Rhiannon is completely devastated after the breakup with her boyfriend. She wants him back.

Nicole's ex still wants to be with her, but she's obsessed with someone else.

James is hopelessly in love with Rhiannon, who doesn't see that their friendship can be so much more.

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 shows the ups and downs of love, friendship, and karma.

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"Colasanti ably captures the teenage voice through language that is real and not forced. Her easy writing style will speak to teen readers." - VOYA

"Each character's voice is strong, and the dialogue is stolen right from the corridors of a contemporary high school." - Booklist

"This tale has likable and realistic teen characters. Teens who are dealing with their own problems will benefit from the hopeful resolution." - School Library Journal

"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." - The Compulsive Reader

Here's an excerpt from Take Me There.

You can read the first chapter of each point of view on Scribd.

The Take Me There playlist is ready for some serious iPod dancing. You can listen to it here:

1. "Home To Me" - Josh Kelley
Some people just feel like home.

2. "Rhiannon" - Fleetwood Mac
The inspiration for Rhiannon's name.

3. "Dreaming With a Broken Heart" - John Mayer
After Steve breaks up with Rhiannon out of nowhere, her heart hurts so much that it's painful to be awake. Sleeping is how she dulls the pain. She keeps hoping that things will go back to normal when she wakes up, but of course she keeps waking up to the same nightmare.

4. "More Than a Feeling" - Boston
This song makes me smile. Hearing it takes me right back to how it all felt when everything was happening for the first time.

5. "Umbrella" - Rihanna
For the scene where Danny walks Nicole home in the rain under his big umbrella.

6. "My Immortal" - Evanescence
There's just too much that time cannot erase.

7. "Look What You've Done" - Jet
When some serious iPod dancing goes down, this is what's playing.

8. "Dare" - Gorillaz
When this song comes on at the dance, everyone floods the dance floor. It's that good.

9. "Leave" - R.E.M.
Captures the longing to leave everything and everyone behind.

10. "By Your Side" - Sade
I first heard this song on my fave ep of Sex and the City, The Good Fight. It was an emotional episode for me. Some scenes were filmed on a Tribeca rooftop in July 2001. The episode aired after September 11, so the producers decided it would be kinder to remove the Twin Towers from the skyline. Every time I watch that episode, I still see them. This song is about a promise to always be there.

11. "Fly Away" - Lenny Kravitz
Sounds like sweet summer nights and good times with friends.

12. "Can't Find My Way Home" - Blind Faith
Take Me There was originally called My Way Home, a title that was inspired by this song.

 

The Take Me There book trailer captures the essence of the West Village, where most of the story takes place. You can watch the trailer here or on YouTube.

Take a photo tour of New York City locations featured in the book. See where everyone lives, their favorite cupcakes, and the scene of some serious iPod dancing.

Rhiannon has just been dumped by her boyfriend and desperately wants him back. Nicole is struggling with her past, crushing on her math teacher, and trying to remember why she broke up with her boyfriend, Danny. James and Rhiannon are only good friends - or are they?

At first glance, this book looks like any other teen relationship novel, but the story goes beyond and the characters slightly past the surface into a week full of both routine and transformation in the lives of three teenagers, their families, and friends. This story of romance and friendship, new love and old wounds is told in three distinct voices, gracefully woven together. Colasanti ably captures the teenage voice through language that is real and not forced. Her easy writing style will speak to teen readers. This book is a quick read but not empty fluff. Although predictable, the different threads are nonetheless satisfying, with a mix of self-discovery, self-deprecation, humor, and teenage angst. Teens will relate to the circumstances and connect with the realistic, sympathetic characters. Parents and teachers mostly remain in the shadows, but their presence - or absence - is felt in the lives of the characters. Likewise other secondary characters and story lines are less developed, but they still add to the overall picture. Some name dropping and popular culture references may limit the shelf life, but readers who enjoyed Colasanti's When It Happens (Viking, 2006/VOYA June 2006) will not be disappointed. 4Q 4P (Better than most; broad general YA appeal)

- VOYA

 

In this novel about the drama and trauma of teen relationships, Rhiannon loves order, math, and Steve, but Steve dumped her for the manipulative, skanky Gloria. James loves serenity, designing software, and his friendship with Rhiannon. But his home is chaotic, and Rhiannon doesn't know how much he cares for her. Nicole loves her math teacher, her friendship with Rhiannon, and her ex-boyfriend Danny. But Nicole has a secret that threatens all of her relationships.

