Dash+and+Lily's+Book+of+Dares

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan Alfred A Knopf, 2010, 260 pp., $16.99, ISBN 978-0-375-86659-3

Dash and Lily are bored with their lives--which is really a shame, since they both live in the city that promises to never sleep and always keeps a hot dog cart open late. Both alone in New York City for the holidays, Dash with his parents believing that he is at the other’s house and Lily left to her own devices after her parents take a vacation alone, the two are in dire need of something to spice things up. So, when Dash walks into his favorite bookstore and discovers an unmarked journal left by a mystery woman, he never expected to find what was inside. The mystery woman, who we quickly discover is Lily, leaves Dash a message that reads “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.” With this information, Dash must make a decision. Does he want to follow Lily’s instructions in the notebook and put it back where it goes, avoiding what could be a total set-up? Or will Dash take a chance and accept the dare--making the leap into something that could be great? Fans of Rachel Cohn and David Levithan’s carefully constructed characters with such honest and relatable personality flaws that make us wonder if they have spied into our own lives will have trouble putting this fast-paced book down. The shared narrative of Dash and Lily will leave readers wanting more after the credits have rolled--maybe even a dare or two of their own.