Dash & Lily's Book of Dares Quotes

“We all just took the bookstore at its word, because if you couldn't trust a bookstore, what could you trust?”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“Maybe, it's not the distance that's the problem, but how you handle it.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“You think fairy tales are only for girls? Here’s a hint—ask yourself who wrote them. I assure you, it wasn’t just the women. It’s the great male fantasy—all it takes is one dance to know that she’s the one. All it takes is the sound of her song from the tower, or a look at her sleeping face. And right away you know—this is the girl in your head, sleeping or dancing or singing in front of you. Yes, girls want their princes, but boys want their princesses just as much. And they don’t want a very long courtship. They want to know immediately.”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“In a field, I am the absence of field. In a crowd, I am the absence of crowd. In a dream, I am the absence of dream. But I don't want to live as an absence. I move to keep things whole. Because sometimes I feel drunk on positivity. Sometimes I feel amazement at the tangle of words and lives, and I want to be a part of that tangle. "Game over," you say, and I don't know which I take more exception to- the fact that you say that it's over, or the fact that you say it's a game. It's only over when one of us keeps the notebook for good. It's only a game if there is an absence of meaning. And we've already gone too far for that.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“With all due respect, if you’re forty-three, then I’m a fetus.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“You bookish little pervert.”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good-humour.”
― Rachel Cohn & David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“Are you going to be playing for the pure thrill of unreluctant desire?”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“Making love without noise is like playing a muted piano-fine for practice, but you cheat yourself out of hearing the glorious results.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“It is much harder to lie to someone's face.
But.
It is also much harder to tell the truth to someone's face.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“This must be part of Mother Nature's master plan—making these boys so irresistibly cute, in such a naughty way, that the purity of their intentions becomes irrelevant.”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“We believe in the wrong things. That's what frustrates me the most. Not the lack of belief, but the belief in the wrong things. You want meaning? Well, the meanings are out there. We're just so damn good at reading them wrong.

I don't think meaning is something that can be explained. You have to understand it on your own. It's like when you're starting to read. First, you learn the letters. Then, once you know what sounds the letters make, you use them to sound out words. You know that c-a-t leads to cat and d-o-g leads to dog. But then you have to make that extra leap, to understand that the word, the sound, the "cat" is connected to an actual cat , and that "dog" is connected to an actual dog. It's that leap, that understanding, that leads to meaning. And a lot of the time in life, we're still just sounding things out. We know the sentences and how to say them. We know the ideas and how to present them. We know the prayers and which words to say in what order. But that's only spelling"


It's much harder to lie to someone's face. But. It is also much harder to tell the truth to someone's face.

The indefatigable pursuit of an unattainable perfection, even though it consist in nothing more than in the pounding of an old piano, is what alone gives a meaning to our life on this unavailing star. (Logan Pearsall Smith)



Being alone has nothing to do with how many people are around. (J.R. Moehringer)

You could be standing a few feet away...I could have sat next to you on the subway, or brushed beside you as we went through the turnstiles. But whether or not you are here, you are here- because these words are for you, and they wouldn't exist is you weren't here in some way.

At last I had it--the Christmas present I'd wanted all along, but hadn't realized. His words.

The dream was obviously a sign: he was too enticing to resist.

Wow. You must have a lot of faith in me. Which I appreciate. Even if I'm not sure I share it.

I could do this on my own, and not freak out that I had no idea what waited for me on the other side of this night.

Hope and belief. I'd always wanted hope, but never believed that I could have such an adventure on my own. That I could own it. And love it. But it happened.


Because I'm So uncool and so afraid.

If there was a clue, that meant the mystery was still intact


I fear you may have outmatched me, because not I find these words have nowhere to go. It's hard to answer a question you haven't been asked. It's hard to show that you tried unless you end up succeeding.

This was not a haystack. We were people, and people had ways of finding eachother.

It was one of those moments when you feel the future so much that is humbles the present.

Don't worry. It's your embarrassment at not having the thought that counts.

You think fairy tales are only for girls? Here's ahint- ask yourself who wrote them. I assure you, it wasn't just the women. It's the great male fantasy- all it takes is one dance to know that she's the one. All it takes is the sound of her song from the tower, or a look at her sleeping face. And right away you know--this is the girl in your head, sleeping or dancing or singing in front of you. Yes, girls want their princes, but boys want their princesses just as much. And they don't want a very long courtship. They want to know immediately.

Be careful what you;re doing, because no one is ever who you want them to be. And the less you really know them, the more likely you are to confuse them with the girl or boy in your head

You should never wish for wishful thinking”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“You should never wish for wishful thinking.”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“She raised her hand to cut me off. "I am aware of your epistolary flirtation. Which is all well and good--as long as it's well and good. Before I ask you some questions, perhaps you would like some tea?"

"That would depend on what kind of tea you were offering."

"So diffident! Suppose it was Earl Grey."

I shook my head. "Tastes like pencil shavings."

"Lady Grey."

"I don't drink beverages named after beheaded monarchs. It seems so tacky."

"Chamomile?"

"Might as well sip butterfly wings."

"Green tea?"

"You can't be serious."

The old woman nodded her approval. "I wasn't."

"Because you know when a cow chews grass? And he or she chews and chews and chews? Well, green tea tastes like French-kissing that cow after it's done chewing all that grass."

