This compulsively readable novel takes place in less than 24 hours. At a New York club one night, Nick convinces a stranger to pose as his girlfriend in order to fool Tris, the girl who broke his heart. He does not guess (though readers may) that kissing Norah will lead to a long, complicated evening, and a new chance for love. Levithan (Boy Meets Boy
) and Cohn (Gingerbread
) reveal the clever construction of the book in an authors' note: they sent chapters back and forth, he writing as Nick, she as Norah. The novel has that pumped-up feeling of a story passed among friends who each add a section, spontaneously incorporating unforeseen elements. Levithan again creates outrageous characters and witty wordplay (a "Playboygirl Bunny" bouncer asks Nick, "How long have the two of you been the two of you?"), and Cohn brings to life another rich punk rock girl. The two see a secret show on the Lower East Side, pig out in a Russian diner, and get caught making out in an ice room at the Times Square Marriott, all the time wondering if they can let go of their past loves and risk another heartbreak. Much of the novel's energy comes from the rapid-fire repartee between the two leads, plus perhaps the most vivid character, Tris—Nick's Id-driven ex and a classmate of Norah's, who ends up giving Nick advice and Norah kissing lessons. Readers will likely enjoy the ride, even if it is obvious where these two are headed. Ages 14-up. (May)
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Reviewed on: 05/01/2006
Release date: 05/01/2006
Genre: Children's
Prebound-Glued - 416 pages - 9781417814862
Paperback - 183 pages - 9780375846144
Prebound-Glued - 183 pages - 9780756979492
Hardcover - 183 pages - 9780375835315
Library Binding - 183 pages - 9780375935312
Open Ebook - 1 pages - 9780375890765
Paperback - 183 pages - 9780375835339
Paperback - 208 pages - 9781405272438