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Take Me There
Dylan has a bad-boy past and a criminal record. He knows that rich, beautiful Jess is way too good for him but she has always been the one person who sees through his tough exterior and straight to his heart, and he has been hopelessly in love with her from the first time they met. He would change his life for a chance with her.
But trouble follows Dylan wherever he goes, and a deadly mistake soon forces him to hit the road and leave his dreams behind. He's on the run and in search of answers; answers to questions he wishes he'd never asked.
But trouble follows Dylan wherever he goes, and a deadly mistake soon forces him to hit the road and leave his dreams behind. He's on the run and in search of answers; answers to questions he wishes he'd never asked.
325 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2010
69 people are currently reading
12136 people want to read
About the author
Carolee Dean
15 books177 followersCarolee Dean, MS, CCC-SLP, CALT, Speech-Language Pathologist and Certified Academic Language Therapist specializing in dyslexia, is an adjunct instructor at Providence College teaching Language-Based Learning for students pursuing a Master of Education in Special Education with a Dyslexia Credential. She is the founder of Word Travel Press LLC, creating decodable books and related materials for struggling readers through her HOT ROD series. She served as the Western Region Representative for the International Dyslexia Association from 2022 to 2025. Dean specializes in narrative-based strategies and is the author of Story Frames for Literacy: Enhancing Student Learning Through the Power of Storytelling (2021, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co, Inc). She has also written award-winning young adult fiction available through Houghton Mifflin and Simon Pulse.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 348 reviews
February 22, 2015
Where do I begin with this book? Is it enough for me to say, just go read it? Probably not, huh? Take Me There was sent to us a couple of months ago, and has been sitting on my shelf ever since (while I try to tackle this never-ending TBR pile). It looked, from the cover, like a cute little fluff book. A romance that might be fun to read sometime. Let me just tell you, DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER!! (Have you heard that before?) This book was NOT fluff!
So many things happened and so many issues were tackled that I just don't know where to start or how to end. When Dylan Dawson was just six years old, his father was arrested for murder. He has grown up his entire life believing that he was worthless and had no future. Add to this the fact that he can't read or write very well, and you have a recipe for disaster. Dylan was recently released from Juvie for working at a chop shop (stealing cars and selling the parts), and has vowed to turn his life around. If not for himself, then for Jess, the girl he hopes to one day be good enough for. But trouble seems to find Dylan wherever he hides, and soon he is running from his past, from the cops, and for his life. His journey takes him to Texas, where he hopes to visit his imprisoned father and find the answers to the questions he's been asking his whole life.
Dylan takes us with him on his journey to escape his past. We travel with him and his best friend, Wade, to Texas, where we meet his convict father, his eccentric grandmother, and her very interesting pig. The story jumps from the present, to the past, where Dylan paints a picture of the life he was hoping to have with Jess, the girl he has loved since childhood. He shows us the poetry he has to fight to write because he doesn't know how to spell. Then there are excerpts from a book that his father, Dylan Dawson Sr., has written from prison, explaining how illiteracy is like brand that marks people for prison from childhood. These excerpts were so moving, and all I could think was that it makes me so sad to think that the people who most need to read this book, probably can't.
It was an incredible thing to fall in love with the main character of a book. Dylan is a "bad-boy" in the sense that he can't quite seem to get it right, but he certainly is not when it comes to the way that he treats Jess. He is so incredible to her that I just melted! And his poetry! I'm not a person who usually enjoys poetry, but I loved it in this book. It was the story behind the poems that made them so beautiful. To read about the emotions and experiences as he is going through them, then to read the poetry he uses to express those feelings was amazing.
The storyline has so many different twists. Just when you think one thing is resolved, WHAM, you're hit with something else! There are murders, and gangs, and jail fights, and executions, there's mystery, and dealing with illiteracy, and betrayal, and then there's friendship, and love....romance, yes, but also the love between family and friends and how far they will go to protect each other. I just can't say enough about this book!
Take Me There is heartbreaking, but hopeful. I can't tell you how many times I sighed, wiped tears from my eyes, and said out loud to whoever was in the room, "I love this book!" Is it my favorite book? I don't know. But what I do know is that it was the most moving story I've ever read.
Andye (http://ReadingTeen.net/)
So many things happened and so many issues were tackled that I just don't know where to start or how to end. When Dylan Dawson was just six years old, his father was arrested for murder. He has grown up his entire life believing that he was worthless and had no future. Add to this the fact that he can't read or write very well, and you have a recipe for disaster. Dylan was recently released from Juvie for working at a chop shop (stealing cars and selling the parts), and has vowed to turn his life around. If not for himself, then for Jess, the girl he hopes to one day be good enough for. But trouble seems to find Dylan wherever he hides, and soon he is running from his past, from the cops, and for his life. His journey takes him to Texas, where he hopes to visit his imprisoned father and find the answers to the questions he's been asking his whole life.
Dylan takes us with him on his journey to escape his past. We travel with him and his best friend, Wade, to Texas, where we meet his convict father, his eccentric grandmother, and her very interesting pig. The story jumps from the present, to the past, where Dylan paints a picture of the life he was hoping to have with Jess, the girl he has loved since childhood. He shows us the poetry he has to fight to write because he doesn't know how to spell. Then there are excerpts from a book that his father, Dylan Dawson Sr., has written from prison, explaining how illiteracy is like brand that marks people for prison from childhood. These excerpts were so moving, and all I could think was that it makes me so sad to think that the people who most need to read this book, probably can't.
It was an incredible thing to fall in love with the main character of a book. Dylan is a "bad-boy" in the sense that he can't quite seem to get it right, but he certainly is not when it comes to the way that he treats Jess. He is so incredible to her that I just melted! And his poetry! I'm not a person who usually enjoys poetry, but I loved it in this book. It was the story behind the poems that made them so beautiful. To read about the emotions and experiences as he is going through them, then to read the poetry he uses to express those feelings was amazing.
The storyline has so many different twists. Just when you think one thing is resolved, WHAM, you're hit with something else! There are murders, and gangs, and jail fights, and executions, there's mystery, and dealing with illiteracy, and betrayal, and then there's friendship, and love....romance, yes, but also the love between family and friends and how far they will go to protect each other. I just can't say enough about this book!
Take Me There is heartbreaking, but hopeful. I can't tell you how many times I sighed, wiped tears from my eyes, and said out loud to whoever was in the room, "I love this book!" Is it my favorite book? I don't know. But what I do know is that it was the most moving story I've ever read.
Andye (http://ReadingTeen.net/)
March 12, 2018
The cover of this book caught my attention, it's a really good cover, and next, the title. I though: Susan’s Colasanti Take Me There? I picked up the book and read the summary. Long Summary Short: Bad 'gang boy' fall for pretty 'it' girl. And then I though: Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles! So I immediately bought the book, considering I’m a big fan of Colasanti’s and Elkele’s work, I assumed it would be a story like Perfect Chemistry, with the light bubbly factor of Take Me There.
You guessed. I was wrong. Take Me There does follow the Perfect Chemistry theme: a bad boy falling for the good girl, thinking he doesn’t deserve her and he’s in a gang- Or was. The Difference is that this story has so much more depth, in Elkele’s work, it wasn’t so much depth, but more like drama and action. Do not get me wrong, I LOVED the Perfect Chemistry series; but Take Me There was just. . . I have never loved a character as much as Dylan ever in my life.
I know the idea of a guy being in a gang and having trouble with it sounds supper exiting, but I don’t think it applies to Take Me There. It does have some gruesome shocking parts but, it's more of the self-discovery of Dylan, his internal fights, deciding to do the easy thing, or the right thing. Fighting for Jess’s love, trying to hide a past that seems to haunt him, and trying to be someone else, to change, when it seems like it's in his veins to be a criminal.
I really liked this book, or maybe I even loved it, I’m not quite sure yet (02/21/13 Update: Yep, I loved it.). It made me feel sad, happy, angry, frustrated and so many more things. After I finished it, it was as if I had a hole in my chest, it was a. . . I don’t know how to describe it, it wasn’t a happy ending, it wasn’t a sad ending, it wasn’t angry. . . but I was full of hope, love , uncertainty and freedom in many ways; like life itself, but specially hope. I can relate so much to Dylan in the way he needs to write down what’s in his mind, but there doesn’t seem to be enough ink or paper or words to put them down. It's the book that has moved more emotions inside of me, the one that I have marked more pages in because I love them, and so far the one who has leaved more marks in my mind and in my heart.
