Book Review: Nick and Norah's infinite playlist

Nick and Norah's infinite playlist
Authors: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Published: August 2007

Author Blurb

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needed five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who's just walked into his band's show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City - and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion and excitement of a first date. This he said/she said romance told  by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be - and where the next great band is playing.

 Nick and Norah's infinite playlist tells the exciting tale of one night (and early morning) in New York City. This coming of age story follows the ups and downs of both the protagonists - Nick and Norah - as they deal with breakups, next steps, the future and finding your very own identity in a world that can sometimes make you feel anonymous.

As the chapters alternate between the two, initial, strangers, but never overlap, the character development grows and grows in an interesting and easy to follow way which makes turning the page exciting and as far from a chore as it is possible to get.

***

I bought this book after realising, about 4 years to late, that my favourite film was originally a book. Although it differs somewhat from the film it is just as fantastic. The characters, possibly with the exception of Triss, are all relatable and believable. Norah's character and her dilemmas really struck a cord with me as I felt that both me and her were both in the same point in our lives (with some exceptions, of course), I especially felt that her concerns about the next educational step represented my own.

I don't usually enjoy books with two narrators as I often found that information was repeated from two annoyingly similar view points. However, this book was different. The dual narration allowed for really interesting and deep character development as well as illustrating just how important those chance meetings and experiences are to the changes in our lives. We are all part of the people we meet.

I love this story and will definitely be giving it a re-read.

Rating: 3/5