Review: Take Me There by Susane Colasanti

Hardcover 304 Pages
Published May 29, 2008 Viking Juvenile

In one short week . . . three lives change.

Rhiannon is devastated after the breakup with her boyfriend and wants him back. Nicole's ex is still in the picture, but she can't help having a new crush. James and Rhiannon are just friends, though he may try to take it to the next level. Will their desire to take a mean girl down a notch bring these three friends what they want . . . and more?

Set during one life-altering week and told in three realistic perspectives, this engaging, witty novel by the author of When It Happens shows the ups and downs of love, friendship, and karma.

I have a bit of a half and half relationship with Colasanti’s books. Some I enjoy, others I do not. Take Me There was a pleasant read.

I liked the three separate points of view, and I think Colasanti did a decent job of making the three voices unique in their own ways.  There were moments when Rhiannon and Nicole kind of blurred together, but each of them had their own personal issues that did separate them. I liked all of the characters well enough.

I love the friendships in this story. The four main characters (why didn't Danny have a voice?) were genuinely good friends to each other, and I loved that they had each others' backs.

I have two small issues with this book. First, the slang was a bit much. This book was released in 2008, which means I was technically still a teen, and I don’t recall anyone ever talking the way these kids do. The only times some of these words were used where I’m from is when someone was just joking around. No one (again, around here) used these words in serious conversations or confrontation. That said, I definitely think she captures the essence of being a teenager very well. While I don’t necessarily agree with the dialogue, I do think she’s spot on with what teenagers are concerned about on a regular basis.

My second issue is the serious issues the book handled. I’m all for serious issues, but in Take Me There, I didn’t really feel as if they were addressed. They were there, but there wasn’t enough time spent on them to really understand them enough to make a difference. I don’t think there’s anything someone who was in a similar situation themselves could have learned from the story.

Those things aside, Take Me There was a lot of fun. I did enjoy it.  If you’re in the mood for a lighthearted and enjoyable read, Take Me There may provide.   

3/5 Stars