I think Take Me There is a road we should all cross, Dylan is a great character, the story is thrilling in many ways, Jess’s character is simply beautiful, and Dylan’s life. . . it’s a tangled up, and bumpy road.
You guessed. I was wrong. Take Me There does follow the Perfect Chemistry theme: a bad boy falling for the good girl, thinking he doesn’t deserve her and he’s in a gang- Or was. The Difference is that this story has so much more depth, in Elkele’s work, it wasn’t so much depth, but more like drama and action. Do not get me wrong, I LOVED the Perfect Chemistry series; but Take Me There was just. . . I have never loved a character as much as Dylan ever in my life.
I know the idea of a guy being in a gang and having trouble with it sounds supper exiting, but I don’t think it applies to Take Me There. It does have some gruesome shocking parts but, it's more of the self-discovery of Dylan, his internal fights, deciding to do the easy thing, or the right thing. Fighting for Jess’s love, trying to hide a past that seems to haunt him, and trying to be someone else, to change, when it seems like it's in his veins to be a criminal.
I really liked this book, or maybe I even loved it, I’m not quite sure yet (02/21/13 Update: Yep, I loved it.). It made me feel sad, happy, angry, frustrated and so many more things. After I finished it, it was as if I had a hole in my chest, it was a. . . I don’t know how to describe it, it wasn’t a happy ending, it wasn’t a sad ending, it wasn’t angry. . . but I was full of hope, love , uncertainty and freedom in many ways; like life itself, but specially hope. I can relate so much to Dylan in the way he needs to write down what’s in his mind, but there doesn’t seem to be enough ink or paper or words to put them down. It's the book that has moved more emotions inside of me, the one that I have marked more pages in because I love them, and so far the one who has leaved more marks in my mind and in my heart.
I think Take Me There is a road we should all cross, Dylan is a great character, the story is thrilling in many ways, Jess’s character is simply beautiful, and Dylan’s life. . . it’s a tangled up, and bumpy road.
March 31, 2011
I don't know if I can put my feelings and thoughts into words, such is the gravity of my love.
Take Me There takes you by surprise. The cover and summary leads one to expect an ordinary, yet another young adult novel about a bad boy with a troubled past falling for a good girl with a bright future. But any preconceived judgments readers might have are immediately dispelled by, not the first chapter, but the dedication. Dean dedicates the book to individuals who actively make a difference on the "youth of today who will become the leaders of tomorrow." I love that. It shows that she's trying to do something with this book (other than entertain).
I really don't mean to be such a hater or a downer but we all know that right now, in the book business, YA is where its at. I don't think this genre has ever been more popular - not to mention lucrative. I look around and I swell with excitement knowing young people are reading so much. But then I read the books and think they might as well go back to being illiterate...okay, I'm exaggerating but you get my point. I read the array of mindless characters they try to throw at us and the inane storylines where the emotional crux of the plot is whether or not they get together.
I like books that has more at stake. I like complex characters that have more going for them other than a romance. And I feel this book achieves that. I felt for Dylan as a young man in love, yes. But also as a young man neglected by his mother; really, who lacks any guiding authority other than the authorities. As a boy who deserves better friends. A boy who tries to do good but seems so out of luck. A boy trying to escape a fate he feels has been set before him long ago by the father he lost. So much more. I'm just not articulate enough to explain it all.
This book is heartfelt and heart-wrenching; it is yearning and sad; angry and tired. It suffers inner turmoil but stands resolute. It is brave and afraid. It is desperate but not without hope.
I didn't fully understand just how invested I was in the story until I got to the end. I suddenly felt this grip on my soul, my heart, my lungs, what have you, which I then realized had been there for a while, getting tighter and tighter the further I read. It was a very deep and filling breath gathering inside me.
Its so unfair sometimes. Just when you wish a book is the first of a series, its a stand alone. Carolee Dean, please continue this story. I need more.
Take Me There takes you by surprise. The cover and summary leads one to expect an ordinary, yet another young adult novel about a bad boy with a troubled past falling for a good girl with a bright future. But any preconceived judgments readers might have are immediately dispelled by, not the first chapter, but the dedication. Dean dedicates the book to individuals who actively make a difference on the "youth of today who will become the leaders of tomorrow." I love that. It shows that she's trying to do something with this book (other than entertain).
I really don't mean to be such a hater or a downer but we all know that right now, in the book business, YA is where its at. I don't think this genre has ever been more popular - not to mention lucrative. I look around and I swell with excitement knowing young people are reading so much. But then I read the books and think they might as well go back to being illiterate...okay, I'm exaggerating but you get my point. I read the array of mindless characters they try to throw at us and the inane storylines where the emotional crux of the plot is whether or not they get together.
I like books that has more at stake. I like complex characters that have more going for them other than a romance. And I feel this book achieves that. I felt for Dylan as a young man in love, yes. But also as a young man neglected by his mother; really, who lacks any guiding authority other than the authorities. As a boy who deserves better friends. A boy who tries to do good but seems so out of luck. A boy trying to escape a fate he feels has been set before him long ago by the father he lost. So much more. I'm just not articulate enough to explain it all.
This book is heartfelt and heart-wrenching; it is yearning and sad; angry and tired. It suffers inner turmoil but stands resolute. It is brave and afraid. It is desperate but not without hope.
I didn't fully understand just how invested I was in the story until I got to the end. I suddenly felt this grip on my soul, my heart, my lungs, what have you, which I then realized had been there for a while, getting tighter and tighter the further I read. It was a very deep and filling breath gathering inside me.
Its so unfair sometimes. Just when you wish a book is the first of a series, its a stand alone. Carolee Dean, please continue this story. I need more.
November 23, 2014
Read the FULL gif-filled non-spoliery review @My Addiction:Books
Rating: ★★★★★
Actual Rating: A gazillion stars
My Opinion Of This Book: I'M SPEECHLESS. THIS IS MY 2nd FAVORITE BOOK EVER.
Liked:
-The Writing
-The Plot/Storyline
-The Romance
-The Poems
-Dylan
-Jess
-Wade
-The Ending
I never knew I could finish a book in a blast,
I never knew I could cry this whole bunch,
I never knew I could love a book character so much so fast,
I never knew I could love a book so much.
The Characters
Dylan
Well, meet my new book boyfriend!
So Dylan is a bad-boy and has a criminal record,trouble seems to follow him everywhere too.
Dylan is so adorable!!He can't read or write but he creates poetry in his head. I'm just like..
Jess
So Jess did some stupid things..but overall she's really great and she didn't get on my nerves a lot.
Wade
Wade, Dylan's friend, was so dumb in the beginning of the book!Like seriously I was like..
But by the end he changed and I started liking him!
The Writing and The Poems
I LOVED the writing style!Carolee Dean's writing is like THE BEST!It's so different and awesome!I just adore her writing!It's so beautiful!
There was poems incorporated in this book also. I mean I've never loved poetry nor hated it..but after reading this book I absolutely LOVE poetry!!
The Romance
There wasn't too much romance, there was the perfect amount for a story like this. I really loved Dylan & Jess as a couple. You can tell they really care for each other and it's just amazing!
The Ending
WOW!That ending was so perfect!
Overall
Do I reccomend this book to anyone?:
GOOO READDD THIS BOOK!!!!!!
Rating: ★★★★★
Actual Rating: A gazillion stars
My Opinion Of This Book: I'M SPEECHLESS. THIS IS MY 2nd FAVORITE BOOK EVER.
Liked:
-The Writing
-The Plot/Storyline
-The Romance
-The Poems
-Dylan
-Jess
-Wade
-The Ending
I never knew I could finish a book in a blast,
I never knew I could cry this whole bunch,
I never knew I could love a book character so much so fast,
I never knew I could love a book so much.
The Characters
Dylan
"I know a girl with sea green eyes. She melts the sun, swallows the sky, then breathes out stars to kiss the night so guys like me will have some light." I felt stupid sitting there reciting a poem about one girl to another one. Besides, what had sounded clever in my head sounded stupid coming out of my mouth.
"Away in a manager, no crib to call home. The boy is in danger and Mom's on the roam. She has a hard time explaining the truth about Dad. So don't ask no questions. Too much truth can be bad."
People luk at me and wok akros the street.
