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Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Rachel Cohn,

Rachel Cohn

Start date: February 1, 2011

Finish date: February 28, 2011

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What Members Thought

Jan 02, 2008 Jennie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: yaliterature

Plot: When Nick and Norah meet in a NYC rock club, they have no idea that they are about to embark upon a romantic relationship. Nick just wants a girlfriend for five minutes in order to make his ex jealous, but there's something about Norah that leaves him wanting more after she kisses him in response to his asking for a five minute girlfriend. The two end up spending the night together in NYC and begin to fall for each other.

Evaluation: I have to say that just like Doing It and Forever, sex is Plot: When Nick and Norah meet in a NYC rock club, they have no idea that they are about to embark upon a romantic relationship. Nick just wants a girlfriend for five minutes in order to make his ex jealous, but there's something about Norah that leaves him wanting more after she kisses him in response to his asking for a five minute girlfriend. The two end up spending the night together in NYC and begin to fall for each other.

Evaluation: I have to say that just like Doing It and Forever, sex is talked about just as openly in this novel. When Nick and Norah are getting intimate in the ICE room of the Marriott, the novel goes into great detail as to what the couple is doing in there. Norah says, “My heart is pounding pounding pounding and my mouth wants to go there but my head turns upward first, wanting to make eye contact with Nick, but in the fluorescent light I see his eyes are closed, so I speak instead, and I say, ‘Tell me. Guide me.’ Because I want it to be both our instincts making this happen” (Cohn & Levithan, 164). Norah is describing the fact that she wants to perform oral sex on Nick and it’s a rather frank description, but the reader also sees the emotional excitement that Norah is experiencing. Just like Katherine in Forever, Norah is taking pleasure in what she is doing and is not being forced into it. There is this recognition that sex is enjoyable and that it isn’t some sort of forbidden act. When Norah and Nick choose to wait in order to sexually consummate their relationship, it’s because they want to take it slow and get to know each other. They want to take pleasure in falling in love and to relish the sweetness of what might be in store for them in the future. To quote Norah, “What’s the big fucking rush?” (Cohn & Levithan, 166). It’s implied that the characters will continue their romantic relationship even after the novel’s conclusion.

It is the flirtatious relationship between Nick and Norah that is most enjoyable in this novel. Nick is a songwriter, so he is very good with his words and Norah is very witty. The two spend the evening taking delight in flirting verbally and getting to know each other in an emotionally intimate sense. Another aspect of the novel that is appealing is that both characters are very sensitive and afraid of jumping into a relationship, but they just can't seem to help themselves since they are so attracted to each other. Nick has been dumped by Tris and Norah has been dumped by Tal. Both characters are wounded and afraid of being hurt again, but I think that this makes them even more perfect for each other because they know what it's like to be hurt, so they are willing to take it slow and enjoy their romance. They treat each other's feelings rather delicately and most readers will take delight in the slow pacing of the novel and how the characters are sensitive towards each other. I have to say that I thought that Nick and Norah were an extremely romantic couple, which was quite refreshing after reading Burgess's Doing It.
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Dec 22, 2008 Kami rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, young-adult

Very cute love story with really snappy dialogue. I haven't seen the movie, but I am betting that there is no way that it will be as good as this book. I wish that I was so clever to talk like these characters.

""Boys are idiots," I tell him, sniffling. If I'm a horrid bitch from the planet Schizophrenia, it's because boys make me one."

"'My love ain't hypothetical / or pronounced for you phonetical / so it might just be heretical / if you don't love me back,'"

"The way you're singing in your sleep ...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Marla rated it really liked it

Shelves: religion, romance, zz-2012, chick-lit, with-reservations, challenged, lgbt, young-adult, award-winner, zz-no-time-challenge

At least 4.5 stars. Just like Anna and the French Kiss, I am almost embarrassed at how much I really enjoyed this book. Since I don't swear, people who know me will be shocked at the language in this book that I still liked in spite of the cussing and sex. It made me thankful that my daughters and their friends don't talk like this.

Nick and Norah meet at a club after Nick finishes his set. Norah agrees to be his 5-minute girlfriend and the night turns into a romantic adventure. It reminds me of ...more

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Nov 24, 2012 Haze rated it really liked it

Shelves: music, 2012-books-read, 2021-books-read

July 2021: I recently watched the movie again, so I decided to reread the book as well. I didn't write a review for it the first time, so here it is while it's fresh in my mind!

I liked that the movie stuck pretty closely to the book (although there were additional drama, which makes sense for most movies). The book itself was great, really sweet, and so funny at times to see how they each had different perspectives of the same scene - not something we'd be able to observe from the movie. In some ...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Gremlin rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya

What a lovely read! One night of young love, including all the real complications that come from falling for someone even though you're having a hard time trusting anyone (self included).

This was a fast paced story (felt like a Novella) with witty dialog, great pop culture references, and characters you could understand and get behind. The thought processes of each character felt really truthful and authentic, and I loved how the story switched back and forth from Nick and Norah's perspective wi ...more

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Jul 21, 2023 Beth rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: cybils, young-adult, cybils-2006, towerx

2006 Cybils YA Finalist

Teens are exhausting. Reading about these very intense teens in New York was also exhausting. I am definitely not watching the movie. I'm glad these kids found some happiness, and that they seem to be getting over their exes, and that Norah's dad stole her mail like a good dad should. ...more

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