NAOMI AND ELY ARE BEST FRIENDS. Naomi loves and is in love with Ely, and Ely loves Naomi, but prefers to be in love with boys. So the...
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Nov 02, 2007
laaaaames
rated it: 
A) I like multiple POVs but GEEZ there are a lot. Don't I make impassioned speeches about the overratedness of Jodi Picoult for such things?
but
B) Wow I like the exploration of sexuality (and how fluid it is) so so so much.
C) A book about 19/20 year olds is very interesting in the way that there are very rarely books about this age in this genre. I think most books I've read about 19 year olds are literary fiction.
D) OH NO YOU DID NOT MAKE ME JUST A More...
but
B) Wow I like the exploration of sexuality (and how fluid it is) so so so much.
C) A book about 19/20 year olds is very interesting in the way that there are very rarely books about this age in this genre. I think most books I've read about 19 year olds are literary fiction.
D) OH NO YOU DID NOT MAKE ME JUST A More...
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Sep 25, 2007
Jeanne
rated it: 
I like Rachel Cohn (Gingerbread, Shrimp, and Cupcake). I like the title and description of this young adult novel. But I do not like this book.
Why? I should like it. It's told from different points of view. It's full of young adult angst and conflict. But none of the characters are likable.
Naomi is gorgeous and attached at the hip to Ely, her neighbor and best friend, who also happens to be gay. They've been best friends for as long as they can remember, and Naomi still e More...
Why? I should like it. It's told from different points of view. It's full of young adult angst and conflict. But none of the characters are likable.
Naomi is gorgeous and attached at the hip to Ely, her neighbor and best friend, who also happens to be gay. They've been best friends for as long as they can remember, and Naomi still e More...
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Apr 05, 2011
Mello
rated it: 
Jesus Christ, I hate this book. I want to curse and scream and use caps throughout this review, but I won't. David Leviathan is the worst freaking writer ever. Rachel Cohn isn't much better -- in fact she might be WORSE. This is what happens when two idiots decide to write a book without discussing anything previously, and then mix their idiot juice into the pages by throwing a bunch of annoying random characters into an already convoluted plot.
Ely is a huge jerk, and Naomi is a moro More...
Ely is a huge jerk, and Naomi is a moro More...
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Jan 20, 2011
Cory
rated it:
This book is not only worse than Twilight but it might be the worst book I've ever read. None of the characters get any of my sympathy. There is no plot. The POV jumps back and forth to characters that add nothing to the story. The use of profanities is unneeded and makes it seem like a 13 year old on drugs wrote it as a fan fiction assignment.
Usually I can find positive things to say about books but there is nothing positive I can say about this one.
I've read Nick and No More...
Usually I can find positive things to say about books but there is nothing positive I can say about this one.
I've read Nick and No More...
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May 30, 2011
Kathryn
rated it:
Cohn and Levithan team up once more and hit the streets of New York with a new cast of tangible, expressive teens. Not as good as Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (but let's be honest, how can you get much better than Nick and Norah?), but still an amazing story in its own right, Naomi and Ely found an honored spot on my YA bookshelf.
Naomi and Ely thought they were totally safe with their No Kiss List. Naomi can ogle every hot guy she sees and still save herself for when Ely realizes More...
Naomi and Ely thought they were totally safe with their No Kiss List. Naomi can ogle every hot guy she sees and still save herself for when Ely realizes More...
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Sep 17, 2007
Another Cohn/Levithan collaboration that manages to be funny and sweet and hopeful and nasty and sexy and romantic. I'm generally too lazy to write book reviews, but I will share three of my favorite quotes:
1. "Ely is probably right. The best I'll ever get is if I fuck me. In fact, I've tried, but masturbation turns out to be hella time-consuming with not very satisfactory results. Or maybe I'm just doing it wrong. My work ethic has always been weak."
2. "'W More...
1. "Ely is probably right. The best I'll ever get is if I fuck me. In fact, I've tried, but masturbation turns out to be hella time-consuming with not very satisfactory results. Or maybe I'm just doing it wrong. My work ethic has always been weak."
2. "'W More...
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Jan 23, 2008
Mimo
rated it: 
3.5 stars. I was excited to read a book with one of the title characters sharing my first name. Unfortunately, I couldn't stand this Naomi until the last twenty pages of the book. I especially hated how she was always writing in symbols instead of words. Maybe teens would like it, but it drove me up the wall. I also couldn't quite get behind her complete and total delusion in thinking that she was going to grow up and marry her (very) gay best friend. It was a little too much like Will & Grace.