So tired of the suspishus eyes
On all the faces that I meet
And tell me, if I try
To be a difrent guy,
Will you be the girl
To rearrange my wirld?
You take me up,
You take me down,
Take me to the sky,
Take me to the ground.
I'd go anywhere
If you would take me there.
Well, meet my new book boyfriend!
So Dylan is a bad-boy and has a criminal record,trouble seems to follow him everywhere too.
Dylan is so adorable!!He can't read or write but he creates poetry in his head. I'm just like..
Jess
So Jess did some stupid things..but overall she's really great and she didn't get on my nerves a lot.
Wade
Wade, Dylan's friend, was so dumb in the beginning of the book!Like seriously I was like..
But by the end he changed and I started liking him!
The Writing and The Poems
I LOVED the writing style!Carolee Dean's writing is like THE BEST!It's so different and awesome!I just adore her writing!It's so beautiful!
There was poems incorporated in this book also. I mean I've never loved poetry nor hated it..but after reading this book I absolutely LOVE poetry!!
The Romance
There wasn't too much romance, there was the perfect amount for a story like this. I really loved Dylan & Jess as a couple. You can tell they really care for each other and it's just amazing!
The Ending
WOW!That ending was so perfect!
Overall
Do I reccomend this book to anyone?:
GOOO READDD THIS BOOK!!!!!!
June 30, 2011
People luk at me and wok akros the street.
So tired of the suspishus eyes
On all the faces that I meet
And tell me, if I try
To be a difrent guy,
Will you be the girl
To rearrange my wirld?
You take me up,
You take me down,
Take me to the sky,
Take me to the ground.
I'd go anywhere
If you would take me there.
Dylan Dawson was trouble, no matter how hard he tried to stay away from it's path, trouble will come knocking down his doors. He believed he inherited the trait from his dad, who was sentenced to a death penalty of lethal injection. Then he met Jess, a girl who makes him believe in himself again.
This book is a journey of a teenage man embarking on the road to redemption, to reconnect with his past and seek the future. Take me there has a way of undoing my insides, because I was bawling by the time I closed the book, and instantly, I felt my few hours of reading had changed me emotionally and mentally, I had definitely aged a lot.
What started out as a typical bad boy meets good girl story took off an interesting twist when Wade, Dylan's best friend decided to go on with a robbery, things spiral out of control from there and they found themselves on the run. And who knew, when Dylan planned to pay his dad a visit, he let loose a chain of bitter memories?
5/5 proves an amazing book:
1. The cover drew me in, and the fact that the summary was quite similar to Perfect Chemistry I knew that this was the book I must get, instead, I was emotionally tangled and I don't think I ever felt this intense reading Perfect Chemistry, and I loved Perfect Chemistry.
2. The characters were well developed, from every single family dramas to boyfriend girlfriend dramas, each was fill with emotions that gripped me so hard.
3. Who knew a teenager mind could be so complicated? I find myself screaming GO! HIM! HER! THERE! WHAT?! all the time when I was reading this book, partly because the story plot was adrenaline junkie, and a huge part because the book was unpredictable. I have no idea what to expect, for an example, I thought Dylan's dad could be , or that I don't know who's the real murderer of Jack Golden, everyone was a suspect. It's one of the most brilliant mystery/romance/thriller novel I ever read.
4. I love the poems, I think Carolee is another version of Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth, because she writes great story plot.
5. I adore every single poems, every single quotes, and every single words touched me deeply.
Take me there, to the place, where I finally belong. This book is so much different from Perfect Chemistry, and if you're looking for romance, you may not find much here, instead you might find yourself being pulled into this sad life of a young boy.
So tired of the suspishus eyes
On all the faces that I meet
And tell me, if I try
To be a difrent guy,
Will you be the girl
To rearrange my wirld?
You take me up,
You take me down,
Take me to the sky,
Take me to the ground.
I'd go anywhere
If you would take me there.
Dylan Dawson was trouble, no matter how hard he tried to stay away from it's path, trouble will come knocking down his doors. He believed he inherited the trait from his dad, who was sentenced to a death penalty of lethal injection. Then he met Jess, a girl who makes him believe in himself again.
This book is a journey of a teenage man embarking on the road to redemption, to reconnect with his past and seek the future. Take me there has a way of undoing my insides, because I was bawling by the time I closed the book, and instantly, I felt my few hours of reading had changed me emotionally and mentally, I had definitely aged a lot.
What started out as a typical bad boy meets good girl story took off an interesting twist when Wade, Dylan's best friend decided to go on with a robbery, things spiral out of control from there and they found themselves on the run. And who knew, when Dylan planned to pay his dad a visit, he let loose a chain of bitter memories?
5/5 proves an amazing book:
1. The cover drew me in, and the fact that the summary was quite similar to Perfect Chemistry I knew that this was the book I must get, instead, I was emotionally tangled and I don't think I ever felt this intense reading Perfect Chemistry, and I loved Perfect Chemistry.
2. The characters were well developed, from every single family dramas to boyfriend girlfriend dramas, each was fill with emotions that gripped me so hard.
3. Who knew a teenager mind could be so complicated? I find myself screaming GO! HIM! HER! THERE! WHAT?! all the time when I was reading this book, partly because the story plot was adrenaline junkie, and a huge part because the book was unpredictable. I have no idea what to expect, for an example, I thought Dylan's dad could be , or that I don't know who's the real murderer of Jack Golden, everyone was a suspect. It's one of the most brilliant mystery/romance/thriller novel I ever read.
4. I love the poems, I think Carolee is another version of Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth, because she writes great story plot.
5. I adore every single poems, every single quotes, and every single words touched me deeply.
Take me there, to the place, where I finally belong. This book is so much different from Perfect Chemistry, and if you're looking for romance, you may not find much here, instead you might find yourself being pulled into this sad life of a young boy.
August 7, 2010
I picked up this book because the back page summary reminded me of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. Usually I don't like books that are similar but I wanted something a little edgy, a little sweet and totally romantic.
This book was far from that.
Take Me There is not a bad book. It has a male narrator, that automatically gives it a plus in my book. Those, especially in what seems to be presented as a romance books, are pretty rare. Only a few come to mind, and those few are my favorite.
Dylan has a shady past and wonders why his future is looking the same even though he is trying hard to change it. I appreciated all the questions and few answers Dylan went through as a narrator. Dylan is a poet, but is unable to read. It's never discussed too much but it seems that he has some kind of dyslexia. Honestly, there was nothing about Dylan that I disliked. There was also nothing that I was falling in love with beyond the bad boy past.
In Perfect Chemistry there is a certain spark between our two lovers, but I just didn't feel that with Jess and Dylan. I liked the idea of them having missed connections for years before Dylan saves her from the gang in the alley. But as they made out on the beach, I just wasn't feeling it.
What was most disappointing was the ending. It's not what is to be expected, even though it is the right ending. It's certainly not the favorite ending, especially not for me. With the cover and background summary a certain kind of story is being presented here, romance and happy endings. Unfortunately, that's not what was given. TAKE ME THERE is not a bad book. It's a very interesting story of one teen's journey. It's a very real story in that he doesn't always get what he wants. I have nothing against that, I do have something against it being portrayed otherwise. I do, however, understand that books need to be portrayed a certain way in order to sell. Obviously, the cover and carefully worded summary worked for me. But fair warning.
This book was far from that.
Take Me There is not a bad book. It has a male narrator, that automatically gives it a plus in my book. Those, especially in what seems to be presented as a romance books, are pretty rare. Only a few come to mind, and those few are my favorite.
Dylan has a shady past and wonders why his future is looking the same even though he is trying hard to change it. I appreciated all the questions and few answers Dylan went through as a narrator. Dylan is a poet, but is unable to read. It's never discussed too much but it seems that he has some kind of dyslexia. Honestly, there was nothing about Dylan that I disliked. There was also nothing that I was falling in love with beyond the bad boy past.
In Perfect Chemistry there is a certain spark between our two lovers, but I just didn't feel that with Jess and Dylan. I liked the idea of them having missed connections for years before Dylan saves her from the gang in the alley. But as they made out on the beach, I just wasn't feeling it.
