bookoala
Written on Nov 21, 2020
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.
- ISBN10 0375896686
- ISBN13 9780375896682
- Publish Date 26 October 2010
- Publish Status Active
- Imprint Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
- Format eBook
- Language English
Reviews
remuslynch
Written on Oct 29, 2020
mrs_mander_reads
Written on Sep 27, 2017
nitzan_schwarz
Written on Mar 20, 2015
Originally posted on my blog. Please consider popping by! ;)
3.5 stars
My journey with Dash & Lily was a difficult one. I chose to read this book for three reasons: the awesome title, the cover (which I love, don't even know why!) and the fact it's written by two authors on my "need to read" list. That's like, two at the price of one, you know?
So when I got it, I opened it right away. Aaaand closed it a chapter and a half later. I just couldn't get over how pretentiousboth of them were! I mean, they didn't even sound like teenage kids. That was just... so hard to swallow, at the time. And so, I dropped it, put it back on the shelf, and occasionally glanced at it warily.
That changed when I drew Dash & Lily as one of my March reads. I have a real tough time deciding what to read - kindle and physical, so ever since I made a list of ALL my physical and kindle books, I've been using random number generator to pick my next reads. It's been working like a charm.
Dash and Lily did not become any less pretentious this time around, but as I trudge onward, I found I could still enjoy them. They could still make me laugh. I could still find them cute together. Maybe because they were just glaring opposites, and yet completely the same in a way.
The moment I decided to let go of how un-teenage they were (whether by being so overly "mature" or by being so completely "bratty", as it were in Lily's case--I mean, how effing selfish and self-centered can you even be?...) I started enjoying myself.
Their adventure was funny, and weird, and crazy. The people around them were colorful and intriguing. It was... mindless fun, you know?
To me, this book is more the journey it took me to reach the end, than the book itself. Which is probably why this review lacks as a review, but also why it still matters enough for me to write it.
Originally posted on my blog. Please consider popping by! ;)
Sam@WLABB
Written on May 27, 2014
Rowena
Written on Oct 31, 2013
I really enjoyed this book because the concept behind the whole book of dares thing was just too cute for words. This book made it onto my radar because Ames read and liked it. I can almost always tell that I’m going to like a book that Ames has liked because I haven’t disliked a book that she’s recommended me.
This book follows young Dash and Lily as they get to know each other through a red notebook with clues to their next adventures. They get to know each other through these clues and they grow closer over their Christmas holidays spent without their parents. Dash found Lily’s red notebook at the Strand bookstore in NYC and followed the clues set forth in the book and the back and forth between the two of them began. The way that these two “meet” was too cute for words. I loved the clues, I loved the notebook and I loved seeing these two come together because really, they were too adorable for words.
Dash is loner type of guy who’s been through a tough custody battle between his parent so he’s a lot wiser than his young years and he’s tricks his parents into leaving him alone for the Christmas holiday. Lily is kind of the opposite as Dash where she loves Christmas and is not happy that her parents took their 25 year anniversary trip over the Christmas holiday.
The two of them made quite the pair and I really thought that Cohn and Levithan wrote a great story with two characters that I came to love over the course of the book. I’m really looking forward to reading more by these two (I haven’t read Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist but I will now). This book was enjoyable but as much as I enjoyed it, I wanted more to the ending. The way that it ended, I hope that there’s another story to follow. I’m totally crossing my fingers for another book featuring these two. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories by either author or really, to anyone who enjoys contemporary YA. This book doesn’t disappoint.
jeannamichel
Written on Dec 28, 2012
During the holiday season, I was in the mind to read some cutesy, chick lit and someone recommended I read Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares. It’s the prefect book for the holidays, I was told and, so I dived right in to it.
Dash narration was the most entertaining and humorous. His beyond-his-years outlook on life amused me immensely and kept me entertained. His friend, Boomer, deserved a more starring role because Boomer might have made Dash’s narration so funny. Lily was as cute as can be and her narration was safe. Her perspective was written differently but didn’t seem any different than the next nice, cliché girl who wants to be adventurous sometimes. Both characters are extremely relatable which make the reader connect more easily to the book.
The book started out cute, just like I thought it would. Dash and Lily was cute, adorable, and inspiring. It was light and a fast read. However, as much as I loved the cuteness factor, it got tremendously ridiculous somewhere in the middle and didn’t stop. I couldn’t take anything serious anymore. I didn’t know what was a joke and what was supposed to be serious. Lily catching a baby who was flying through the sky was where I drew the line. I couldn’t take it anymore. The cuteness had gone too far. As much as I deemed it ridiculous, I finished the entire novel.
The ending surprised me because I realized it came full circle. The opening scene in the book is Dash looking for something to read at the Strand, and the ending scene is Dash and Lily in the Strand. Anything that has to do with the Strand would have found its way into my hands eventually. The Strand is a lovely place and to read a book where the characters visit a place you love is beyond cool.
Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares is a good book to read during the holidays. It is a fun, fast read that will have you laughing out loud.
Kelsenator
Written on Nov 14, 2012
When I first started this, I thought I wouldn’t like Dash at all, it just something about the way he spoke that I assumed early about his character. It didn’t take long for that to change. Not only does he classify himself as “bookish” and love to roam with old dusty books, but he couldn’t pass up the adventure of the notebook and clues, and it was just lots of fun to read as he figured things out. Not to mention that they called him a “snarling hipster” and he always came back with the funniest responses. And a certain scene involving Santa almost had me rolling on the floor at work!
Lily I instantly liked. She’s a nerdy girl and someone deemed uncool and she has no friends. But her joy for Christmas, always trying to do good for others, love of all animals and optimism won me over. She wasn’t annoying or anything either, but in her own way she was quirky and unique.
Even the family members and friends of these two brought something fun to the book, they were helpful in all matters including delivering the notebook between the two, offering advice and of course being there for them.
This book not only has some pretty hilarious moments, but also some sad ones as you read. But it wasn’t a depressing book, the way that they find each other and how all the clues are cleverly laid out will keep you reading until they finally do meet. It is of course not the perfect first meeting, but things do work out and it’s quite the adventure that these two get to go on. And the ending was super cute!
This is a perfect book for those wanting to read come contemporary romance with a twist around the holidays, whether you celebrate or not!
Amber
Written on Jan 18, 2012
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Review here: http://www.booksofamber.com/2012/01/dash-and-lilys-book-of-dares-by-rachel.html
I don’t know how to express how disappointed I am with this book. I had heard such amazing things about it last year when everyone in the book blogging community seemed to have a copy and I was dying to read it. I picked it up in January 2010, and I had to put it down. Until now. (Dun-dun-dun!)
The parts I was most looking forward to were the dares. I was expecting something creative and fun, but they weren’t interesting for me at all. The plot was boring, really. Nothing really happened that I could pick out and say ‘This was the book’s saving grace’.
Dash and Lily were both awful characters. Dash was overly moody, judgy and plain obnoxious. Lily was annoying, whiney and a childish brat. She is the most psychotic sane character I have ever read about. She randomly starts shouting at people at home or in the street if they pay her the slightest compliment. It’s not cute, or quirky, it’s just plain horrible. I would like to punch them both in the face Gannicus-style.
The writing wasn’t great either, as David Levithan used lots of big words and confusing dialogue for Dash. What sixteen year old talk like they’ve swallowed a dictionary? In the words of Dash, it was absurd.
And to top it all off, Lily – who is apparently very well read – referred to Hermione (yes, from HP) as Hermione POTTER. I can’t even...