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May 27, 2011
Sarah
rated it:
I absolutely loved Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, so I think my expectations were pretty high for Cohn and Levithan's second novel. Possibly too high at first, because while I found the plot interesting (Naomi loves Ely, Ely loves Naomi, but Ely loves boys more -- in brief. The book is so much more than that, though), I just couldn't get into, well, Naomi. But I progressed, mostly because I love the authors' style -- alternating points of view. Where Nick & Norah only had two points of view,
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Mar 30, 2009
quarantinedfire
rated it: 
-sniffle-
IT WAS JUST SO SWEET.
For the first few pages I want to shoot Naomi in the face for using all those undecipherable symbols, but it just got better and better and then the mixtapes and. -sobs- It was just so beautiful!
Okay, serious time now. The symbols were, um, really annoying, but I liked the shift in perspective from Naomi-->Ely-->Gabriel-->Robin(s), etc & etc. It was nice to see multiple points of view. I also like how, even if they only n More...
IT WAS JUST SO SWEET.
For the first few pages I want to shoot Naomi in the face for using all those undecipherable symbols, but it just got better and better and then the mixtapes and. -sobs- It was just so beautiful!
Okay, serious time now. The symbols were, um, really annoying, but I liked the shift in perspective from Naomi-->Ely-->Gabriel-->Robin(s), etc & etc. It was nice to see multiple points of view. I also like how, even if they only n More...
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Feb 22, 2009
Brooke
rated it:
This book was really funny!!!! :P
I had one problem, though---for such a short book, there were too many POV's the book was told in. Some characters only had their POV in there once--now that's pointless!
If you missed the synopsis of it: the book is about a girl who has a best friend, who's gay, and she's in love with him. Ely (the gay best friend) kisses Naomi's (his best friend that's in love with him) boyfriend, and Naomi is really greaving over Ely rather than her boyfriend, More...
I had one problem, though---for such a short book, there were too many POV's the book was told in. Some characters only had their POV in there once--now that's pointless!
If you missed the synopsis of it: the book is about a girl who has a best friend, who's gay, and she's in love with him. Ely (the gay best friend) kisses Naomi's (his best friend that's in love with him) boyfriend, and Naomi is really greaving over Ely rather than her boyfriend, More...
Jan 02, 2009
Chris
rated it:
I have to admit that the first few chapters were a little rocky for me. The idea that Naomi was so convinced that her delusions could become reality were hard for me to swallow. But there was something about the way the story was told that made me buy it. And once I bought it, I adored it.
I'm tempted to give this book five stars, but logically I know it is not a work of literary genius. I did, however, read it from cover to cover in a few hours without putting it down once. And More...
I'm tempted to give this book five stars, but logically I know it is not a work of literary genius. I did, however, read it from cover to cover in a few hours without putting it down once. And More...
Dec 17, 2011
Christina (Reading Thru The Night)
rated it:
Brief Summary? Naomi and Ely are best friends. They have been best friends for-EVER, growing up in Greenwich Village. It was just assumed that they would get married, have lots of babies, and live happily ever after. And then, Ely realized he was gay. To avoid complications, Naomi and Ely create a no kiss list. Obviously. Except, hidden complications begin to arise. Like, Ely kissing Naomi's boyfriend. Or Naomi being in love with Ely.
My thoughts? OK. As many of you might remember, I gu More...
My thoughts? OK. As many of you might remember, I gu More...
Dec 09, 2011
Doug
rated it:
I absolutely adored Cohn and Levithan's Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, a young adult romance partly set in The Strand, with a hefty epistolary component and a dash of screwball comedy.
I didn't enjoy Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List nearly as much, partly due to mismatched expectations. This was a rare case where I really did want to read the same-book-only-different, but Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List is a very different novel. The title plainly telegraphs the impetus of the plot: if two peopl More...
I didn't enjoy Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List nearly as much, partly due to mismatched expectations. This was a rare case where I really did want to read the same-book-only-different, but Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List is a very different novel. The title plainly telegraphs the impetus of the plot: if two peopl More...
Nov 10, 2011
Karen
rated it:
This was a good book. I have never read a David Leviathan book before and with it being coupled with Rachel Cohn, made for an interesting read.
This book taught you about friendship, first and foremost, and then truth, to yourself and others, love, acceptance....this book was about so much....
This story is about a girl named Naomi and her best friend, Ely...hence the name, Naomi and Ely....anyway...Ely is a gay teen who Naomi happens to be in love with. They have grown up with More...
This book taught you about friendship, first and foremost, and then truth, to yourself and others, love, acceptance....this book was about so much....
This story is about a girl named Naomi and her best friend, Ely...hence the name, Naomi and Ely....anyway...Ely is a gay teen who Naomi happens to be in love with. They have grown up with More...
Oct 14, 2011
Emily
rated it:
I see all the low ratings, and, admittedly, they have a point.
Naomi is far from perfect. Ely is far from perfect. Neither of them are instantly lovable.
But isn't that what makes them human?!
