Can someone make me a bookstore scavenger hunt? I'm pretty up-to-date on what's what in YA. However, I am humble enough to admit I'm not perfect, and some slip through the cracks. Dash & Lily is a YA concept I didn't know about before, but I'm so glad this was made into a series. As a first time experience, this was such a delight. Based on the YA series, Dash & Lily takes place in a full-of-Christmas-spirit modern New York City. We're introduced to Dash & Lily. Let's just say both are struggling a bit this Christmas. Lily ends up leaving a red notebook in her favorite bookstore, which Dash finds and can't help but be intrigued by. The original journal entry has clues and dares for Dash to complete for him to learn more about Lily. At first, it was just about making a connection during Christmas. Both Dash and Lily have their fair share of troubles that keep them from experiencing the full holiday experience. But maybe through making each other break out of their comfort zone, they can find a way to celebrate with each other. Listen, I will be the first to admit that most YA novels would be great on the small screen... if Hallmark ever produced them. A majority of them are just cheesy and predictable enough to land well there. It's hard to make YA in a way that captures its youthfulness in spirit but still palatable for older audiences. To me, this season captures what makes YA as a genre so great. What makes this series so great, you ask? Well, the characters mostly. I love it when the genre takes a chance on the teens who don't fit the stereotype of YA heroes. Lily is the girl who is always positive... at least to a fault! Her past experience of being bullied by her peers has made her comfortable in her bubble without taking risks. Midori Francis captures this with peak vulnerability and charm. Dash is closer to the typical YA hero we know and love but still stands out on his own. His family troubles by struggling to connect with his dad and a recent heartbreak have made him cynical to the point of keeping a wall up against connecting with others. Austin Abrams nails his prickly and set-in-his-ways attitude so well that it's a miracle that Dash picked up Lily's journal and accepted the first dare. They're both lonely at Christmas, but it's clear that without the other, they can't achieve reaching out. Naturally, it takes place over a series of mere days, but their connection is sweet and adorable. It's clear they're meant to be together, but it wouldn't be a YA rom-com if it took time for them to realize that! I also can't sit here and not talk about New York City during Christmas. It's so festive without being too in-your-face about it. Actually, is there ever a time where New York City: Christmas Edition isn't enjoyable to see? Okay, back to the review. I loved that we did get some views of New York City we don't typically see. We get bookstores and quirky pizza joints instead. In fact, that was the whole point of Lily and Dash's journey was to break them out of their comfort zones away from tourist traps. (But a decorated Rockefeller Center is still on my Must See list, so don't write me on that.) Yeah, the plot of them coming together through a red journal can be ridiculous. Realistically, their dares and leaving a journal in random public places could never pass in New York City with millions of people around. It's hard to be cynical about it without acknowledging how heart-warming and charming their journey together is. This first season was as sweet as a good cup of hot chocolate. There are more Dash & Lily books out there, so there's a possibility for the more romantic charm and crazy dares in our futures. Crossing my fingers because I have high hopes that they will continue their journey because I'd love to see more!
This is literally my dream life, so I will marry the first person who makes me a dare journal.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Popcorn BowlThis is the place where I watch TV shows and then tell you what I think. Archives
December 2020
Categories
All
|