Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

Author: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

Date of Publication: 2006

Format: Softcover

Page Count: 183 Pages

Cost: $8.99

ISBN: 978-0-375-83533-9

Reading Level: Ages 14 and up

Plot Summary: When Nick’s ex-girlfriend walks into a bar with her latest fling, he asks the nearest stranger to pretend to be his girlfriend for five minutes. Norah agrees, and suddenly the two are off barhopping through New York City, in search of friendship and the newest hot punk rock band. The fast-paced story is told in chapters alternating between each character’s point of view, and both Nick and Norah have very authentic teenage voices. The end of their first date, which has spanned an entire night into the next morning, finds them getting physical inside the ice room of a hotel until they are discovered by two of the hotel’s guests. Though that incident puts a damper on their excitement, the reader knows that Nick and Norah have found something real that will last awhile.

Evaluation: The bad language in this book flies fast and furious, but is more likely to offend conservative adults than teenagers, who will instant recognize and appreciate the authenticity of Nick and Norah’s voices. Nick and Norah are in these nightclubs because of their passion for the music, and neither drinks nor does drugs. Cohn and Levithan have managed to construct a very believable story in which two seemingly opposite people connect on a very deep and emotional level during the course of one incredible night. The fast paced, real-time adventures of Nick and Nora make this book a great choice for reluctant readers.

Annotation: A wild adventure through New York City nightlife leads Nick and Norah to find something they both madly desired but didn’t believe possible- new love.

Links:

Interview with Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

David Levithan on Censorship

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