Take Me There

by Susane Colasanti

Book Overview

Romance and revenge from the atuthor of the City Love trilogy. Rhiannon is devastated after the breakup with her boyfriend and wants him back. Nicole's ex is still pining for her, but she can't help having a new crush. And then there is James, hopelessly in love with Rhiannon, who can't see that their friendship can be so much more. Just when things couldn't get more complicated, the school's resident mean girl decides she is intent on ruining everyone's...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0142414352
• ISBN13: 9780142414354
• Release Date: May 2009
• Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

I'm jealous of those who haven't read it yet.

I hate it when I finish a new book in a day or two, but I couldn't help myself. "Take Me There" is divided up into the separate point of views of the three main characters, and each of their stories are incredibly interesting. It deals with everything from romance, friendship, and abuse without spending too much time on one particular theme, like a lot of other books. It's fascinating how involved you get with each character, and desperate you become to find out what happens. The only flaw is the dialog (at some parts) falls into the "pre-teen ghetto-ish" type of lingo, but that's easy to look past. Overall, it's an absolute fun read. It has really, really great characters that you can relate to and I wish the book just kept on going.

Another Great Novel from Susane Colasanti

Rhiannon, Nicole, and James are three friends in New York City - three friends with problems. Rhiannon is having trouble getting over her recent breakup with her boyfriend Steve, and she's desperate to get him back. Nicole is also getting over a breakup, but she was the one who instigated this one. The reason for this lies rooted in Nicole's past and a secret she's not ready to reveal. James' love life is pretty bland. He's got a hot girlfriend, but that girlfriend is insanely jealous of James' close friendship with Rhiannon and thus dumps him. It takes a little prompting from an elderly neighbor for James to realize who he's truly in love with. Together, these friends will battle mean girls, old demons, and find who they really love. I loved Susane Colasanti's writing style of alternate narrators in her first novel When It Happens, but in this one, I felt it was a little two much with the three narrators. It got a little confusing with three points of view of the same event occurring, especially because it was about 50 pages later. Another issue I had was that there was just a little too much going on in the novel. There were the boyfriend/girlfriend problems, the family problems, and the secrets. It was a little too much for me. However, even though there were a couple aspects of the novel I disliked, I loved the rest of it. The characterization of each friend is excellent, and I really felt I got to know Rhiannon, Nicole, and James. They each have a unique story, all of which I loved. Susane Colasanti has a way of weaving each of their stories together to create this fantastic novel. Although I liked When It Happens better, I still loved Take Me There. Anyone who wants to read about perfect true love should definitely read Susane Colasanti's novels and also look out for her upcoming novel, Waiting For You.

Great characterization and movie moments!

Take Me There brings to light all those tiny miscommunications that add up after awhile, and it's only after looking at the story from three perspectives that clarity shines through. Susane's characters interpret their situations both better and worse than they actually are, and it's intriguing (not to mention amusing!) to see how small assumptions lead each person to jump to big conclusions! The character development in Take Me There is completely relatable, yet original. While the female nemesis, Gloria, is just as unlikeable by the end of the novel, Susane demonstrates that Gloria too has feelings that might invoke sympathy - she's not untouchable. Plus readers are treated to all the quirky, kind gestures that Steve, Rhiannon's ex-boyfriend, performed when they were still dating. While he does the unthinkable to Rhiannon, it's clear that he's a desirable guy in some ways, so it's easy to understand her conflict and heartbreak. Danny is another fantastic, well-rounded character. Susane's description of him is not at all cliché, and yet his personality is recognizable in a general sense. I think we've all known folks like this: "Danny has that effect on girls. He mesmerizes them with his opinions and theories and ideas. But it's not just about how smart he is or how hot he looks when he's all wound up about some issue. It's like he's a natural leader. He's got this irresistible quality." It's typical to portray a charismatic character as manipulative, but Susane flips it in the opposite direction, and demonstrates how Danny uses his charisma in a positive way. Take Me There is full of movie scenes! Clearly Susane is not only a writer, but she also has a visual and audio grasp on the storyline, making up music playlists that correspond with her novels and writing scenes that would work well on the big screen. Another unique aspect of the novel is the Epilogue, in which conventional text is discarded in favor of a screenplay, a journal entry, a note, and a letter. It was especially brilliant to save Gloria's note until the storyline had completed, and then finally unveil the evidence at the end. One thing I love about Susane's books is that her narrators are always expressing really frank, compelling ideas about life, but in a natural way that doesn't disrupt from the plot. For example, James says, "It's amazing how you can be surrounded by so many people every day who care about you and still feel alone." People may worry that they sound like spoiled ingrates for saying something like this, but it's all too true. So much of what people long for are things like connection and community, the intangible, and the sense of being loved and understood. Susane finds a way of expressing what so many feel inside, and then she puts it out there for the world to see. It's brave and magnificent, and when I read her novels, I feel better about life. I have no doubt her books will have the same effect on many readers. Bravo!

Happily Ever After?

Ree has just been dumped, by the boy who promised to love her forever, for no apparent reason. Nicole tells her boyfriend that they need to break up because she's secretly secretly 'in love' with someone else. James can't figure out why it bothers him so much that Ree is so determined to win her ex back. Add all of this to the everyday drama and demands of high school and follow these three friends through one life altering week. Hearts will be broken and secrets will be revealed. Can the friends find happily ever after? In Susane Colasanti's second novel you're pulled into the minds of three close friends just trying to make it happen for themselves. Set in busy NYC these three teens deal with both their personal problems and those of their friends. This book definitely explores some deeper concepts than When it Happens. Hints of abuse and rape are part of the story but Susane keeps it from being depressing by adding her usual humor. The book is split into two parts with each of the three characters getting a chance to speak twice. The first half uses the three friends perspectives to lay out all of the problems at hand, both with in the immediate group and out. The second half was all about the realization that the problems, while not all together gone, weren't as big as they thought they were. Again Susane used different fonts to distinguish characters voices and her dialogue was still flawless. Another amazing novel from Susane Colasanti!

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Rhiannon has just been dumped without a reason. She's miserable beyond belief. Nicole has just dumped her boyfriend with a reason. She's confused beyond belief. And James...James would do nearly anything to get Rhiannon to stop mooning over her ex and finally notice him as more than her buddy. Over the course of a week, many things will happen to these three friends. There will be confessed secrets, messages on sidewalks, delivered flowers, a ton of photocopied notes, one awesome speech, and lots and lots of karma. But in the end, will they discover what they truly want? This realistically honest book told in three different points of view will blow you away. Ms. Colasanti has such a real talent for capturing the personality of teenagers, it's like she is one herself. Her plot is unique and her attention to delivery is grabbing. Insightful, humorous, moving, and never dull, Colasanti's characters will feel like they're your best friends by the time you have finished this delightful novel. Reviewed by: The Compulsive Reader