Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist Paperback – August 26, 2008

NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST has such a pounding and infectious beat that it's as if a mp3-saturated microchip were implanted in the book. From the instant you crack open the cover, screams of loud, moaning guitar come slicing through your synapses, to be followed immediately by a vocalist's machine-gun rapid rant caressing your face. And then, when you succeed in getting your eyes back into focus for a moment, you realize you're hovering slightly above a tightly packed, pulsing crowd and that something's compelling you to focus on the goings-on taking place in one little corner of the evening's virtual insanity.There they are: Two young, complete strangers who in the same moment of desperation and fortuitous fate are attempting to avoid the very same person and are about to send their parallel universes irretrievably crashing into each other."All the tables have been shoved aside now."Fuse: lit."Fuse: burning."Ready."Set."Explode."And, so, the evening -- and the story -- begins.Nick:"She sees me. She can't fake surprise at seeing me here, because of course she f---ing knew I'd be here. So she does a little smile thing and whispers something to the new model and I can tell just from her expression that after they get their now-being-poured drinks they are going to come over and say hello and good show and--could she be so stupid and cruel?--how are you doing? And I can't stand the thought of it. I see it all unfolding and I know I have to do something--anything--to stop it."So I, this random bassist in an average queercore band, turn to this girl in flannel who I don't even know and say:" 'I know this is going to sound strange, but would you mind being my girlfriend for the next five minutes?' "Norah:"I answer NoMo's question by putting my hand around his neck and pulling his face down to mine. God, I would do anything to avoid Tris recognizing me and trying to talk to me.""I've just seen a face I can't forget the time or place where we just metShe's just the girl for me and I want all the world to see we've metMm mm mm mm mm mmHad it been another day I might have looked the other wayAnd I'd have never been aware, but as it is I'll dream of her tonightLa la la la la la."--Lennon and McCartney, "I've Just Seen A Face"If it weren't for what she so erroneously spews about how the Beatles are completely overrated, Norah Silverberg would easily be contending for my favorite female character for 2006. And after reading and rereading NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST, Norah Silverberg has become such a part of my reality that I'm illogically wishing she actually reads this so that I can bring her down a notch by snapping back about how overrated SHE is."I extract my wrist from his grip. But for some reason, instead of walking away, I pause for a moment and return my hand to his face, caressing his cheek, drawing light circles on his jaw with my index finger."I tell him, 'You poor schmuck.' "The fact is that I'd been aware for quite a while that these two YA authors whom I've long adored individually had been collaborating on a project together, but only in my dreams could I have imagined that the fruits of that shared labor would morph into the unforgettable evening-long, sensual, thrillingly adventurous, utterly charming and sweet, head-bangingly lyrical story that has our students passing a precious advance copy from one to another to another and begging us to organize a trip down to the City when the David and Rachel tour passes through SF in June.Tune into NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST, or be way sorry you missed it.

The characters are so thick and juicy, believable and faulted, I think I would have followed them anywhere on the fateful night they meet. I fell in love, watching them fall, and enjoy every minute of the ride they let me tag along on.The only warning is that while both characters are pretty "straight edge" and don't smoke or drink, they are sexually experienced and confident, which made me feel a little cringy. (Though it is told in a PG-13 way)Be wary if this isn't the type of characters you like to follow.Well worth the read.Can't wait for the movie, which looks as though the casting is pitch-perfect.Rock on Nick and Nora

Actual rating 3.5 starsI loved the novel, and am of the opinion that it is definitely the best of what Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written together. It is gritty, artsy and embodies the soul of New York and garage bands. The characters are all painted with bright colours and flaws making them all loveable in individual ways.Norah’s dry sarcasm juxtaposes with being such an introvert, confidence is a big issue for her – and straight away creates conflict for nearly everything she does, making Norah a compelling character. Enter Nick, an all-around good guy seemingly out of his element. But that is just it – he’s not. He embodies the millennium man. Age, race, gender and sexual orientation mean little to Nick, as he takes everyone on face value and how they treat him. Together, they both appear to not belong to the club and music scene in New York, but on closer inspection embody the pulse of the industry. And it takes meeting and accepting each other to start realising their place and the start of their journey.Although the narrative is witty, and such edgy symbolism is planted throughout, ‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist’ suffered from two of my biggest turn-offs in books: the flashback, and excessive embellishment of a scene (otherwise known as mental wanderings). I think if it hadn’t exceeded my expectations in all other areas I would have abandoned it early on.It is a very quick read, but heavy on content. Also, being true to the contemporary genre it concludes in a way you can interpret it as an ending or not… you must read between the lines to get the most out of this book.