Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
By Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. 260 pgs. Young Adult

Lily loves Christmas with all the caroling, cookies, and crowds in New York City. Dash dislikes Christmas and is happy to spend it alone when he tells his divorced parents (who don’t speak to each other) that he is spending Christmas with the other. These two strangers begin a relationship when Dash finds Lily’s red Moleskine notebook in the Strand bookstore and follows the clues inside. Daring each other to experience some of their favorite things and writing down some of their innermost feelings, the two teenagers learn a lot about themselves and each other during this delightful romp through New York City during the Christmas season. This starts out a little slow, but thoughtful readers will appreciate Lily’s and Dash’s adventures and growth, which culminate in a hilarious incident.

MN