"Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan - 2006

Two YA authors teamed up to write a he said/she said love story that happens over the course of one crazy NYC night.  Hollywood made it into a somewhat/kinda/not really entertaining movie. 

I saw the movie first, and had a heck of a time getting it out of my head while reading.  I now think casting of Michael Cera was pretty freaking terrible, yes, I'm just plain sick of him and his recent teen offerings - but, here's some proof,

p. 9 "...He's working the ironic punk boy-Johnny Cash angle too hard to be a 'mo."  

Sorry, George Michael, but I don't think so.  So, that threw me off a bit.  On the other hand the casting of Norah was spot-on.  Anyway this is about the book, not the film. 

A few nagging details that got under my skin:

p. 29 "...on another Green Day cover, "Time of Your Life."

That song is actually called, "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).  Now I once saw that mistake in a SEP romance - annoying, but kinda forgivable - she shouldn't be giving song shout outs anyways.  However, in a book about punk rock or a least people who love punk rock?  Unacceptable.

p. 40 Nick is talking to Norah's ex -  "Dude, nobody puts baby in a corner..."

Then later on p. 61 - "I have no idea who Johnny Castle is, but I definitely approve of the name."

Please don't reference/use a line from a movie you've never seen. Thanks.

and then the unforgivable line that killed the book for me and the line that sort-of saved it...

p. 176  - Norah to Nick - "I hate The Beatles," I state. "Except for that song 'Something....But The Beatles as a whole? Completely overrated." then later: 

"Did you really write a song for me?"

Nick to Norah: "Yeah.  But it's not finished.  And don't ever speak of The Beatles with such condescension again or I may never finish it."

This book sort-of grew on me, once they got out of the clubs and the sun started to come up, I started to like Nick and Norah.  Then Norah opened her big mouth and made that Beatles comment - and while I liked that Nick spoke up, it made me not like Norah anymore.  I would say I prefer the book to the movie, and I'm a tiny bit curious about this pair of YA authors' other offerings.