A Chase for Love: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Title: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Author: Rachel Cohn, David Levithan

My Rating: 3.5/5

“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.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?"

**THIS REVIEW IS BASED ON A NETGALLEY THANSK TO HARLEQUIN UK LTD. (ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY)**

I picked up Dash & Lily's Book of Dares after watching the film Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, whose depth and depiction of characters amazed me. However, it is unfortunate that Dash & Lily's Book of Dares failed to live up to my expectations (which were high, probably too high).

Still, it was an interesting story. I'll start with the good things: the POVs. I found the switching back and forth between Dash and Lily's perspectives quite well-done, possibly because the book is co-written by two authors who have distinct writing voices. The switching of POVs allowed me as a reader to get into both protagonists' heads, and can get a clear sense of what's going on most of the time. The premise is very intriguing, too. The idea that two people, essentially two strangers, could spark up something beautiful through a few words written in a red notebook at a bookstore, is simply genius. Yes, it may be impractical, but nonetheless romantic (and hip) as hell. I often smiled while reading the "journal entries/clues" Dash and Lily left for each other, because the authors weaved the protags' life stories into them really well.

 Now, onto the one thing I didn't really love (one supa detrimental thing): story progresses slowly. Like, slow----ly. Maybe it's the plot itself, or the execution (definitely not the idea, because the notebook idea is AWESOME), the story just didn't flow well for me. At times I almost couldn't read on; I simply wasn't that engrossed/invested anymore. Which is sad, because I really like the premise, and I really wanted it to be wonderful. The story had its potential, but oh well, it didn't quite work out the way I wanted it to.

In all, it's still an intriguing book, and an interesting read. If you're the kind of person constantly worried about not being able to put down a book (and you happen to have myriad tasks awaiting), this is the book for you. It is young love, life thoughts, and some great moments plus a great idea (the notebook, the notebook!). However, if you find yourself hard to get into books to start with, do not pick this up--that will be money wasted indeed.

When You Open Your Eyes

Title: When You Open Your Eyes
Author: Celeste Conway
My Rating: 3/5

"Tessa’s head over heels for Lucien, the son of a French diplomat. Sexy, artistic, and daring, he brings out a completely new side of her. With him, Tessa feels beautiful and exotic. So when Tessa’s strict father forbids her to see Lucien, she’s determined to keep their relationship a secret.

But as Tessa gets caught up in Lucien, he becomes increasingly volatile. What she once found alluring about him now feels alarming. Tessa must figure out how far she’ll go for Lucien before she risks losing not just him, but everything she loves."

Set in lush, exotic Buenos Aires, When You Open Your Eyes tells the story of Tessa, the daughter of diplomat parents, and the different, almost unimaginable life she lives. While the plot largely deals with her romantic relationship with Lucien, the author also shows us the very interesting perspective of being an American on foreign land--something the Americans don't get to experience as much anymore.

The good things about this book: 

-the prose. The author writes in such a way that the story flows quietly yet dynamically; the writing has a strong lyrical quality, at times beautifully poetic;

-the details. The tireless descriptions of little things such as a dress, or a hors d'oeuvres, brings the reader to the scene immediately, which enlivens the reading experience

The not-so-good thing:

-the story itself. I know, it's always sad when, after reading a book, I arrive at such a conclusion: the story itself is not good enough. While I'm constantly curious about the different things about Tessa's life, I'm never quite attached to her or any characters. This is a bad thing, because then I don't root for anyone or anything...which makes it hard to be engaged at times. Unfortunately, this one thing alone can make a story really good or not quite so, and unfortunately When You Open Your Eyes is the latter.

In the end, I just want to say how similar this book is to Anna and the French Kiss (see my review here). Now, now, I know some of you may disagree strongly--"the writing style is totally different!" "The story doesn't take place in Paris, jeez!" However, think about this for a minute: both Tessa and Anna are Americans living in a foreign country (Anna in Paris, Tessa in Buenos Aires), both meet cute French boy (Anna and Etienne, Tessa and Lucien--yes, I know, Etienne is technically half English half American), both have family problems (Anna's parents are divorced, Tessa's parents are, oh well), both girls' best friends at home "steal" their "potential love interests" at home, both Etienne and Lucien have dysfunctional families (both of controlling dads), both have a love-hate relationship with art... the similarities go on and on. 

