Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Naomi and Ely have been best friends for forever. They love each other, although Naomi may love Ely in a way that he doesn’t love her – she’s straight, he’s gay. They’ve gone though everything together from teaching each other how to kiss to their parents’ big fight. And to make sure nothing goes wrong with their friendship, they created the No Kiss List, a list of people that neither of the friends is allowed to kiss. That’s until Ely kisses Naomi’s boyfriend, Bruce the Second, though. It seems as if the friendship will be torn apart, and Naomi and Ely struggle to come to terms with what their friendship really was and what remains.

I have to say that Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List was a beautiful story. It explores sexuality and the fine line between friendship and something more. I really loved the chapters told from nearly all the characters’ perspectives, and especially the chapters from Naomi or Ely’s points of view. Rachel Cohn and David Levithan do a wonderful job of portraying each of the characters thoughts and emotions. I was rooting for Naomi and Ely to repair their friendship throughout the whole story, and I also really enjoyed reading as each they grew and learned more of themselves.

Although I did really love Rachel Cohn and David Levithan’s first co-written novel, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, I have to say that I enjoyed Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List much more. Both, however, are very well-written and memorable novels that I recommend to everyone.

Rating: 4.5

Review copy from library