Keep Holding On

Keep Holding On
written by Susane Colasanti

This is the YA novel about bullying that the world's been waiting for.  So many books addressing bullying take on a preachy stance, ignoring the realities that this bullying consumes a teen's life with shame, making it so difficult for bullying to be addressed.  Colasanti knows what she's talking about.  We are getting the raw, real story here.  I really love that the reader doesn't have to dig deep to find the morsels of meaning, the depth is all there, laid out, ready to be applied to the bullied lives of actual teens.  I have a lot of things I could say here.  I wish, and don't we all, I could one day have a one-on-one conversation with Colasanti about her books and her life, but for now, I'll revel in knowing that I am not alone, and neither are you.  The one adjustment I would have loved would have been either a sequel or an expansion of the story beyond the ending, because as with most endings, the ending was just a beginning.  Unlike many of those beginnings, though, it's one that's rarely written about, and if there's anyone I'd like to see writing that unwritten story, it's SC.

So Much Closer

So Much Closer

written by Susane Colasanti

I love Susane Colasanti's books, as I've mentioned in previous reviews. It is so evident through her writing that she has worked with teens and really understands them. The characters she creates are realistic and complex, rather than shallow caricatures. Having read her blog, this book reads as the epitome of all that she is. Set against a New York backdrop, filled with cute teen romance and more references to The Office than you've ever seen in a book before, So Much Closer is sure to satisfy your need for fluffy romance accompanied by a journey of self-discovery. Colasanti's books are mature and subtly complex. You can read them as simple love stories if that's what you're in the mood for, but there's so much more hidden under the surface. Though on the surface, it might seem like this is a book about a girl moving to New York City chasing the boy of her dreams, beneath that, it's about a girl learning to accept who she is and all that has made her that way.

Rating: 5/5

Also by Susane Colasanti:

When It Happens

Take Me There

Waiting for You
Something Like Fate

I got this book from...:LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Take Me There

Take Me There
written by Susane Colasanti



While Take Me There is written in the same honest tone Colasanti's readers have gotten so used to, there's just something a bit off about the whole thing. Other than Nicole's issue, which isn't revealed until the very end, it's all about the relationships. I don't want to read only about boy trouble! The characters were well-characterized, but they still didn't seem like well-rounded individuals with big concerns, again, with the exception of Nicole at the end of the book. Maybe if Nicole's problem had been the focus from the start, and it had begun with the confession, maybe that would have made a better book. Complaints aside, I am still head-over-heels in love with Colasanti's writing. I love how she can mention casual details (ex: Rhiannon & Nicole having a big fight last year) without massive elaboration, but adding so much to the characterization. Yes, they did have lives before the book, and they will have lives afterward, and this is just one moment, one tiny glimpse into their world, but not the whole story. I love that. Colasanti knows she has smart readers who can create their own characters, so she mentions these little things, not quite details, because they are important tidbits and not just extra nonsense, and she leaves it up to the reader to figure out the details. I'm a bit torn on the multiple points of view. Nicole's story did not really work with the other two until the very end, and I was disappointed by that. Her story bored me; it was underdeveloped and disconnected. On the other hand, I really liked reading James' parts, and Colasanti's take on a boy's thoughts was pretty interesting. The ending was fantastic, I just wish it had happened sooner. Not Colasanti's best work, but I'll take it regardless.

Rating: 4/5