MADreads

What songs are on your life’s playlist?

May 15th, 2008 Molly - Central

The girl who broke Nick’s heart three weeks, two days and twenty-three hours ago shows up at his gig and he completely falls apart.  He can only spend so much time packing instruments away and setting up for the next band.  What is she doing there, anyway?  The one thing he asked of Tris when she left was that she stay away from his shows.  Not only is she a heartbreaker, she’s a liar.

Nick heads to the bar and tries to hide in the crowd.  But there she is again.  So he grabs the girl closest to him and asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend.  She complies with a steamy kiss and the drama between Nick and Norah begins.  Come to find out, Norah and Nick’s ex, Tris, have been frenemies since the 5^th grade and the emotional baggage hovering between the three weighs approximately ten tons.  Norah kind of already knows who Nick is, even though they’ve never met, and Nick is having a hard time getting over Tris and is totally confused about how Tris and Norah know each other.  But they’ll figure it out.  From the moment Nick asks Norah to pretend to be his girlfriend, you just know they belong together.

Set in a couple of different New York City clubs, a Korean grocery, a taxi, a deli, a Marriott and around Midtown over the span of one late night into one early morning in spring, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan is romantic, edgy and hopeful.  With the various music venues, bandmates, Nick’s lyrics, Norah’s secret identity as the daughter of a famous record producer and the playlist of their lives running throughout the novel, the reader can’t help but dance along. 

Michael Cera (Paulie Bleeker from Juno and Evan from Superbad) plays Nick in the movie version out later this year.  I pictured Nick more like Ephram Brown from Everwood (did anyone else watch that show?), but I imagine Michael Cera will be perfect in a sensitive, not too slick way.  Because the majority of the book takes place in punk clubs, the soundtrack will probably be pretty great, too.

Entry Filed under: Recreational Fiction, Romance