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"I know this is
going to sound strange, but will
you be my girlfriend for five
minutes?
I answer by putting
my hand around his neck and
pulling his face down to mine."
Rachel Cohn and
David Levithan are both well
known in the world of teen
literature. Cohn's novel
Gingerbread and its sequel,
Shrimp, are on several
of the "Best" lists compiled by
ALA and educators, and Levithan
has won awards and accolades for
his books Boy Meets Boy;
The Realm Possibility
and Are We There Yet?
So, when these two friends
joined together to write
Nick and Norah's Infinite
Playlist, expectations from
their fans were high.
Cohn and Levithan don't
disappoint. Written from
alternating points of view (Cohn
writes Norah while Levithan
writes Nick), Nick and Norah is
the story of an accidental
meeting that turns into a date,
a night spent together, and,
maybe, a real relationship.
Trying to escape his ex, Nick
asks Norah, a stranger, to pose
as his girlfriend. Hoping to
score a ride home for her drunk
friend, Norah agrees. What
starts out as something of a
business transaction becomes
something more when both notice
the chemistry between them. Soon
they find themselves on a date
(arranged by his friends,
unbeknownst to Nick), taking in
a burlesque show and a secret
performance by their favorite
band. But both are packing
baggage from their exes, and
jumping into a new relationship
- or even a one-night stand -
might be more than either is
ready for.
Nick and Norah will
have appeal for teens, but it's
a mature book that will also
find an audience among college
students and other twenty-somethings.
Full of quick music and pop
culture references, set in some
of the trendiest clubs in NYC,
Nick & Norah is a great
night out on the town.