"Would you like some mint tea?"

"Only under duress."

"English breakfast."

I clapped my hands. "Now you're talking!”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“I'm told there's no going back. So I'm choosing forward.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“Danger comes in many forms, I suppose. For some people, it might be jumping off a bridge or climbing impossible moutains. For others, it could be a tawdry love affair or telling off a mean-looking bus driver because he doesn't like to stop for noisy teenagers. It could be cheating at cards or eating a peanut even though you're allergic. For me, danger might be getting out from the protective cloak of my family and venturing into the world more of my own, even though I don't know what- or who- awaits me.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“All this hoping for something- or someone- that's maybe hopeless. I'm having a hard time processing what I am supposed to believe, or if I'm even supposed to. There is too much information, and I don't like a lot of it.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“Well, well, well,” Santa said once the elf had retreated. “Come and sit on my lap, little boy.”

This Santa’s beard was real, and so was his hair. He wasn’t fucking around.

“I’m not really a little boy,” I pointed out.

“Get on my lap, then, big boy.”

I walked up to him. There wasn’t much lap under his belly. And even though he tried to disguise it, as I went up there, I swear he adjusted
his crotch.

“Ho ho ho!” he chortled.

I sat gingerly on his knee, like it was a subway seat with gum on it.

“Have you been a good little boy this year?” he asked.

I didn’t feel that I was the right person to determine my own goodness or badness, but in the interest of speeding along this encounter, I said yes.

He actually wobbled with joy.

“Good! Good! Then what can I bring you this Christmas?”

I thought it was obvious.

“A message from Lily,” I said. “That’s what I want for Christmas. But I want it right now.”

“So impatient!” Santa lowered his voice and whispered in my ear. “But Santa does have a little something for you”—he shifted a little in
his seat—“right under his coat. If you want to have your present, you’ll have to rub Santa’s belly.”

“What?” I asked.

He gestured with his eyes down to his stomach. “Go ahead.”

I looked closely and saw the faint outline of an envelope beneath his red velvet coat.

“You know you want it,” he whispered.

The only way I could survive this was to think of it as the dare it was.
Fuck off, Lily. You can’t intimidate me.
I reached right under Santa’s coat. To my horror, I found he wasn’t wearing anything underneath. It was hot, sweaty, Geshy, hairy … and
his belly was this massive obstacle, blocking me from the envelope. I had to lean over to angle my arm in order to reach it, the whole time
having Santa laugh, “Oh ho ho, ho ho oh ho!” in my ear.

I heard the elf scream, “What the hell!” and various parents start to shriek. Yes, I was feeling up Santa. And now the corner of the envelope was in my hand. He tried to jiggle it away from me, but I held tight and yanked it
out, pulling some of his white belly hair with me. “OW ho ho!” he cried. I jumped o1 his lap.

“Security’s here!” the elf proclaimed.

The letter was in my hand, damp but intact.

“He touched Santa!” a young child squealed.”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“Deep down, you see, I long to be arcane, esoteric. I would love to confound people with their own language.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“Why is it so much easier to talk to a stranger? why do we feel we need to disconnect in order to connect? If I wrote "Dear Sofia" or "Dear Boomer" or "Dear Lily's Great-Aunt" at the top of this postcard, wouldn't that change the words that followed? Of course it would. But the question is: When I wrote "Dear Lily," was that just a version of "Dear Myself"? I know it was more than that. But it was also less than that, too”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“The handwriting was a girl’s. I mean, you can tell. That enchanted cursive.”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“I don’t know what boldness came over me, but the resolute heaviness of Dash’s demeanor threatened to crush my soul. My pinky finger crept over and nestled against his, for comfort. Like a magnet, his pinky finger latched onto and intertwined with mine. I like magnets a whole lot.”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“It's only a game if there is an absence of meaning. And we've already gone too far for that.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“Dullness is the spice of life. Which is why we must always use other spices.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“Things change all the time, mostly in little ways.”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“Game over," you say, and I don't know which I take more exception to-- the fact that you say its over, or the fact that you say it's a game.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“When in doubt, ingest carbs.”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“Boomer took bites of all six varieties, contemplating each one and "guring out the order in which he would then eat them. “I like the
brown one and the lighter brown one and the almost-brown one. I’m not so sure about the minty one. But really, I think the lebkuchen spice
one is the best.”

“The what?”

“The lebkuchen spice one.” He held it up for me. “This one.”

“You’re making that up. What’s a lebkuchen spice? It sounds like a cross between a Keebler elf and a stripper. Hello, my name ees
Lebkuchen Spice, and I vant to show you my cooooookies...”

“Don’t be rude!” Boomer protested. As if the cookie might be offended.”
― David Levithan, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“Wherever I went, I was on the wrong end of the stampede.”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

“That's because you're interpreting it the wrong way. I didn't mean it as a wistful, overdramatic declaration. I mean that the love I felt for him was huge and real, and, while painful, it forever changed me as a person, in the same way that being your brother reflects and changes how I evolve, and vice versa. The important people in our lives leave imprints. They may stay or go in the physical realm, but they are always there in your heart, because they helped form your heart. There's no getting over that.”
― Rachel Cohn, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares