Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist

Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Alfred A. Knopf) ISBN: 0-375-83531-8

Plot Summary

Nick -- the straight bass player for a Queer Core band -- has a chance encounter with Nora after a show while trying to avoid his ex (Tris).  His bandmates hoping to help Nick get over Tris send Nora off on a date with Nick in exchange for giving her drunk best friend a ride home.  Nora is at a transitional point in her life, she's elected to defer her acceptance to Brown.  Originally, she'd planned to work on a kibbutz in South Africa with her then-boyfriend Tal.  The book follows the two characters on one pivotal night as they brave New York city in Nick's temperamental Yugo.  The characters find enormous chemistry one minute (realizing they both love the same band Where's Fluffy? and even end up at the group's secret show), and enormous tension the next (as they allow hangups from past relationships to get in the way).  The trick of the novel is that it alternates points of view (and authors) chapter to chapter as the characters wonder what their respective futures hold and if they have a shared future.

Critical Evaluation

Nick & Nora alternates narrators.  Cohn writes Nora and Levithan writes Nick.  Conceptually this is compelling.  It suggests that we'll get to see a burgeoning relationship from different perspectives.  The use of dual authors also suggests that we'll get drastically different styles and see into drastically different minds.  The concept is far more compelling than what we get in practice, though.  Ultimately, the two styles aren't all that different.  Perhaps this is meant to show that Nick and Nora think so similarly that they are made for one another.  The upside of that is that the novel ends up with a rather consistent tone and style.  But ultimately, the alternating authorship feels a bit more like a gimmick than one might expect.  We expect more tension.  We expect Rashomon.  But subjectivity doesn't really assert itself in the novel; its questions are far less philosophical.  It's best if expectations are put away before we open the novel.  What we have is the standard fare of a romantic comedy (which is exactly how the movie plays it, completely discarding the alternating focalization).  In the end while it may be an enjoyable read for a teen, it has all the depth of a summer popcorn flick. 

Reader’s Annotation

Nick, in an effort to avoid the girl who broke his heart -- Tris -- asks a random girl at the club -- Nora (who turns out to have just broken it off with her boyfriend) -- to be his five minute girlfriend.  The book alternates between Nick's point of view and Nora's as they get over their exes and get to know each other.

Information about the author

From the author's webpage:

David Levithan: 

I find it downright baffling to write about myself, which is why I’m considering it somewhat cruel and usual to have to write this brief bio and to update it now and then. The factual approach (born ’72, Brown ’94, first book ’03) seems a bit dry, while the emotional landscape (happy childhood, happy adolescence – give or take a few poems – and happy adulthood so far) sounds horribly well-adjusted. The only addiction I’ve ever had was a brief spiral into the arms of diet Dr Pepper, unless you count My So-Called Life episodes as a drug. I am evangelical in my musical beliefs.  

Luckily, I am much happier talking about my books than I am talking about myself. My first novel, Boy Meets Boy, started as a story I wrote for my friends for Valentine’s Day (something I’ve done for the past twenty-two years and counting) and turned itself into a teen novel....

My friend Rachel Cohn proposed that we write a back-and-forth novel, with her writing from a girl’s perspective and me writing from a boy’s.  The result is Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, a kick-ass love story that we wrote over a summer without really planning it out.  It just happened, and it was one of the best writing experiences I ever had.  It has even been bought for the movies – stay tuned on that front. (Levithan, 2013)

Rachel Cohn: 

Okay, biography schmiography. The truth is, the more interesting stuff in my life tends to emanate from my imagination and then appear in books.  Real life?  Not so much. But in the interest of Ye Olde Book Report, here is the basic information.  

I was born on December 14, 1968 in Silver Spring, Maryland. I grew up in the DC area (suburban Maryland), but also spent my childhood summers in Western Massachusetts with my grandparents, so I kind of feel like I am from both places.  

From the time I learned how to read and write I was always trying to create stories. I grew up surrounded by books and by family who were educators – the desire and encouragement to write came readily in my household. When I was a kid, I loved books by Judy Blume, Ellen Conford and E.L. Konigsburg. (I loved Judy Blume’s books so much that I used to actively wish I would get scoliosis so I could be like Deenie.) My favorite books were: Harriet the Spy; Deenie; And This Is Laura; Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret; Anything for A Friend; From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler; and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth. Oh, and anything by Jackie Collins or Sidney Sheldon.  

When I was seventeen, I took off for Manhattan to attend Barnard College. I graduated from Barnard with a B.A. in Political Science. I thought I wanted to be a journalist, but it turned out I wanted to make up stories about characters in my head instead of report on actual people’s stories. A few years after graduating from college, I moved to San Francisco and got an administrative job at a law firm to support myself while I began to seriously study and write fiction. I wrote three unpublished novels before the fourth I attempted, Gingerbread, was published. Since then, writing has been a full-time career — and joy.  

I currently live in Los Angeles, CA.   I don’t have hobbies, unless the pursuit of a great cappuccino counts as one. I spend a ridiculous amount of time organizing my music library and reading books, and hanging out with my two very cool cats, Bunk & McNulty. (Cohn, 2013)

Genre

Romance

Curriculum Ties

The book does not have special curricular ties.  Frankly, many teachers may be leery about using it because of the frequent use of language and the high sexual content.  On the other hand, this may appeal to some reluctant readers.  It's unlikely that the book would meet the standard of an "historically or culturally significant works of literature" (California Department of Education, p. 67).  But many of the basic tasks required of 9-12 graders could be facilitated by the use of this book.

Booktalking Ideas

1) The concept of alternating narrators is compelling: perhaps two people could give the booktalk, alternating points of view as they discuss a single scene from two perspectives.
 2) Teens who are interested in music may be interested by the various musical references throughout the book.  The book opens with a playlist, so the music could be used as an introduction to novel.

Reading Level/Interest Age

The narrators are high school seniors and the book includes strong language.  This might suggest that the reading level is a bit more advanced: 9th grade and above.  The interest age is likely in that same range.

Challenge Issues

The word "fuck" flows freely.  There is also frank discussion of sex and a scene in which Nick & Nora are interrupted pre-coitus.  Finally, there are a number of openly gay characters in the novel (Nick is the straight member of a queer core band).

I would openly greet any patron who presented a challenge to the work, giving them ample time to detail their complaint.  I would listen attentively.  To respond to these challenges I would have some reviews of the work on hand.   I would be prepared to explain that as a public institution libraries "cannot limit access on the basis of age or other characteristics" (ALA, 1999).  I would have copies of the library's collection policy on hand.  I would be prepared to politely discuss that parents can control what their children are exposed to by coming to the library with them and examining books they check out.  If the Teen Advisory Group had written reviews of the book I'd have them handy.  While it may be of little comfort to certain parents, I would also be prepared to discuss my staunch support of intellectual freedom and abhorrence of censorship.  As a last resort, I would be sure to keep copies or a reconsideration form on hand.

Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?

The book was adapted into a 2008 movie starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings -- two popular actors.

References

American Library Association. (1999). Strategies and tips for dealing with challenges to library materials. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/challengeslibrarymaterials/copingwithchallenges/strategiestips  

California Department of Education. (2009). English-Language Arts content standards for California public schools: Kindergarten through grade twelve. Retrieved from www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/elacontentstnds.pdf 

Cohn, R. (2013). I’m doing an author book report about you: Can you tell me about your life? Retrieved from http://www.rachelcohn.com/faqwriting-advice/

Levithan, D. (2013). You probably think this page is about me. Retrieved from http://www.davidlevithan.com/about/