What was most disappointing was the ending. It's not what is to be expected, even though it is the right ending. It's certainly not the favorite ending, especially not for me. With the cover and background summary a certain kind of story is being presented here, romance and happy endings. Unfortunately, that's not what was given. TAKE ME THERE is not a bad book. It's a very interesting story of one teen's journey. It's a very real story in that he doesn't always get what he wants. I have nothing against that, I do have something against it being portrayed otherwise. I do, however, understand that books need to be portrayed a certain way in order to sell. Obviously, the cover and carefully worded summary worked for me. But fair warning.
January 4, 2011
i had this book for quite some time already...and since one of my goals this year is to read my books that has been collecting dusts in my shelf, i pulled this one from the stocks i have. and my, i should have read this one when i bought coz the story was really good. ive read a few reviews saying that this one is like the books of simone elkeles...the perfect chemistry trilogy, a bad boy falling in love with a rich girl. but the similarity ends there. for me take me there has more depth and heart. it is told in a guy's perspective, dylan who just got out from juvie (hanging out with the wrong types of people and getting into trouble because of it) and trying to straighten out his life (since he doesnt want to end up like this father). while trying to be clean, he met jess (of course a rich girl and way out of his league) and fell in love with her. but even before their relationship can progress to the next level, he got into trouble again (all because of his stupid friend wade....sorry i just hate him) and decided to run....to texas, to find his convicted father and in line for the lethal injection. there is were the true story begins, dylan's journey in finding his father and finding the truth about his innocence.
i totally loved that in between the chapters there were poems by dylan (which are great of course) and writings of dylans father. this book is greatly recommended!!!
i totally loved that in between the chapters there were poems by dylan (which are great of course) and writings of dylans father. this book is greatly recommended!!!
May 27, 2011
If I were creative (which I'm not), there will be a pic of a heart in a blender on this review.
If I were wordy (which I'm not), this review will be filled with words describing how wonderful this book is from A to Z.
If I were smart (which I'm not), I will stay away from these kind of books that rips my heart into pieces (I cannot).
You take a boy, normal boy.
Mom is alive (she lives in a bottle).
Dad is alive (he lives in prison).
He can't read, can barely write.
He's doing his best and is turning his life around.
He meets this girl;beautiful, rich, unattainable--KIND.
His reason to walk in a straight arrow.
But life, bad choices, loyalty to the only brother he's ever known forced him to run; from his job, JESS, the law.
He ran to Texas. To see his father on death row. There he finds out why he is the way he is. Why women like his mom and Jess fell for guys like his dad and him. Why his dad's own mother won't visit her son in prison. What really happened in that trailer where his dad's best friend got shot and who really pulled the trigger.
I had a constant lump in my throat while reading this book. It hits you from page one and will not let up until you hit the last page. Everything was hard from the get go. He just couldn't catch a break and you can't help yourself but root for him and hope that he will get a happy ending. This is just a classic story of bad circumstances leading to bad choices...bad choices to prison life.
If I were wordy (which I'm not), this review will be filled with words describing how wonderful this book is from A to Z.
If I were smart (which I'm not), I will stay away from these kind of books that rips my heart into pieces (I cannot).
You take a boy, normal boy.
Mom is alive (she lives in a bottle).
Dad is alive (he lives in prison).
He can't read, can barely write.
He's doing his best and is turning his life around.
He meets this girl;beautiful, rich, unattainable--KIND.
His reason to walk in a straight arrow.
But life, bad choices, loyalty to the only brother he's ever known forced him to run; from his job, JESS, the law.
He ran to Texas. To see his father on death row. There he finds out why he is the way he is. Why women like his mom and Jess fell for guys like his dad and him. Why his dad's own mother won't visit her son in prison. What really happened in that trailer where his dad's best friend got shot and who really pulled the trigger.
I had a constant lump in my throat while reading this book. It hits you from page one and will not let up until you hit the last page. Everything was hard from the get go. He just couldn't catch a break and you can't help yourself but root for him and hope that he will get a happy ending. This is just a classic story of bad circumstances leading to bad choices...bad choices to prison life.
May 30, 2012
Wow. I am so glad I decided to pick up this book. It wasn't what I expected. No,it was so much more.
I was ready for a road trip and a romance that would blow my mind but I got a boy who is on a run from the police. He ends up looking for his father who is in line for the lethal injection. The biggest part of this book was revolving around finding out the truth and forgiveness. Romance is not an important factor of the novel and surprisingly I didn't have any problems with that.
I don't understand how can the overall rating be 3.77. It should at least be 4.11 or something like that. Whether you end up liking or disliking this book,it will leave a impact.
I was ready for a road trip and a romance that would blow my mind but I got a boy who is on a run from the police. He ends up looking for his father who is in line for the lethal injection. The biggest part of this book was revolving around finding out the truth and forgiveness. Romance is not an important factor of the novel and surprisingly I didn't have any problems with that.
I don't understand how can the overall rating be 3.77. It should at least be 4.11 or something like that. Whether you end up liking or disliking this book,it will leave a impact.
October 15, 2017
Wow. Just wow.
I am completely surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Chalk up a win for this book club selection.
I had few expectations, as reading the description of a boy searching for his father and trying to figure out his own life did not have much appeal. But this book is so much more.
I love how the book was plotted by Ms. Dean. We have present chapters, interspersed by background chapters. With the occasional chapter about Dylan's father. This layout really lent itself to the story. I was immediately hooked.
As a character, Dylan has had a difficult life. Not a life I could ever understand. But still, I empathized with him. I read the book hoping for the best for Dylan.
Overall an amazing read!
I am completely surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Chalk up a win for this book club selection.
I had few expectations, as reading the description of a boy searching for his father and trying to figure out his own life did not have much appeal. But this book is so much more.
I love how the book was plotted by Ms. Dean. We have present chapters, interspersed by background chapters. With the occasional chapter about Dylan's father. This layout really lent itself to the story. I was immediately hooked.
As a character, Dylan has had a difficult life. Not a life I could ever understand. But still, I empathized with him. I read the book hoping for the best for Dylan.
Overall an amazing read!
October 22, 2010
This was a hard hitting book from beginning to end. I liked the writing style. It kept me turning the pages. I am a sap for happy endings though and so found the book and especially the ending somewhat depressing. I like the real-life characters, but again I was hoping for some ray of hope or sunshine in there somewhere.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2011
This book was a great read and it told a great story. A story of love, loss, and choices. A must read!
September 18, 2014
I knew that when I started reading thing book that I was going to enjoy it. Boy, what an understatement! Dylan, the main character, has had a tough life. His father being in prison since he was six years, his mother who never told him about him unless she was drunk, being illiterate and having a criminal record at just seventeen. I felt for Dylan, he tries his best to become a better person and stay out of trouble and yet it followed him. He met Wade in Juvie and since then Dylan was taken him under his wing. Falls in love with Jess, a upper class, intellengent girl. He feels like she doesn't deserve a guy like him so he tries to stay aways, what he didn't realize was she loved him as well. Having the disficulty of reading and writing Dylan is a poet and finds out that words is the strongest weapon. He goes in search for his father for answers, what he goes through is one hell of a rollercoaster. Take Me There had everything in this book. I cried, scream, laughed and was touched by Dylan and his father's story. I don't want to give anything away, I just want to say that Carolee Dean didn't just create a beautiful, heart- warming story, she made it realitic and showed how powerful LOVE really is. Great, awesome, beautiful and just plan kick ass. If you pick up this book I will guarantee you won't be disappointed.
March 21, 2011
Take Me There is brilliant! I love the way the book is set up and that the book is narrated from a boy’s point of view. There are poems at the beginning of most chapters. I don’t want to give away the reason for the poems, but it’s a good one. I can tell you that thes poems are written by Dylan and it shows he has a sensitive side that’s really sweet, but he doesn’t even know it. Even though his mom is depressed, he is still that good son who doesn’t want to disappoint her.
Dylan tries so hard to stay out of trouble, but it keeps finding him everywhere that he is. Some of this is his best friend Wade’s fault and at other times it’s his family’s fault. I love Dylan’s ambition and how he can be really deep. There are so many twists and turns in this book, that I couldn’t stop reading and couldn’t wait to find out answers. The author, Carolee Dean really keeps you on your toes guessing throughout the entire book. She does a great job at showing Jess and Dylan’s blossoming relationship, but I wish I could have known more about them. They seem like they really love each other.
The ending was great, but I wish there was a sequel. Of course, all books have to end somewhere, but this one is just so good I really want to know more!
The Cover: The cover is great! It really works because of the road and the couple. During the book, I actually looked at the cover a couple times because it was so cute.
