Review: So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti

When Brooke's crush, Scott, moves from their suburban town to New York City, she decides to follow him there. Living with her formerly estranged dad and adapting to a new school are challenging, and things go from bad to worse when Brooke learns that Scott already has a girlfriend. But as she builds her new life, Brooke begins to discover a side of herself she never knew existed. And as she finds out, in the city that never sleeps, love can appear around any corner...

Review:

So Much Closer was an entertaining and heartbreaking read that proved love can be found in the most unlikely of places. Susane Colasanti is an author I can always count on for writing a solid, realistic YA novel and while So Much Closer didn't make my list of favorites, this was still a novel I will recommend to fans of contemporary YA.

Brooke has had a crush on Scott for a long time, but has never been able to confess her feelings to him. So when Scott moves to NYC, Brooke follows him there. Since Brooke's father already lived in NYC, it was relatively easy for her to leave New Jersey and move to the Big Apple. Starting at a new school and leaving her old life behind, Brooke doesn't know what to expect. All she cares about is Scott. Unfortunately, Brooke soon learns that Scott already has a girlfriend and she is losing touch with her old friends. But things in NYC are never as they seem, and soon Brooke is learning more about herself and the new people she has met. Brooke is about to have the experience of a lifetime.

The setting was my favorite aspect of So Much Closer. Susane Colasanti is obviously a New Yorker and all of the scenery and places that Brooke visits were described in flawless detail. I love New York and seeing it through Brooke's eyes was a new experience. She visited so many fantastic places and learned so much about the city from the new friends she made. Every day she spent in the city Brooke discovered something new and exciting.

At first, I wasn't sure what I thought of Brooke. She followed a boy she barely new to an entirely new place, leaving behind her friends and family, all because she felt she loved him. As the novel progressed, Brooke learned a lot about herself and those around her, and I liked seeing who she became by the end of So Much Closer. Each of the characters introduced in So Much Closer had an important role, although some were less developed than I would have liked, but my favorite had to be John. John was such a well done character and I only wish he had more page time. John opened Brooke's eyes to the true New York City and he was such a unique and realistic character.

There were many folds to this story and I liked the different twists in the plot. Brooke was an intriguing character and her experiences truly shaped her in so many ways. I wish there was a bit more character development and at times the story felt a little unrealistic but, all in all, I enjoyed So Much Closer and am looking forward to reading more stories by Susane Colasanti. For anyone looking for an original, contemporary read, I do recommend checking this out. The ending was sweet and just what I had hoped for and, as I've said many times before, the setting was presented perfectly.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

May 3, 2011/Viking Juvenile/241 Pages/Young Adult

Source: Teens Read Too (ARC)

Other books by this author: When It Happens, Take Me There, Waiting for You, Something Like Fate