Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List (2007)

Ah, youth. It's sort of sad how much I recognized my 12th grade self in Naomi and my own Ely. Hard lesson about the limits of friendship and its salvation. Changing perspectives like Nick and Norah the authors' other collaboration. The point of views were unique and engaging. And a quick read. ( )

Aw. I wasn't totally sure about this one at first, but it turned out to be very sweet. Cohn/Levithan always find my tenderhearted place.

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I liked this a lot better than Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. What really works is that the story isn't exclusively told through Naomi or Ely's point-of-view, but you get the perspectives of their friends and everyone who's effected by them- it really makes it feel like Naomi and Ely are a force to be reckoned with, and they will get everyone else involved in their problems. Speaking of, I'm really not a fan of the "bitchy" character, but the thing about Levithan/Cohn books is that they take those characters and make them realistic and more down-to-earth. It really shows in Naomi's character, who I expected not to like, but ended up rooting for. The only thing that really bothered me is that I was more interested in the peripheral stories about the Robins and Bruce the First, but the book is really more about the titular characters. Aside from that, I really enjoyed this book and want to pick up the next collaboration by these two. ( )

This is NOT N&N. I spent the first 40 pages or so dealing with that. Once I got over it, though, this was wonderful. The characters are less likeable in some ways, but no less realistic, and in the end, no less engaging, I thought. Heterosexual romance, homosexual romance, and friendship are all kinds of love that are here. Part of what I find so great about C & L's writing is their fluid definitions of love and sexuality. I find myself feeling more at home there than in conventional romances. It's just more tolerant and equal - implicitly. It's like - not even worth talking about. Brilliant. ( )

For me, this was a major disappointment after Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. I felt almost no sympathy for Naomi at all, and most of the time just wanted to smack her. I finished it, but to me, it wasn't an enjoyable book until about the last 20 pages. Even then, I still almost wish I had never picked it up. ( )