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Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List
by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Reviewed by Jennifer Rothschild, Biblio File
It has always been Naomi and Ely, Ely and Naomi. The two of them have survived everything, including their parents'
infidelity (and the resulting co-op board fight that almost left Naomi and her mother homeless.) But, in their first year at
NYU, Ely kisses Naomi's boyfriend and it all falls apart. Naomi's been saving herself for Ely, but her gay best friend will
never love her the way she loves him. Naomi and Ely aren't sure how to live life without each other, but now they will have
to.
Told in short chapters from multiple points of view—both from major characters and from innocent bystanders—the reader gets a
complete, if slightly fragmented, view of a friendship that could never let anyone else in—a friendship that fell apart
over someone else. Naomi and Ely aren't always the most sympathetic characters—they're shallow and self-obsessed, but so
are most college freshman. Their voices are honest and real and they offer a well-tuned portrait of friendship done right
and friendship gone wrong. A fun read from the team that brought us Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.
Books Reviewed:
Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List, by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. Alfred A. Knopf, 2007.
ISBN: 0-3758-4440-9.
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