Binding: Library Binding
EAN: 9780375935312
ISBN: 0375935312
Label: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 192
Publication Date: 2006-05-23
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: 2006-05-23
Studio: Knopf Books for Young Readers

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to 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.

Told in alternating chapters, teeming with music references, humor, angst, and endearing side characters, this is a love story you’ll wish were your very own. Working together for the first time, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have combined forces to create a book that is sure to grab readers of all ages and never let them go.


From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Fun to relive first love
Comment: I really liked getting to know Nick and Norah and watch as their relationship slowly began unfolding. Although the entire book takes place in just one evening, I didn't feel that the story was drawn out or boring. It was a fun reliving of those first few moments of "first love" -- that warm feeling that hits you like a sudden rain shower (in fact, the rain storm scene was one of my favorites). A quick, interesting read.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Good Concept, Weak Execution
Comment: Though I'm long removed from being a teenager, I nonetheless like to read fiction about teenagers from time to time, in a probably misguided attempt to keep an aging finger on the pulse of today's kids. I picked this one up largely on the recommendation of a coworker, as well as the quasi-punk rock setting. Conceptually, the book is a winner, unfortunately it stumbles wildly in the execution, making it hard to recommend as a worthwhile read. Set in Manhattan, the story follows two teenagers for one wild and crazy night in which they meet, struggle to connect, and ultimately seem to fall in love.

The story is narrated in alternating chapters by the titular protagonists, each of whom was ostensibly written by one of the book's coauthors. This is a neat gimmick (if not a groundbreaking one) that helps to maintain a sense of narrative momentum. Any time I was near getting bored with Norah, Nick would take over and provide a fresh perspective for a while (and vice versa). However, a flaw in the execution of this is that Nick and Norah sound awfully similar to each other. Their narrative voices are just too similar: witty, wisecracking, profanity-laden hipster teenspeak, overlaid with a heavy dose of female insecurity for Norah and male cluelessness for Nick. These latter characteristics are a another problem in execution -- Nick and Norah, for all their banter and underground scene cred, are very generic teen characters, and not particularly interesting.

That said, their struggle to connect is well told and felt real. After a moment of chance and impetuousness throws them together, they both spend the rest of the night struggling to shake off the albatross of their recent failed relationships. I especially like how Nick's misconception of his relationship with his ex has led him down a dead-end emotional path that in the end, only the ex herself can explain. Similarly, Norah's relationship with an older guy will strike a chord with any guy who's ever been baffled with why a cool girl would be together with a complete tool. Unfortunately, these sparkling moments are often overshadowed by the book's many other problems.

Notable among these is the ridiculous prevalence of cursing throughout the book. Now, I curse like a sailor, and always have -- but the level of cursing here just felt overdone (not unlike a Kevin Smith movie). Nick and Norah are supposed to be smart, witty kids, and in my experience teens like that have generally evolved out of that kind of unreflective language. Some level of profanity would be realistic, but the deluge here just calls too much attention to itself. Similarly, the girls call each other "b****" constantly, which felt more junior high circa 1986 than anything else. The whole punk setting felt far more cute and adorable than authentic (speaking as someone who grew up in that world). Other things don't make sense, such as Norah's insecurity that Nick is only interested in her because her father is a big time music producer. In what world do bassists in queercore bands give two cents about getting a connection to some mainstream music dude? She would know that, and thus her fear comes across as a poorly conceived plot device.

By the latter stages of the book I was reduced to waiting for the standard teen movie finale -- the girl must overcome her insecurity, the guy his cluelessness, and they can drive off into the sunrise together. And that's pretty much what happens, so for all the pretensions to alt culture indie cred, the story winds up being pretty formulaic.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Loved it! So Funny
Comment: Great book about one fun night for a great group of teens. Full of music, energy, and funny characters.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Love... true love!
Comment: I meant to read this book before the movie came out, but seeing as I severely damaged a copy of the book (oh, the shame!) and didn't see the movie, I think it's okay that I didn't finish it until now. And I'm so happy that I finally did read it! Nick & Norah are two teens in the same night club - Nick performing in a band and Norah keeping an eye on her friend. When Nick spots his recent ex, he quickly asks Norah to be his 5-minute girlfriend and she responds by kissing him. The kiss sets off a night and a relationship that moves between true love and disaster.

I really appreciated a story that shows the way that relationships and romance can be seen so differently through two sets of eyes. The story is told in alternating chapters, Nick's written by David Levithan and Norah's by Rachel Cohn. For example, in one chapter, early in the night, Nick and Norah are sitting in another club and making small talk. Nick feels like they're really clicking, that he has answers for every one of her questions. Norah sees this exchange as him trying to guard himself with short answers to her prying questions. Their night continues this way, the two testing each other out, backing off, running, pursuing, and there's always just that urge to know each other. It's a messy relationship in more ways than one, but I feel like this was closer to real life than a lot of books.

On a side note, I really liked the way Tris (Nick's ex) came in and out of the story and became a very different character as we got to know her. Yes, she's a b*tch, but she helps Norah in ways her best friend never has.

I know that the language really puts some people off. Yes, it's excessive. And I think it's totally appropriate for this book, this setting, and these characters. This is a book for more mature readers -- and by that, I don't mean adults. I think this is a book that teens will appreciate for the authentic way it depicts its characters. The risque moments are tempered with reflections that (paraphrasing) a relationship like this has a lot of starts and stops, and will eventually get to its destination, so why rush it? Basically, this is a love story, maybe a microcosm of a relationship, and I think both authors do an incredible job.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Fun!
Comment: The movie does no justice to this book.
This is the book to read on a train ride home.

Losing yourself between the words is easy because its so captivating.

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