Now, I'm not saying anything, but I just think it's quite surprising how similar these two stories are, if you think about it this way. However, at the same time, they're totally different too. The execution, the ending, the general atmosphere... it makes me think of how different writing styles can change a story so significantly--I think that's something every (aspiring) writer should consider seriously before setting pen to paper (or sitting down at computer).

xx

Vanessa :]

A life story: When Love Comes to Town

Title: When Love Comes to Town

Author: Tom Lennon

My Rating: 3.9/5

"A new edition of this acclaimed novel. Meet Neil Byrne - try-scorer on the rugby field, prizewinning student, one of the in-crowd at the disco, regular guy, gay. Presenting one face to the world and burying his true feelings in fantasy, Neil manages to keep his secret. But when fantasy isn't enough and he becomes caught up in the bizarre subculture of Dublin's gay nightlife, the pretense must end. It is the time for truth. The consequences are both hilarious and painful. Told with honesty, humour and originality, When Love Comes to Town brings a new type of hero to modern Irish fiction."

**THIS REVIEW IS BASED ON A THIRTEEN-CHAPTER PREVIEW OF WHEN LOVE COMES TO TOWN THANSK TO ALBERT WHITMAN & COMPANY (ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY)**
I've never read a gay/lesbian romance before, so honestly, I didn't know what to expect coming into this. Even with no standards, When Love Comes To Town still manages to sweep me off my feet. I am a perfectly straight person, however, Neil's story of his struggles as a gay person still deeply touches me, which I consider a great success on the author's part. The book wants to attract as big an audience as possible, after all.

The characters in this book are very relatable, and I personally really enjoy being brought back to the 90s. The narration is very detailed, which I'm not usually so hot about, but this time it worked just fine for me--it is these details that show how SCARED Neil is of coming out, of becoming the person that he truly wants to be. On a grander scale, this not only applies to all that who are still awaiting the perfect time to declare their homosexuality, it is also an acute description of young adult life in general. How many of us have fidgeted and worried ourselves sick over one little thing that might have turned out absolutely trivial? How many of us have fought to voice our true thoughts? I think in this aspect, the author does a phenomenal job of writing a very sensitive yet mature voice.

One little thing that kept it from being a perfect read: since the story was written in the last decade, the culture back then is much less accepting of homosexuality, so there are some cultural beliefs that are somewhat outdated, which takes away from the modern-day reading experience.

**This book was originally published in UK, under this cover:

which one do you guys like better? Lemme know :)

xx

Vanessa :]

My Haul

It began as just another routine trip to Barnes & Noble became a huge book haul (with free shipping!). I went in with the intention of possibly buying Graceling. I read a review of it on Novel Sounds and I was looking for a YA novel to read. But then there was a "buy $25 and get free shipping" deal going on. I don't ever pass up free shipping sales. EVER. Because shipping to my house is ridiculous (I could buy another book for the price of shipping). So I bought The Cavendish Home For Boys and Girls and The House at Riverton (which is on major sale right now), both of which I've been wanting to get forever! As you can tell I'm super excited for these to get here. They're all really different genres.

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls is for fans of Coraline and The Mysterious Benedict Society, both of which I was in love with when I was younger. It's a story that will give you the creepy-crawlies.

The House at Riverton is a bit like Wuthering Heights in that it is a narrative with two settings. The Summer of 1924 and the Winter of 1999. It's told from the perspective of a housemaid during WWI. I'm in love with historical settings. Almost reminds me of Atonement.

Graceling is the first book of the Graceling Realm Series which has become really popular. I'm not going to deny that the first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. But the synopsis sealed the deal. People are born into a world with things called "Graces." These are special skills that some people possess. The MC is very skilled at killing. I love the idea of special powers or skills and how they can be exploited.

So you'll be getting reviews for these soon :)