Review: Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List

Title: Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List
Author: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
ISBN/Publisher: 978-0-375-84441-6/Knopf (part of Random House)
Age Group/Genre: Young Adult

This is the story of two best friends. They grew up across the hall from each other in a Manhattan apartment building. They are inseparable best friends...they have been through everything together. The apartment building's residents consider them soul mates.

Here's the deal...Naomi is a straight, beautiful girl with a boyfriend and many boys love to look at her. Ely is gay with an amazing personality and goes out with many boys. Well, since they both like boys...the two of them came up with a No Kiss List to protect their friendship. They definitely do not want a boy coming between them.

Problem...Naomi doesn't add her current BF to the list and it just so happens that Ely kisses him. Now, everyone is out of sync because the two BFF's are no longer talking.

Do these supposed soul mates let a boy break them up???

This was my first book where one of the main characters was gay. I really enjoyed this book because I've always wanted to read a book like this. Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List was written in a way that each chapter changed its point of view. One would be Ely's story, another one would be Naomi's, and other chapters would be from other characters in the book. I loved that...I imagined it almost like a reality show...where each character has a say on their perspective of what is going on.

N&ENKL had a lot of pop culture references. There's a scene about High School Musical, but Ely plays Gabriella and Naomi plays Troy...it's pretty entertaining. They also reference Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse (I love this b/c I'm a huge fan of the Gingerbread books by R. Cohn). Robin (girl) compares some of the characters in this book to the classic cartoon, Scooby Doo. Gabriel's chapters involve music...he basically makes CD mixes that relate to what is going on in these characters lives...there are some awesome songs. Bruce the First loves to use quotes and he tends to love the ones written by Nicholas Sparks.

Cohn and Levithan did an amazing job on this book. I enjoyed it way more than their other one, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. The characters in this novel were better developed and way more relatable. I was really rooting for the friendships in this story. (BTW there is a reference to N&NIP in this novel...so look out for it, too). This was an easy & fun book to read...I hope you guys pick it up.

Favorite quote...

Things that matter are not easy. Feelings of happiness are easy. Happiness is not. Flirting is easy. Love is not. Saying you're friends is easy. Being friends is not. Ely, page 199

I loved so many parts of this book, but I really enjoyed this part about Dawson's Creek...

Ely's a Dawson-Joey 'shipper (and I don't think that's because Dawson is so clearly gay; I think Ely really believed that girl-next-door Joey was Dawson's true love), whereas I am all about the Pacey-Joey true love, and debating the issue with Ely is useless when the final episode proves me so clearly right. page 189

***this totally reminded me of middle school & watching the WB with by best friends (oh & I was also rooting for team Pacey***

My Rating:

***Now go and pick up your favorite cup of tea or because it's Rachel Cohn's fave: cappuccino (or whatever you prefer) along with a Rachel Cohn book and HAPPY readings!!!***