Dylan tries so hard to stay out of trouble, but it keeps finding him everywhere that he is. Some of this is his best friend Wade’s fault and at other times it’s his family’s fault. I love Dylan’s ambition and how he can be really deep. There are so many twists and turns in this book, that I couldn’t stop reading and couldn’t wait to find out answers. The author, Carolee Dean really keeps you on your toes guessing throughout the entire book. She does a great job at showing Jess and Dylan’s blossoming relationship, but I wish I could have known more about them. They seem like they really love each other.
The ending was great, but I wish there was a sequel. Of course, all books have to end somewhere, but this one is just so good I really want to know more!
The Cover: The cover is great! It really works because of the road and the couple. During the book, I actually looked at the cover a couple times because it was so cute.
September 3, 2012
Words can't even begin to describe how emotionally connected I felt to this book. I don't know why it got to me so much, but it did. Dylans struggles got through and sunk into me so deeply it hurt. I almost regret reading it because I found myself afterward having nightmares about dating a guy that had to go through the things Dylan did. The epilogue was what killed me. Before I spoil the ending , I recommend this book to the fullest. If you cry in books, get your box of tissues out for this one. And if you normally don't cry , put yourself in Dylans position and then see how you feel .
** SPOILER ALERT ** About the ending : I get that the ending was realistic and it wouldn't be as believeable as it ended up being , but this ending was TOO realistic for me. Putting him in jail on top of everythig else hes tons through was just too much. And although the last scene with Eight Ball was a little over dramatic , I really really really disagree with putting Dylan in jail. Because even though it made him learn how to read and he knew he did it for the people he loved , it makes me think that it isn't a happy ending because he doesn't have a chance at turning his life around anymore. Again, really emotional and it gets me every time I think about it. I honestly can't even look at the book without wanting to cry.
** SPOILER ALERT ** About the ending : I get that the ending was realistic and it wouldn't be as believeable as it ended up being , but this ending was TOO realistic for me. Putting him in jail on top of everythig else hes tons through was just too much. And although the last scene with Eight Ball was a little over dramatic , I really really really disagree with putting Dylan in jail. Because even though it made him learn how to read and he knew he did it for the people he loved , it makes me think that it isn't a happy ending because he doesn't have a chance at turning his life around anymore. Again, really emotional and it gets me every time I think about it. I honestly can't even look at the book without wanting to cry.
June 3, 2011
I don't usually read books where the main character is in trouble with the law. I amend that statement. I don't usually read "realistic fiction" books where the main character is in trouble with the law. It happens in my supernatural books for obvious reasons sometimes. I think the last book I read with this kind of premise was Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles. They have a semi-similar premise, once you get into the story. But I feel that this one had more of a mystery behind it that was actively pursued.
Dylan's made some mistakes in his life, and he knows that. But it finally feels like it's turning around. Jess, the girl he's been in love with for years, finally starts noticing him. He has a steady job with his best friend Wade. Things are looking up...until he ends up running from the law again, questioning destiny for the first time in his life.
I liked Dylan. Really. I felt bad for him, the way trouble seemed to sneak up behind him. His journey was a great one to read about. He learned so much and there was an amazing amount of advice thrown throughout the novel. However, it took me a week to read (though it didn't help that I got sick in the middle of it, so I didn't have the motivation to keep reading).
Dylan's made some mistakes in his life, and he knows that. But it finally feels like it's turning around. Jess, the girl he's been in love with for years, finally starts noticing him. He has a steady job with his best friend Wade. Things are looking up...until he ends up running from the law again, questioning destiny for the first time in his life.
I liked Dylan. Really. I felt bad for him, the way trouble seemed to sneak up behind him. His journey was a great one to read about. He learned so much and there was an amazing amount of advice thrown throughout the novel. However, it took me a week to read (though it didn't help that I got sick in the middle of it, so I didn't have the motivation to keep reading).
February 12, 2011
So I have been thinking about what I want to write and I still don't really know. For me this book was so powerful and had a huge impact on me. The story is fiction but is based off of reality. Dylan is a character that I became attached to because of his situation and I found myself hoping that he could change his life around. This might have to do with what I want to do in my life, but I digress. Dylan realizes that his life isn't what he wants it to be and he tries to change it. I don't want to give away the story, but it had me tearing up. I think that this is a book people should read and really reflect on what they are reading about. I so enjoyed this book because it was so "real" and emotional. I don't what else to say other than that this will stick with me and I recommend reading it!
November 28, 2010
I guess the book was alright. The plor was OK but the book itself wasn't all that appealing. The only thing that kept me reading it was the relationship between Dylan and Jess. I could really care less for all the pther thingand I feel bad saying that). The title kinda matched the book but the book cover itself didn't match the book at all. Maybe I didn't get the point of it, but... The setting was OK, some characters were pretty annoying and the past and present flashes were kinda confusing at times. I would recommend it to people who want to pass the time by reading something, not really for people who are looking for a great read. I wish it were better but I can'r change anything. The only thing I have to say is the relationship between Dylan and Jess was really nice and interesting.
I feel like a meanie...
I feel like a meanie...
February 5, 2013
For anyone who is considering reading this book:
DO NOT LET THE COVER INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION.
Looks like some sort of romance, huh?
NOT.
Title hints at something sexy, eh?
NOPE.
The so called "love story" made up maybe, MAYBE 1/8 of the story.
So don't get confused. Just saying.
That said, it was alright. I was just expecting that when Dylan and Wade ran, they'd take Jess with them, and it would be a whirlwind romantic adventure. Yeah, ROMANTIC.
However, I liked the endorsing of literacy, and I did like the interactions with Dylan's dad...
DO NOT LET THE COVER INFLUENCE YOUR DECISION.
Looks like some sort of romance, huh?
NOT.
Title hints at something sexy, eh?
NOPE.
The so called "love story" made up maybe, MAYBE 1/8 of the story.
So don't get confused. Just saying.
That said, it was alright. I was just expecting that when Dylan and Wade ran, they'd take Jess with them, and it would be a whirlwind romantic adventure. Yeah, ROMANTIC.
However, I liked the endorsing of literacy, and I did like the interactions with Dylan's dad...
November 18, 2012
I thought this was just going to be a guilty pleasure read. like bad boy and good girl fall in love kinda thing....sorta like Simone elkeles novels....it was waaaaay better. it shocked the hell outta me and even at the end I wanted to go back and reread. I think there is more to this book than I realized at first.
February 24, 2011
oh wow i loved this book though it is very much over my age limit if you like a mind boggling mystery that really only gets half figueed out this is the book for you
May 15, 2021
Finished reading: May 14th 2021
“How far can you go down the wrong path before you can't get back on the right one?”
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
June 8, 2016
Ok this book blowed my mind, and not in a good way.
Let's start with the description of the book. Talk about misleading and Take Me There would be a prime example. Here I was expecting an angsty/fluffy romance between two unlikely teenagers to ever be a couple. There's no Romance, none at all if you ask me. God I am pretty sure Jess didn't even show up in at least fifty pages for a book that was almost 400 pgs. That should tell you something.
Now on to Jess and Dylan's "relationship" (I see none at all). What defines there relationship? Nothing. I can't think of one damn instance where it makes me understand why they fell in "love".
Jess was supposed to be the main character presuming from the description. Honestly she was the most minor presence in the book.
This annoyed me a lot but it wasn't the only thing.
Now lets talk about Dylan(s), Wade, Levida, Mollie and Mitch.
Wade-WTF was all I was thinking. I would have dumped his sorry ass long time back. Btw I felt like Wade and Dylan were really in any sort of relationship and Wade just kept on cheating. Does that make ne sense? The way he just left Dylan in the lurch for something he did. Wade's nothing but a selfish SOB.
Levida-I think its all her fault both Dylan(s) ended up the way they did. It wouldn't have happened if she hadn't kidnapped Dylan when he was six. Yep I see it as a kidnap and what did she do after, instead of looking after a kid she was intoxicating herself.
Mitch and Mollie-Brain Fart! That's all folks
Dylan- The big bad boy. Honestly he didn't even play that part well, I don't think big bad boys carry themself out as Dylan does. I just can't understand the concept of Dylan+Criminal, it doesn't make sense. Btw while Wade was selfish, there's only one word that describes Dylan and that's idiot (well stupid really). He's very naive, clueless, weak, spontaneous, etc.... Not a very admirable character.
