predictable story, I couldn't have been more wrong.  First, I did not expect the depth of Tiny's influence on both Will Graysons and how it would affect their outlook in life.  Next, I did not expect the conflict and especially the ending.  I totally had no idea how the book would turn out, but I did predict that I would love everything about it.

In Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, I knew that David Levithan was writing Dash, and Rachel Cohn was writing Lily.  Doing a little research, I found that John Green wrote the chapters for the straight Will Grayson (WG1) and Levithan wrote for the gay Will Grayson (WG2).  Naturally, now why didn't I think of that?  They even split the thinking of a name for their main character, with Levithan coming up with the first name and Green with the last name.  In describing their writing process, they each wrote three chapters for their characters on their own without really agreeing on a definite plot, read it aloud to each other, and then try to imagine the nuances and appropriate reactions of each character when they eventually meet.  Each character stands out clearly, not just because WG2's chapters are written lowercase, reflecting the character's feelings of smallness, marginalization, and hopelessness.  For WG1, the chapters are written in normal type and gives off that smart-guy-who-is-not-aware-of-his-own-coolness-and-pretends-he-does-not-care vibe, which is how WG1 would actually be described.  But even if they are written by two different authors, the story is very clean, seamless, and united  Each chapter flows through the next as smoothly as if I poured oil onto the pages to help the words slide through.  You get this book knowing it's a collaboration, but you finish reading it thinking this is written by just one writer.  There are no contradicting statements, each scene, dialogue, and character consistent and faithful to its initial presentation.  

So now you're probably thinking about the 'superficially different' statement I said about WG1 and WG2.  I think that on the surface, they are different:  1.   WG1 is straight, WG2 is gay;  2.  WG1 has a somewhat easy relationship with his parents, WG2 doesn't; 3.  WG1 may be socially awkward, but sociable nonetheless, while WG2 is a loner and only has one 'real' friend and that does not even work out; 4.  WG1 is sort of smart and upbeat, WG2 is clinically depressed and takes prescribed medications.  So how different can they get, right?  But I can't help noticing the parallel between these two Will Graysons:  They are both trying not to care, not to say too much, and both are afraid and hiding inside themselves - ultimately, they are both hiding, period.  The first two statements are demonstrations of that fact.  I would love to delve deeper into this parallel thing, but that would mean I have to put spoilers and that can't happen.  

I love the supporting characters and how they hold the story together.  They each inspire some emotion from the reader.  I  hated and pitied Maura, got annoyed and then a little 'sweetly cuted-out' by Jane (although I didn't really like her that much), and admired-got-annoyed-fell-in-love with Tiny.  I thought WG1's parents were pretty cool, especially his dad, and I really wanted to give WG2's mom a hug and tell her that everything would be all right.  They could each have their own story lines and plots, especially Tiny.  I would give Tiny a whole novel, come to that.  But I did love the musical he wrote about his life and I wish it could become a reality.  After a little research, I found that the title of his musical, Tiny Dancer and later, Hold Me Closer, are actually parts of a song title by Ironik.  Tiny Dancer (Hold Me Closer) is a 2008 song by Ironik that uses samples of Elton John's song, Tiny Dancer.  And guess what, some Nerdfighters from John Green's website, www.nerdfighters.com are working on making Hold Me Closer a reality, and you may visit here if you want to help.  

I think everything in this story is very smart, poignant, and touching, and although this is technically a young adult novel, adults will definitely enjoy reading this as the issues presented here are as mature and as adult as you can get.  I mean, you can go all paranoid and self-conscious about your appearance, your coolness vibe, and your popularity status when you're in high school, but understanding who you really are and accepting yourself is a timeless issue, which makes this book light but meaningful, poking fun at people's pretensions of indifference but shedding light on deciding to face yourself and self-acceptance.  A humorous, quirky, but serious story that every teenager or any-ager needs to read.

Do You Have A Background Music?

I was looking for new Christmas songs that I could listen to without getting a thousand different versions of Let It Snow when I came across Owl City's Christmas Song.  When I listened to it, I found myself recalling lines, images, and pages from Dash and Lily's Book of Dares involuntarily.  I always said that reading a Levithan work (even a collaboration) makes me play a background music in my head, and I used to hear December 2 Chapter VII while reading Dash and Lily.  But when I heard this Christmas song, I felt that it was even more perfect because yes, the story of Dash and Lily happen during the holidays and Lily loves Christmas, Dash hates it, all the more making this song appropriate. 