Over the course of a week, Colasanti's story, told in alternating chapters, describes how the three teens cope with the same events, each other, and their own issues. Each character's voice is strong, and the dialogue is stolen right from the corridors of a contemporary high school. Readers, especially girls, will appreciate the very satisfying resolutions of all three characters' issues: Rhiannon gets revenge and recognizes the depth of her friendship with James; James receives a surprising gift; and Nicole acknowledges the consequences of her father's abuse and her conflicted feelings for Danny.

- Booklist

 

This tale has likable and realistic teen characters. It takes place over an event-filled week, with Rhiannon, Nicole, and James telling the same story from their individual perspectives. Rhiannon is devastated by her recent breakup with Steve. Nicole has broken up with Danny for no apparent reason, and he is determined to win her back. James, who has always been Rhiannon's best friend, is finding his feelings for her undergoing a dramatic change. Many humorous events occur, including Rhiannon's surefire plan to get Steve back that backfires. Readers will be intrigued by how the same incidents can be seen in so many different lights. They may also gain perspective on how one action can have very different consequences for people. The story also addresses several difficult and all-too-common problems that many teens face. Nicole realizes that Sheila is being physically abused by her boyfriend and is able to get her some professional help. Nicole has her own dark secret - her father is sexually abusing her. It's through her interactions with her friends that she is finally able to acknowledge the abuse and start to get on with her life. Teens who are dealing with their own problems will benefit from the hopeful resolution of this story. While this book's main appeal will be with girls, guys will enjoy hearing the male perspective.

- School Library Journal

 

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. 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 delivery attention 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.

- The Compulsive Reader

 

Rhiannon has just been dumped by her boyfriend for no apparent reason. She is beyond devastated. She just doesn't understand why Steve would just break up with her. The worst part is she wants Steve back, but it seems he doesn't feel the same way about Rhiannon.  Nicole is her own kind of person. No one's like her, but they all admire her. She has just dumped her boyfriend and only she knows why. Danny was the sweetest boy that Nicole had ever met, but then things started getting too serious for her and she just had to end it. Quickly moving on she soon has a new crush.  James is a computer geek who's Rhiannon's best friend....but he so wishes it were more. His best friend just happens to be the same Danny that Nicole just dumped, and he knows that Danny still wants Nicole back.

Set during one hectic week of these three friends’ lives, Take Me There is the ultimate teen novel. What starts as a horrible week ends up turning into one heck of a roller coaster ride. Told from all three people's perspective we learn all of the dastardly deeds and heartbreaking moments each character experiences.

This was one of the cutest books I've ever read. Each part of the story was told three times, but by a different character which made the book really interesting. It also allowed the reader to learn secrets about the other characters and made previous events that had happened make sense. This was the first time I've ever read a book told like this, and I loved it. I also really enjoyed how all the characters seemed so real. Nicole is the best friend who will always help you up when you're down, but will never accept your help, and Rhiannon is the smart, organized, super nice girl in all of your classes. As for James, I totally have a crush on him. He seems like the sweetest guy who any girl would die to have. There is nothing that I didn't like about this book, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a good, heartwarming read. I definitely look forward to reading more of Susane Colasanti's novels.

- And Another Book Read

 

When I first started reading Take Me There by Susane Colasanti, I thought maybe I’d stepped into the middle of something. Like maybe I was reading a sequel. So I stopped and went back to her first book, When It Happens. Which, it turned out, had nothing to do with her new book, but was a delight to read anyway.

After I finished When It Happens, I immediately returned to Take Me There, this time realizing that Susane was bringing us into the middle of a story on purpose. This is something you should know, so that you aren’t confused when you pick up the book yourself. Because you are so going to.

Susane’s novel about a group of kids at a Manhattan high school is told from three different perspectives: there’s Rhiannon, who has just been dumped by a guy she thought loved her; James, Rhiannon’s best friend since forever; and Nicole, newer to the crowd but essential just the same.

Each of the three voices is distinct, but they don’t clash. They work together. And in each section, we find out something new about a situation we’ve already read about from another perspective. It’s a creative format, and Susane does a great job making sure it all meshes.

As for the storyline … well, I don’t want to tell you too much. Just that it starts with Rhiannon in tears over a guy. Sounds typical, but what happens as the book progresses isn’t typical. There’s so much more to the story, there are so many more stories to the story, and it’s just plain good reading.

If, after you finish Take Me There, you are still in need of a Susane Colasanti fix, I highly recommend When It Happens. Now, get thee to a bookstore already! Sheesh.

- YA New York

 

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 unlikable 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. My three favorite potential movie scenes are:

1. The rain pouring down on Rhiannon's chalk message as she walks out of school.

2. The iPod dancing scene (obviously!), when Rhiannon and James kiss, and then the light show and music begin at exactly the right moment.

3. The colorful, inspirational words projected onto the walls, floor, and ceiling during Danny's speech.

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 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!

- wishfulsky