Dylan Sr. was the only one who made any sense with a group like this.
This book really was about a pair of father and son and them being of the same mold which is CRIME.
Btw let's talk about the most dumbest plot twists that went on here.
Dylan went to Mexico, how in the world? Aren't borders highly protected, I would think so.
Dylan Sr. got executed even after Mollie's confession (understandable but still)
The way Dylan ended up, WTF? Really, gimme a break now from this stupidity.
Who goes to jail for self defense especially in Texas. Even here in Toronto IK that Texas is a hot button for self defense cases. How many have gotten off for shooting people in the name of self defense. I mean there's this case where a man shot someone who came on to his porch and claimed self defense because he "thought" the person he shot was breaking in. Guess what, he got off too.
Yep this book is packed with surprises and they aren't ones, I liked at all. It's not a book that you go saying, OMG I so wasn't expecting that, the author knows how to throw in a damn good punch. Its a good thing I didn't have the solid book on my hand or it would have met my wall at every chapter. Very confusing flow of rythm and abrupt start and end of scenes at turn of each chapter. Honestly it's a total waste of time.
It's a book about a boy on the run for committing crime and trying to find out if crime runs in his blood. Not something that will appease to someone looking for a good cheesy angsty romance.
Let's start with the description of the book. Talk about misleading and Take Me There would be a prime example. Here I was expecting an angsty/fluffy romance between two unlikely teenagers to ever be a couple. There's no Romance, none at all if you ask me. God I am pretty sure Jess didn't even show up in at least fifty pages for a book that was almost 400 pgs. That should tell you something.
Now on to Jess and Dylan's "relationship" (I see none at all). What defines there relationship? Nothing. I can't think of one damn instance where it makes me understand why they fell in "love".
Jess was supposed to be the main character presuming from the description. Honestly she was the most minor presence in the book.
This annoyed me a lot but it wasn't the only thing.
Now lets talk about Dylan(s), Wade, Levida, Mollie and Mitch.
Wade-WTF was all I was thinking. I would have dumped his sorry ass long time back. Btw I felt like Wade and Dylan were really in any sort of relationship and Wade just kept on cheating. Does that make ne sense? The way he just left Dylan in the lurch for something he did. Wade's nothing but a selfish SOB.
Levida-I think its all her fault both Dylan(s) ended up the way they did. It wouldn't have happened if she hadn't kidnapped Dylan when he was six. Yep I see it as a kidnap and what did she do after, instead of looking after a kid she was intoxicating herself.
Mitch and Mollie-Brain Fart! That's all folks
Dylan- The big bad boy. Honestly he didn't even play that part well, I don't think big bad boys carry themself out as Dylan does. I just can't understand the concept of Dylan+Criminal, it doesn't make sense. Btw while Wade was selfish, there's only one word that describes Dylan and that's idiot (well stupid really). He's very naive, clueless, weak, spontaneous, etc.... Not a very admirable character.
Dylan Sr. was the only one who made any sense with a group like this.
This book really was about a pair of father and son and them being of the same mold which is CRIME.
Btw let's talk about the most dumbest plot twists that went on here.
Dylan went to Mexico, how in the world? Aren't borders highly protected, I would think so.
Dylan Sr. got executed even after Mollie's confession (understandable but still)
The way Dylan ended up, WTF? Really, gimme a break now from this stupidity.
Who goes to jail for self defense especially in Texas. Even here in Toronto IK that Texas is a hot button for self defense cases. How many have gotten off for shooting people in the name of self defense. I mean there's this case where a man shot someone who came on to his porch and claimed self defense because he "thought" the person he shot was breaking in. Guess what, he got off too.
Yep this book is packed with surprises and they aren't ones, I liked at all. It's not a book that you go saying, OMG I so wasn't expecting that, the author knows how to throw in a damn good punch. Its a good thing I didn't have the solid book on my hand or it would have met my wall at every chapter. Very confusing flow of rythm and abrupt start and end of scenes at turn of each chapter. Honestly it's a total waste of time.
It's a book about a boy on the run for committing crime and trying to find out if crime runs in his blood. Not something that will appease to someone looking for a good cheesy angsty romance.
December 2, 2010
Take Me There is a story that leaves a lasting impression on you days after you read it. It's one of those books that really makes you think. What Carolee presents in Take Me There is an important message about illiteracy and the limited options illiteracy presents. It's also about choices, as the choices that are made today can and will determine where we end up a few months from now, to years from now.
Take Me There is the story of Dylan, our broken, illiterate boy who tries to do the right thing. No matter how hard Dylan tries to stay away from trouble, it follows him. When something bad happens, he and his best friend Wade run from California to TX. Trouble always has a way of finding Dylan, even on the run.
Dylan is more than a tragic character, he's full of insight and wants to make something of himself, but he feels he can't do that until he meets his father who's sitting on death row in TX. As Dylan tries to piece together the tragic events that locked his father up, he learns more about himself and comes to understand why his father did what he did. What I like about Dylan, is even though he's a bad boy, he tries to do everything he can to do something better with his life. Carolee provides us with an insight to Dylan's more sensitive side by sharing his poems through out the book.
Carolee provides a whole cast of strong supporting characters for Dylan and while at times you want to yell at them, in the end each of their personal strengths shine through. From his best friend Wade who's the reason behind their run from the law to TX, to Jess, Dylan's girlfriend. Jess is the beautiful California girl who comes from a rich family, but even rich families aren't perfect and Jess's character is one I really liked getting to know more about. She's not your typical beauty queen and she offers Dylan hope and makes him realize he's so much more than he thinks he is. Meeting the rest of Dylan's family will be heartbreaking and empowering for Dylan.
Take Me There isn't a warm fuzzy read. It's a book with a powerful message. It's not a pretty story, but it's one that portrays real life for many people. This book has left me questioning our judicial system and what more can be done to end to illiteracy in this country. Carolee did a beautiful job at not only writing Dylan's story, but she wove together Dylan reminiscing about the choices that lead him and Wade to be on the run, to present tense and introduces us to Dylan's father, with pages of his father's writing. Carolee's writing is done so well, that I was never lost on who's voice was who's or what was going on. By providing small insights into Dylan's dad's story, you understand Dylan more and the fate that awaits him.
Take Me There is a thought provoking read, that will leave you cheering for the bad boy and hoping that everything works out for him and Jess. It's a book that will have adults remembering what it was like to be a teenager trying to find your own direction in life, and one that teens will relate to on many levels.
Take Me There is the story of Dylan, our broken, illiterate boy who tries to do the right thing. No matter how hard Dylan tries to stay away from trouble, it follows him. When something bad happens, he and his best friend Wade run from California to TX. Trouble always has a way of finding Dylan, even on the run.
Dylan is more than a tragic character, he's full of insight and wants to make something of himself, but he feels he can't do that until he meets his father who's sitting on death row in TX. As Dylan tries to piece together the tragic events that locked his father up, he learns more about himself and comes to understand why his father did what he did. What I like about Dylan, is even though he's a bad boy, he tries to do everything he can to do something better with his life. Carolee provides us with an insight to Dylan's more sensitive side by sharing his poems through out the book.
Carolee provides a whole cast of strong supporting characters for Dylan and while at times you want to yell at them, in the end each of their personal strengths shine through. From his best friend Wade who's the reason behind their run from the law to TX, to Jess, Dylan's girlfriend. Jess is the beautiful California girl who comes from a rich family, but even rich families aren't perfect and Jess's character is one I really liked getting to know more about. She's not your typical beauty queen and she offers Dylan hope and makes him realize he's so much more than he thinks he is. Meeting the rest of Dylan's family will be heartbreaking and empowering for Dylan.
Take Me There isn't a warm fuzzy read. It's a book with a powerful message. It's not a pretty story, but it's one that portrays real life for many people. This book has left me questioning our judicial system and what more can be done to end to illiteracy in this country. Carolee did a beautiful job at not only writing Dylan's story, but she wove together Dylan reminiscing about the choices that lead him and Wade to be on the run, to present tense and introduces us to Dylan's father, with pages of his father's writing. Carolee's writing is done so well, that I was never lost on who's voice was who's or what was going on. By providing small insights into Dylan's dad's story, you understand Dylan more and the fate that awaits him.
