Review: So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS:

Another contemporary thought-provoking romance from Susane Colasanti!
When Brooke discovers that the love of her life, Scott Abrams, is moving from their New Jersey suburb to New York City for senior year, she decides to follow hime there. Living with her estranged father and adjusting to a whole new school are challenging--and things get even worse when she finds out that Scott already has a girlfriend. But as she learns to navigate the big city, she starts to discover a whole new side of herself, and realizes that sometimes love can find you even when you're not looking for it. 

MY TAKE:
I wasn't too sure about the premise of the book since it sounded like it could be a television series or a movie, I was persuaded to give this a try because it takes place in New York.

In So Much Closer, Brooke has been in love with Scott for a long time. Just when she finally gets up the courage to tell him how she feels, she finds out that Scott is moving to New York. Convinced that she and Scott belong together, Brooke decides to leave New Jersey and live with her father in New York so she can be with Scott. However, things don't turn out the way she wants them to, not just with Scott, but with her entire life plan.

I was actually on the fence for awhile about whether I should rate this a three or a four. Brooke was too flighty and Scott-obsessed for my taste during the first part of the book. I wasn't irritated with her, though. She's kind of like that friend you have that makes you shake your head because of her life decisions, but you like her anyway. It was also a little unbearable to watch her waste away her intelligence just so she can fit in and not have people look at her funny or think mean things about her. It's such a waste to see kids being taught that they should let their light shine less just to fit in, when doing so doesn't actually help anyone.

I'm not sure exactly what part I started to like Brooke. Perhaps it was during one of her New York soliloquies. I really enjoyed her descriptions of places in New York. It was like I was actually there with here. I was especially happy to read about her seeing the open windows. Staring up at apartment buildings, trying to catch a glimpse of what life must be like for those who live there, is one of my favorite things to do when I find myself in a big city after dark.

When it came to the love story, I wasn't surprised with the endgame pairing, though I didn't exactly expect the way the author brought them together. It felt a lot more realistic to me than what most authors like to do with their characters and endgame pairings. It's for mostly this reason that I went with a four rating instead of a three.

THE GOOD:

1. The ending is a little cheesy, but mostly realistic.
2. The descriptions of New York are wonderful.
3. It's a fun, light read. 

THE BAD:

1. Brooke's obsession with Scott can be a bit hard to watch. 

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

It’s unbelievable how you can affect someone else so deeply and never know. 

READ IT IF:

1. You like books set in New York.
2. You haven't figured out what you want to be when you grow up.
3. You like Sarah Dessen's novels. 

RATING:


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