5Q • 4P • S
Cohn, Rachel, and David Leviathan. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Knopf, 2006. 183 p. $16.95. 0-375-83531-5.
Nick is the straight bassist in the Hoboken-based queercore punk band playing at tonight’s show. Norah is the privileged niece of the club owner, daughter of a music exec, and is only out tonight to make sure her friend Caroline doesn’t die in a drunken stupor. In a panic, Nick asks Norah to be his five-minute girlfriend when he sees his recent ex and her new fling headed his way. So begins our eight-hour glimpse into a budding romance set on the backdrop of Manhattan and its punk music scene. Told in alternating chapters from both perspectives, we learn that Norah’s thrown away an acceptance to Brown to be with a boyfriend for whom she’s never been good enough, Nick pines for a girl who never took their coupledom seriously, and that both are ready (and perfect) for each other. The skill of both authors create a depth which shows even Caroline and Nick’s ex as three-dimensional, and our heroes’ realizations about life, love, music, and drag queens never seem scripted. Allusions to vintage and modern punk will seem like gifts to teens in the know, and may create a new generation of rockers. Sexual scenes and strong profanity may restrict at least your recommendation to older teens, but the situations are realistic. This reviewer was gratified to see that these two ultra-cool characters are “straight-edgers” and prefer to enjoy their club scene without drugs or drinking. Destined to become a cult favorite, Nick and Norah will steal readers’ hearts.