Take Me There is a thought provoking read, that will leave you cheering for the bad boy and hoping that everything works out for him and Jess. It's a book that will have adults remembering what it was like to be a teenager trying to find your own direction in life, and one that teens will relate to on many levels.
January 5, 2015
Take Me There
is a moving story
about a boy
who is bad.
But tries hard
to stay right,
to clean the sins
off his heart
and the grease stains
from his hands.
Because he knows
as he lives on,
so does hope.
I never read a book with such raw, deep and exhausting emotions before. I never expected Take Me There to overwhelm me like it did. There is so much to the story, so many words that it is impossible not to break while reading it. It made me go, like Dylan said, into the 'darkest place I’ve ever been.' The only difference was that the place was inside of me and Dylan's story set it alight with fire.
It was very tough for me to go on reading because there was just so much of emotional baggage involved. As one chapter dissolved into another, the story got more and more raw with emotions. It was like Dylan is fighting the cuckoo clock time bomb. He is never at rest and doesn’t believe that redemption is written in his destiny. But he tries anyway. You see, Dylan truly believes that he is a bad person, which he is because of the acts he committed. But he is more genuine than the purist man on earth. This is the beauty of Take Me There.
He screams for answers and his brain pours out words after words. Words he wishes would go away because he doesn’t want to deal with them. He has to, in any way possible. He wants to make an honest man out of himself, but is always just an inch away from it before trouble catches up with him. “How far can you go down the wrong path before you can't get back on the right one?” The question burns through his mind every moment of his life and he wants to know the answer before it is too late for him. Or maybe it already is.
Initially, it was the cover of the book that caught my attention and then the synopsis. The book never failed to surprise me; there are so many issues for Dylan to deal with that I felt I wouldn’t be able to keep up. But I was. Every time. Because Dylan’s story got adrenaline pumping through my blood. His words made me fall into love with the ideas swimming around in his head. He desperately needs to love and to be loved. I have never liked a character so much since Jennifer Parker from Rage of Angels. But I’ve got to say, it is breathtaking to read how Dylan discovers who he really is as he succumbs to the words inside him.
Suffice it to say, Take Me There has the power of undoing your insides.
is a moving story
about a boy
who is bad.
But tries hard
to stay right,
to clean the sins
off his heart
and the grease stains
from his hands.
Because he knows
as he lives on,
so does hope.
I never read a book with such raw, deep and exhausting emotions before. I never expected Take Me There to overwhelm me like it did. There is so much to the story, so many words that it is impossible not to break while reading it. It made me go, like Dylan said, into the 'darkest place I’ve ever been.' The only difference was that the place was inside of me and Dylan's story set it alight with fire.
It was very tough for me to go on reading because there was just so much of emotional baggage involved. As one chapter dissolved into another, the story got more and more raw with emotions. It was like Dylan is fighting the cuckoo clock time bomb. He is never at rest and doesn’t believe that redemption is written in his destiny. But he tries anyway. You see, Dylan truly believes that he is a bad person, which he is because of the acts he committed. But he is more genuine than the purist man on earth. This is the beauty of Take Me There.
He screams for answers and his brain pours out words after words. Words he wishes would go away because he doesn’t want to deal with them. He has to, in any way possible. He wants to make an honest man out of himself, but is always just an inch away from it before trouble catches up with him. “How far can you go down the wrong path before you can't get back on the right one?” The question burns through his mind every moment of his life and he wants to know the answer before it is too late for him. Or maybe it already is.
Initially, it was the cover of the book that caught my attention and then the synopsis. The book never failed to surprise me; there are so many issues for Dylan to deal with that I felt I wouldn’t be able to keep up. But I was. Every time. Because Dylan’s story got adrenaline pumping through my blood. His words made me fall into love with the ideas swimming around in his head. He desperately needs to love and to be loved. I have never liked a character so much since Jennifer Parker from Rage of Angels. But I’ve got to say, it is breathtaking to read how Dylan discovers who he really is as he succumbs to the words inside him.
Suffice it to say, Take Me There has the power of undoing your insides.
December 23, 2012
Okay. You see the cover. its flawless. Amazing. it shows Dylan and Jess in the middle of the road in a romantic position. You see the title with direction arrows and you think,
"Oh okay, this is probably going to be sort of a love story with adventure and excitement."
Then your read the blurb. The blurb is two paragraphs. One about Dylan and Jess and the other about Dylan finding answers. Honestly, Dylan's grandmother was in the book more than Jess. Wade had more dialogs than Jess. It was almost like, Jess was a minor character and not the romantic interest of Dylan. If I had to put it together, this story concentrated more on Dylan and his answers than Dylan and Jess. So the first part of the blurb is totally deceiving.
Besides that, I thought the book lacked some excitement. Don't get me wrong, the gang, finding out his father's going to die, getting shot at; that's some badass stuff, and if it was phrased and written better into the story, it definitely would have made the book more interesting. I did like the small touches that the author added. I thought those were absolutely amazing. Like the fact that Dylan couldn't read or write or that he and Wade were friends because of an incident in juvi. I loved the small poems in the book, especially the one with the misspelled words. That gave it a very real touch.
The characters. Well, I'm a bit iffy about them. I'm not sure if they were all described well. I got the general physical appearance, but besides a few flashes of their emotional appearance and how they were as a person, there wasn't much to work with. The author touched up on Dylan beautifully. It was easy to understand what he was thinking. It also helps that it was from his point of view, which I should point out, male character very rarely get to have their point of view for the entire book and not alternating, so I liked that. But I still feel the characters were underdeveloped. The only emotional thing said about Wade was, the incident in juvi, where he was beaten up and left scarred. There was no real background behind the characters. It was sort of like reading a summarised story:
Dylan meets a girl Jess who he met long ago. Jess has read hair and likes to sing. He quits school and he and his friend Wade go and works at a car shop because they have to.
That's sort of how the story went.
The plot line is amazing, and I think if it was written differently and maybe thought out differently, it could have been a great book.
"Oh okay, this is probably going to be sort of a love story with adventure and excitement."
Then your read the blurb. The blurb is two paragraphs. One about Dylan and Jess and the other about Dylan finding answers. Honestly, Dylan's grandmother was in the book more than Jess. Wade had more dialogs than Jess. It was almost like, Jess was a minor character and not the romantic interest of Dylan. If I had to put it together, this story concentrated more on Dylan and his answers than Dylan and Jess. So the first part of the blurb is totally deceiving.
Besides that, I thought the book lacked some excitement. Don't get me wrong, the gang, finding out his father's going to die, getting shot at; that's some badass stuff, and if it was phrased and written better into the story, it definitely would have made the book more interesting. I did like the small touches that the author added. I thought those were absolutely amazing. Like the fact that Dylan couldn't read or write or that he and Wade were friends because of an incident in juvi. I loved the small poems in the book, especially the one with the misspelled words. That gave it a very real touch.
The characters. Well, I'm a bit iffy about them. I'm not sure if they were all described well. I got the general physical appearance, but besides a few flashes of their emotional appearance and how they were as a person, there wasn't much to work with. The author touched up on Dylan beautifully. It was easy to understand what he was thinking. It also helps that it was from his point of view, which I should point out, male character very rarely get to have their point of view for the entire book and not alternating, so I liked that. But I still feel the characters were underdeveloped. The only emotional thing said about Wade was, the incident in juvi, where he was beaten up and left scarred. There was no real background behind the characters. It was sort of like reading a summarised story:
Dylan meets a girl Jess who he met long ago. Jess has read hair and likes to sing. He quits school and he and his friend Wade go and works at a car shop because they have to.
That's sort of how the story went.
The plot line is amazing, and I think if it was written differently and maybe thought out differently, it could have been a great book.
August 11, 2015
A more exact rating would be a 1.5.
The Good
The poetry aspect of this book was pretty good. A lot of Dylan's poems were amazing and I actually sat there and reread a few of them several times before continuing the story. On that note, I didn't actually like all of them which is why this aspect only raised the book for me by half a star. The writing style also was engaging. It was direct and the thoughts and dialogue were believable.
The Bad
Predictable book. By the first few chapters, I guessed almost the entire ending, which disappointed me on so many levels. The issue with trying to make small clues and hints in books is that sometimes the audience understands it and guesses right immediately and a lot of the time it really doesn't work in the author's favor. This is one of those cases.