The fact that my paperback copy of this little book has not fallen apart yet is amazing, seeing as I've read it far more times than I can count. It is a quick read, but a fantastic one. Compared to Nick and Norah's, this is far more serious (someone mentioned that it is about the tear More...
Naomi is far from perfect. Ely is far from perfect. Neither of them are instantly lovable.
But isn't that what makes them human?!
The fact that my paperback copy of this little book has not fallen apart yet is amazing, seeing as I've read it far more times than I can count. It is a quick read, but a fantastic one. Compared to Nick and Norah's, this is far more serious (someone mentioned that it is about the tear More...
Oct 14, 2011
Bernadette
rated it:
Naomi and Ely have been bestfriends ever since they can remember. They live across the hall of the same building. They went through everything together and they are practically tied to each other. But then as every best friend story goes, one fell for the other, big time. And in this case, it's Naomi. Yes, she is in love with Ely.
You see, it’s not just a girl-fall-for-the-bestfriend-who-don’t-like-her-that-way-story. The twist is that the guy best friend isn’t actually a straight guy. Add More...
You see, it’s not just a girl-fall-for-the-bestfriend-who-don’t-like-her-that-way-story. The twist is that the guy best friend isn’t actually a straight guy. Add More...
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Jul 25, 2011
Anna
rated it:
I shall defend and love this book until the day I die.
I usually hate so many POV's going from chapter to chapter, but it's such a perfectly used device here! In a city where all these very interesting characters are interconnected in some way (I'll admit, being from NYC makes me love it all the more) and how they're interconnected is so perfectly told through the tool of switching POV's among them.
They are all flawed, just like actual people. They all speak in a tone that More...
I usually hate so many POV's going from chapter to chapter, but it's such a perfectly used device here! In a city where all these very interesting characters are interconnected in some way (I'll admit, being from NYC makes me love it all the more) and how they're interconnected is so perfectly told through the tool of switching POV's among them.
They are all flawed, just like actual people. They all speak in a tone that More...
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Apr 05, 2011
George
rated it:
This is the 2nd collaboration between Cohn and Levithan, following Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and preceding Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. I've never read the former (seen the movie, but I won't claim that counts), but I loved Dash & Lily, which is what led me to this one.
Naomi and Ely are best friends. They go to the same university (NYU), they live in the same apartment building, they spend precious little time apart. But a long-brewing tension caused by Naomi's failur More...
Naomi and Ely are best friends. They go to the same university (NYU), they live in the same apartment building, they spend precious little time apart. But a long-brewing tension caused by Naomi's failur More...
Feb 24, 2011
Les
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Dec 19, 2010
Skye
rated it:
This review is also posted on my blog, In The Good Books.
Naomi both loves and is in love with Ely. Ely loves Naomi, but prefers to be in love with other boys. They have a No Kiss List of people neither of them can kiss - a kind of insurance against a drama breaking them up.
There's no reason to put Naomi's boyfriend, Bruce, on the list. But when Ely kisses Bruce, no No Kiss List can prevent their break up.
The bright and minimalistic cover of this book was what first More...
Naomi both loves and is in love with Ely. Ely loves Naomi, but prefers to be in love with other boys. They have a No Kiss List of people neither of them can kiss - a kind of insurance against a drama breaking them up.
There's no reason to put Naomi's boyfriend, Bruce, on the list. But when Ely kisses Bruce, no No Kiss List can prevent their break up.
The bright and minimalistic cover of this book was what first More...
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Nov 25, 2010
Allison
rated it:
Naomi and Ely are the best of friends, but then this is complicated by a love... heptagon. With at least one diagonal. :)
No, actually, that summary doesn't at all do the book justice - Cohn and Levithan have come up with a cast of unique and engaging characters. The ridiculously multiple points of view were, for me, a plus - it kind of threw me off in the beginning, but as the story progressed, I enjoyed being able to see the action from more than one angle and have a basically omnisc More...
No, actually, that summary doesn't at all do the book justice - Cohn and Levithan have come up with a cast of unique and engaging characters. The ridiculously multiple points of view were, for me, a plus - it kind of threw me off in the beginning, but as the story progressed, I enjoyed being able to see the action from more than one angle and have a basically omnisc More...
Sep 11, 2010
Chrystal
rated it:
This is the second collaborative novel from Cohn and Levithan – both authors that I adore. I went into this book with high expectations as I have really enjoyed the previous co-written novel as well as many of their individual novels. They did not disappoint.
Naomi and Ely, best friends from an early age, are like one entity and feel like a part of them is missing if the other is not around. The friendship between the two is one of comedy, spontaneity and uniqueness. Naomi loves Ely i More...
Naomi and Ely, best friends from an early age, are like one entity and feel like a part of them is missing if the other is not around. The friendship between the two is one of comedy, spontaneity and uniqueness. Naomi loves Ely i More...
