Made the Grade: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

- This is an ARC book - Available Formats through Amazon.co.uk: Hardcover - Pages: 272; Paperback - Pages: 304; Kindle Edition - File Size: 351 KB; Audiobook - Unabridged | Expected Release Date: October 05, 2012 | Publisher: MIRA Ink Books | Obtained: NetGalley

"Dash & Lily's Book of Dares" by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

My Book Summary : Dash fooled his divorced parents this holiday season, making them believe he was going to be spending the holidays with the other parent. Therefore, both of his parents decided to go on trips for the holidays, while he is left by himself. However, he's happy to have them gone since he likes his solitude and ever since he's parents got a divorce years ago he's not that big of fan of the holidays.

Lily loves the holidays! She cannot get enough of her family traditions and the joys of the holiday season. However, this season is already starting to suck because her parents decided to take a 25th Anniversary trip to Fiji leaving her home alone with her older brother. Even though she is close to her extended family (her grandfather dotes on her, she has a great-aunt who helps her out with almost anything she needs, etc.) it just doesn't seem the same. She is even more disappointed when all her brother, Langston, wants to do is spend time with his boyfriend, Benny, and not with her now that their parents are gone. Therefore, to get Lily out of Langston & Benny's way they take one of her new red notebooks to the Strand, a bookstore that their cousin works at, writes some clues into it and leaves it there in hopes that she might find a guy for herself. And she does ....

Dash loves to read so when wondering the Strand during one of his typical trips there he finds Lily's red notebook and starts her daring game. Soon they both find out more about themselves and push themselves to do things they would never typically do. As they get to know each other, they find that they are highly intrigued and a bit infatuated with each other. Nevertheless, how much of that is real, how much of that is made up in their minds, and would they be willing to give up the notebook and the dares to find out for themselves if they are made for each other?

My Book Review : 3.5 out of 5 stars, Dash & Lily find a fun way to get to know someone new without having to meet each other but they also find out more about themselves along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel!! Dash was everything that he portrayed. He was snarly, sweet, independent, and dashing in his own ways. Lily was coming into her own person throughout this novel. She goes from being the "little girl" of the family into a young woman who knows more about who she is and what she wants for herself then she knew before. PLUS, the additional characters---Boomer, Mark, Langston, Lily's Grandpa, Mrs. Basil E., etc.---were wonderful additions that kept this novel lively and bouncing from one activity to the next! The only reason I gave this a medium-ish star rating then I originally wanted to, was because the plot was soo good up until a little after the middle of the novel, then life just gets in the way and even though it made the novel feel more real I was disappointed to have it happen. Nevertheless, the ending was still good enough that I could appreciate how everything ended.

I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good quirky young adult contemporary romance.

My Previous Review(s) for David Levithan : Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Authors' Novel Extras : Book rec: 'Dash & Lily's Book of Dares' | 'Dash and Lily's Book of Dares' authors send readers on a wild tour of Manhattan | 'Dash & Lily's Book Of Dares' Authors Wonder How They Can Cast Justin Bieber | Required Holiday Reading: Dash and Lily's Book of Dares

Author's Series Interview(s) :



Book Teaser(s) :

"Have you been a good little boy this year?" he asked.
I didn't feel that I was the right person to determine my own goodness or badness, but in the interest of speeding along this encounter, I said yes.
He actually wobbled with joy.
"Good! Good! Then what can I bring you this Christmas?"
I thought it was obvious.
"A message from Lily," I said. "That's what I want for Christmas. But I want it right now."
"So impatient!" Santa lowered his voice and whispered in my ear. "But Santa does have a little something for you"---he shifted a little in his seat---"right under his coat. If you want to have your present, you'll have to rub Santa's belly."
"What?" I asked.
He gestured with his eyes down to his stomach. "Go ahead."
I looked closely and saw the faint outline of an envelope beneath his red velvet coat. ~ within Chapter 3 - titled '-Dash- December 22nd'

At last I had it---the Christmas present I'd wanted all along, but hadn't realized. His words.
I felt a sense of longing for him such as I've never experienced in my lifetime for any person, or even for any pet.
It seemed weird to me that he'd spent his Christmas alone ... and had seemed to like it. He hadn't seemed to think anyone should feel sorry for him about that, either.
I had spent my Christmas mostly alone for the first time in my life, too.
I had felt rather sorry for myself.
But it hadn't been so terrible, actually. ~ within Chapter 8 - titled '(Lily) December 25th'

For more information on this book and/or any other books by Rachel and/or David, then please check out their websites: Rachel's website & David's website.