The characters were so utterly STUPID. First off, I want to smack Dylan over the head for hanging out with the wrong crowd. No, I'm not talking about the gang that keeps turning up everywhere - I'm talking about his "best friend" that basically screws up Dylan's entire life just as he's trying to get good. That little shit Wade was such a selfish son of a bitch and stupid Dylan kept crawling his ass back to his so called "friend" and getting himself mixed up in unsavory business over and over again. If that's not terrible, I don't know what is. And Jess. She was perfectly fine except she stayed with Dylan. That boy was trouble and I don't care how much she loves him, it's not worth ruining an entire future to be with someone so set on the path of delinquency.
It felt like a PSA to me also. They might as well made the title, "Illiteracy Leads to Jail Time" and had done with it. The entire book REVOLVED around Dylan's inability to read and how it was pretty much a sure bet that he'd get into prison because of it, one way or another. I have nothing against sending a message in your book, but to make a book about the message is an entirely different story. It takes away from everything else - the characters, the plot, the validity - and shines a spotlight on something that could easily have been incorporated in a gentler, subtler way.
The Good
The poetry aspect of this book was pretty good. A lot of Dylan's poems were amazing and I actually sat there and reread a few of them several times before continuing the story. On that note, I didn't actually like all of them which is why this aspect only raised the book for me by half a star. The writing style also was engaging. It was direct and the thoughts and dialogue were believable.
The Bad
Predictable book. By the first few chapters, I guessed almost the entire ending, which disappointed me on so many levels. The issue with trying to make small clues and hints in books is that sometimes the audience understands it and guesses right immediately and a lot of the time it really doesn't work in the author's favor. This is one of those cases.
The characters were so utterly STUPID. First off, I want to smack Dylan over the head for hanging out with the wrong crowd. No, I'm not talking about the gang that keeps turning up everywhere - I'm talking about his "best friend" that basically screws up Dylan's entire life just as he's trying to get good. That little shit Wade was such a selfish son of a bitch and stupid Dylan kept crawling his ass back to his so called "friend" and getting himself mixed up in unsavory business over and over again. If that's not terrible, I don't know what is. And Jess. She was perfectly fine except she stayed with Dylan. That boy was trouble and I don't care how much she loves him, it's not worth ruining an entire future to be with someone so set on the path of delinquency.
It felt like a PSA to me also. They might as well made the title, "Illiteracy Leads to Jail Time" and had done with it. The entire book REVOLVED around Dylan's inability to read and how it was pretty much a sure bet that he'd get into prison because of it, one way or another. I have nothing against sending a message in your book, but to make a book about the message is an entirely different story. It takes away from everything else - the characters, the plot, the validity - and shines a spotlight on something that could easily have been incorporated in a gentler, subtler way.
August 14, 2011
At first, I thought this book was just one of those chick lit, young adult novels about bad boys turned good because of a certain girl, blah blah blah. But boy, I am so ready to admit that I AM SO WRONG!
Take Me There is more than just meets the eye. The cover didn't do the book any justice. This isn't a cute love story where the hero falls in love with the heroine and then they live happily ever after. This is a story about love that encompasses a lot of things. A love deeper than anything else. I know I'm being a bit dramatic here but that's what I felt when I read this book. This will trigger a lot of emotion from its reader.
When I just started to read it, I felt kinda bored because it was really a narrative type, and I'm the type who wants a lot of conversations from the characters. I felt compelled to finish it though, because I don't want to be left hanging. Then things gradually changed. They started revealing things about the plot, blah blah (I don't really want to put it here. I'm not a fan of spoilers.) Dylan, the main character in this story, is not just your typical rebel. I love that he treasures and loves his parents, and even his grandma, despite the circumstances in his life. I also love that Jess has a nice and interesting part of the story. And most especially, I love the poems in this book! (I'm sorry, I just can't help myself to reveal this one)
Overall, I am very deeply moved by Take Me There. This has really taken me to a place where I can see that we really are the one in control of our lives. We can't blame other people for all the bad choices we've made. After all, there's always a rainbow after the rain. Let's just hope that the people we love will not leave us while we're traveling through that difficult path. For we can always find the strength to move forward through them. :)
Note: This is the first review I have written ever. When I want to share my thoughts in the past, I just left a comment and it's usually a short one. I don't know what came into me to do this, so please bear with me. I just hope that this will not also be my last to do this. :)
Take Me There is more than just meets the eye. The cover didn't do the book any justice. This isn't a cute love story where the hero falls in love with the heroine and then they live happily ever after. This is a story about love that encompasses a lot of things. A love deeper than anything else. I know I'm being a bit dramatic here but that's what I felt when I read this book. This will trigger a lot of emotion from its reader.
When I just started to read it, I felt kinda bored because it was really a narrative type, and I'm the type who wants a lot of conversations from the characters. I felt compelled to finish it though, because I don't want to be left hanging. Then things gradually changed. They started revealing things about the plot, blah blah (I don't really want to put it here. I'm not a fan of spoilers.) Dylan, the main character in this story, is not just your typical rebel. I love that he treasures and loves his parents, and even his grandma, despite the circumstances in his life. I also love that Jess has a nice and interesting part of the story. And most especially, I love the poems in this book! (I'm sorry, I just can't help myself to reveal this one)
Overall, I am very deeply moved by Take Me There. This has really taken me to a place where I can see that we really are the one in control of our lives. We can't blame other people for all the bad choices we've made. After all, there's always a rainbow after the rain. Let's just hope that the people we love will not leave us while we're traveling through that difficult path. For we can always find the strength to move forward through them. :)
Note: This is the first review I have written ever. When I want to share my thoughts in the past, I just left a comment and it's usually a short one. I don't know what came into me to do this, so please bear with me. I just hope that this will not also be my last to do this. :)
October 28, 2014
This was an amazing book because it was so much more than met the eye.
Take Me There takes you by surprise. The cover and summary leads you to expect an ordinary young adult novel about a bad boy with a troubled past falling for a good girl with a bright future. But any pre made judgments readers might have made can be immediately demolished in the first chapter. When Dylan Dawson was just six years old, his father was arrested for murder. He has grown up his entire life believing that he was worthless and had no future. Add to this the fact that he can't read or write very well, has made his whole life just a recipe for disaster.
Dylan was recently released from Juvie for working at a chop shop (stealing cars and selling the parts), and has promised to turn his life around. But trouble seems to find Dylan wherever he hides, and soon he is running from his past, from the cops, and for his life. His journey takes him to Texas, where he hopes to visit his imprisoned father and find the answers to the questions he's been asking his whole life.
Dylan takes us with him on his journey to escape his past. We travel with him and his best friend, Wade, to Texas, where we meet his convict father, his bizarre grandmother, and her very interesting pig. The story jumps from the present, to the past, where Dylan paints a picture of the life he was hoping to have with Jess, the girl he has loved since childhood. And his life that is presently spiraling out of control.
Overall, Take Me There is stunningly well written with very realistic features. By the end of this book my emotions were twisted and shredded but this book was absolutely worth it. And so if you want to know if all of Dylan’s effort to prove his father’s innocents worked out then you are going to have to read the book. And trust me it’s worth it.
Take Me There takes you by surprise. The cover and summary leads you to expect an ordinary young adult novel about a bad boy with a troubled past falling for a good girl with a bright future. But any pre made judgments readers might have made can be immediately demolished in the first chapter. When Dylan Dawson was just six years old, his father was arrested for murder. He has grown up his entire life believing that he was worthless and had no future. Add to this the fact that he can't read or write very well, has made his whole life just a recipe for disaster.
Dylan was recently released from Juvie for working at a chop shop (stealing cars and selling the parts), and has promised to turn his life around. But trouble seems to find Dylan wherever he hides, and soon he is running from his past, from the cops, and for his life. His journey takes him to Texas, where he hopes to visit his imprisoned father and find the answers to the questions he's been asking his whole life.
Dylan takes us with him on his journey to escape his past. We travel with him and his best friend, Wade, to Texas, where we meet his convict father, his bizarre grandmother, and her very interesting pig. The story jumps from the present, to the past, where Dylan paints a picture of the life he was hoping to have with Jess, the girl he has loved since childhood. And his life that is presently spiraling out of control.
Overall, Take Me There is stunningly well written with very realistic features. By the end of this book my emotions were twisted and shredded but this book was absolutely worth it. And so if you want to know if all of Dylan’s effort to prove his father’s innocents worked out then you are going to have to read the book. And trust me it’s worth it.
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