Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
We anchor memories to music without even trying. Certain songs drive us out of the current moment to another time and place; sometimes for good, sometimes… not-so-good. But it's rare when we're conscious enough to pay attention and see each moment as a note, each event as a song, each connection with another person as a soundtrack. And if we're lucky, something --- or someone --- forces us to tune in and know when it's time to jam along with where the music is taking us.
In NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan introduce us to Nick O'Leary and Norah Silverberg, two teens whose lives revolve around music to such an extent that it becomes the compass that guides their direction. Nick, the straight bass player in a as stated in the book " a queercore band" and Norah, the straight-edged, ambiguously neurotic daughter of a music industry executive. And then starts a full-on saturday naught adventure full of concerts and of course the music that fits on every moment.
"Everyone in this room is connected, except Norah - she’s the kind of statue they don’t ever make, a statue of someone totally defeated". The first thing that I liked about the book was that it is told by the prospective of both- Nick with introspection and optimism and a Norah who juggles self-doubt and unyielding confidence with a precision.
And the second thing - "the language of music" that follows around, stating the various events with a song to justify and overall ending up with a great playlist.
But, sadly that's about it. There's really no great moment in the book and nothing that would make me read it again, but I would certainly like to try the playlist involved.
Conclusion: NICK & NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST lays down a beat that drives you from cover to cover and invites you to pay attention to the soundtrack that envelops your own life: it's the best way to tell who's there to sing back-up and who's up for a duet