Sep 11, 2010
YA Reads
rated it:
If I had a cheerleading uniform and a pair of pom poms, I’d break them out right now so I could show David Levithan and Rachel Cohn just how much I love their work. I’d cheer, I’d jump, hell I might even attempt some of those crazy backward flip things. I’d definitely concoct a cheesy rhyme that I could shout at the top of my lungs that outlines my enthusiasm and appreciation. Yes, I’d go to THAT much effort.
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (their first collaborative novel) was so su More...
Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (their first collaborative novel) was so su More...
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Jul 15, 2010
Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have teamed up again to write another ultra-hip teen romance (see Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist). And could we please have a new one every year?
BFFs Naomi & Ely are freshman at NYU but are still living with their parents in apartments across the hall from each other (in order to save cash, keep their parents together emotionally, but also – more importantly – to remain fused at the hip).
Naomi is dating Bruce the 2nd (we also meet Bruce t More...
BFFs Naomi & Ely are freshman at NYU but are still living with their parents in apartments across the hall from each other (in order to save cash, keep their parents together emotionally, but also – more importantly – to remain fused at the hip).
Naomi is dating Bruce the 2nd (we also meet Bruce t More...
May 17, 2010
Sophie
rated it:
Yeah, so that book didn't work for me at all
Naomi and Ely are best friends. Naomi is also in love with Ely, but Ely is gay. When Ely kisses Naomi's boyfriend, their friendship is on the brink of being destroyed. Naomi and Ely are also very superficial and superhip people surrounded by people who listen to hip music and read hip comic books plus there's some ~quirky~ parts in there as well to make it especially interesting.
I'm sorry, I'm being mean. But the thing is, whil More...
Naomi and Ely are best friends. Naomi is also in love with Ely, but Ely is gay. When Ely kisses Naomi's boyfriend, their friendship is on the brink of being destroyed. Naomi and Ely are also very superficial and superhip people surrounded by people who listen to hip music and read hip comic books plus there's some ~quirky~ parts in there as well to make it especially interesting.
I'm sorry, I'm being mean. But the thing is, whil More...
Dec 26, 2009
Kyra
rated it:
I'm being /extremely/ charitable with my rating. There were so many problems with this book, it made me question the 'amazingness' of these authors last book, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, which was one of my favorite books. Let's start off the the glaring issue what smacks you in the face the minute you open the book. The completely useless point of views. Who the hell is Kelly and why do I care about what she thinks about the conflict? Why, oh why, is the doorman making playlist that tel
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Dec 18, 2009
Abby
rated it:
Another collaborative effort from teen fiction authors Rachel Cohn & David Levithan that I did not particularly enjoy. In fact, I found this book just as grating as Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, if not more so. For one, the two main characters (privileged NYU sophmores and best friends who grew up in the same West Village co-op) are pretty damn irritating and unlikable, especially Naomi, whose speech is peppered with icons (a visual tic that I found incredibly annoying). Second, Naomi, an
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Aug 17, 2009
Roxanne
rated it:
Disclaimer 1: I gave up on this book after reading chapter 1 + a couple of pages.
Disclaimer 2: This book was not written for 29 year old lesbians, so my opinion means even less than normal.
The first reason I didn't want to keep reading this book was because Naomi used a lot of cutesy wingding-esque symbols and I just thought it was plain stupid. Not clever, or unique, just irritating (see Disclaimer 2, in where I am the old man complaining about the fast moving camera wo More...
Disclaimer 2: This book was not written for 29 year old lesbians, so my opinion means even less than normal.
The first reason I didn't want to keep reading this book was because Naomi used a lot of cutesy wingding-esque symbols and I just thought it was plain stupid. Not clever, or unique, just irritating (see Disclaimer 2, in where I am the old man complaining about the fast moving camera wo More...
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Mar 07, 2009
Courtney
rated it:
Why all the teen books i keep asking myself? Its a good question. I read the first chapter of this book (a preview at the end of Nick and Norah) and picked it up from the library the next day. Inseparable best friends Naomi and Ely have the friendship most of us have only dreamed about. They live next door, they wear the same pants, they call each other's BS, they survive family disasters (their parents have an affair; Ely's parents make it; Naomi's parents dont'), they love each other... on
More...
Sep 26, 2011
Nicole
rated it:
It took me longer than usual to get into this one, despite my deep and abiding love of David Levithan. Those stupid graphic icon interjections really turned me off. I’m too old for that nonsense. But once I was in, it was the typical fast-yet-enjoyable Cohn-Levithan read.
They have a formula, no doubt about it. Two characters that mean the world to each other surrounded by assorted other characters with varying degrees of importance and interest. The multiple focalizers was a More...