Listen to it, to see what I mean:

I did not want a video with visuals, might interfere with the images from the book that come rushing in my head.

But even if I'm not reading a Levithan book, I still hear music while reading a book sometimes, especially if it's really good and really gets into me.  While reading When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead I heard Polite Dance Song by The Bird and the Bee.  When I was reading Wintergirls, I was hearing What It Feels Like for a Girl by Madonna.  As for what I'm currently reading, for Delirium I hear The Time by the Black Eyed Peas.  Okay, so it's not that appropriate, especially with the "dirty bit" thingy interrupting my thoughts every now and then, but that's what my brain plays and I can't do anything about it, unless I could get brain surgery, and I wouldn't want that.

How about you?  Do you associate any book with a particular music?  If you do, what song do you play in your head for what you're reading now?

Dash and Lily's Book Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

(Photo taken from Goodreads)

Title: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

Author: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Language: English
ISBN - 10: 0375866590
ISBN - 13: 978-0375866593
Rating:







How to present this review, I wasn't exactly sure. I wanted to give it a unique review in the way that it has given me a unique read. But alas, my creativity deserted me. So let's just talk about the book, and maybe I'll think of something great as I go. This is the third collaboration between Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. Previous books included Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, which was made into a movie starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, and Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. Sweet, huh?

Let's go to the blurb, which is, apart from David Levithan, what made me get it in the first place:

"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? Cold their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?"

Writing this book, the authors exchanged emails - not a red Moleskine notebook - and no plans were made beforehand. As I was reading, I imagined them playing a game of continue-my-email-story, Levithan writing something about Dash and then daring Cohn to follow up with an appropriate but quirky response through Lily. I am almost sure that is what happened, and the result? A pleasant, fun, smart, and endearing story of an adventure through New York to find not just love, but friendship, answers, and self.

The best thing about reading a David Levithan book is that while reading, I have this background music for that book. For Boy Meets Boy, although Tony by Patty Griffin was mentioned a few times, with a dedication to the Tony from the song, I always heard Dancing in the Moonlight by King Harvest, maybe it was because the first chapter had Paul and his friends dancing in the bookstore. I think this is because his books are filled to the brim with music references, and with Rachel Cohn with him at the helm, it just got better, and this one is no exception. If you read it, you might even be pleasantly surprised to see some cameos from another book of theirs. But back to the music: for Dash and Lily's, I always heard December 2 Chapter VII by a band here in the Philippines, Taken by Cars. I think because this story was set in December that I immediately thought of that song. And probably this part too:

"But I wasn't where you were
No, I was never where you are
I'm in my looking-glass view
Always almost too close to you
I'm always almost too close to you."

When I hear those lyrics, I think of Dash and Lily and think how they were almost the ones who knew each others' real feelings and secrets, yet they do not even really know each other.

I totally loved this book! It was filled with interesting characters, popular New York landmarks, and even better dialogue. The conversations between Dash and Lily in their red notebook was very meaningful and inspirational, it was a well-written essay about identity, hope, and other such deep and thoughtful subjects. Come to think of it, the whole book was almost like reading a beautiful essay, only this was a beautiful work of fiction. Some might think that because of these deep and meaningful stuff, then it might not be a good choice for teens, but really, young adults would enjoy this book. I think this story could actually answer some questions that most of them have, that most people have. Even looking past the ponderous ideas thrown back and forth between the two main characters, and just reading this for the story that it is, is very interesting, engrossing, and enjoying.

The authors also threw in a lot of humor, and readers will find themselves laughing out loud at some scenes. But the story is not just humor-filled, it has a lot of emotions thrown in that readers will find themselves commiserating with Lily, falling for Dash, annoyed at the bookstore people, even becoming endeared to that cute and cuddly great-aunt Ida/Mrs. Basil. E. It makes you wish you were part of that story.

Another reason why I would love to recommend this book is that it's got a lot of words that we can add into our vocabulary. Dash is a word nerd, and his dialogue has a lot of words like erudition, arcane - I'm not sure if many of you use these in daily conversations but it sounded very uncommon to me. And of course, knowing uncommon words is always an uncommon advantage.

I would gladly recommend this book to all my friends and people I know. I am pretty sure everyone would enjoy this, as there is something in Dash and Lily's for everyone. And I'm pretty sure I would re-read this countless times. Definitely one of my favorites for this year!

According to the news, the movie rights for this book was already acquired by Scott Rudin and writing/directing the film adaptation would be Lena Dunham. Gotta watch out for that!