Sometimes Brooke just knows things, partly thanks to her excellent memory. But sometimes she just knows for reasons that have nothing to do with that.

That’s the way it is with Scott Abrams. Brooke is certain that they are meant to be together. The only problem is Scott doesn’t know it yet. He doesn’t really even know Brooke. And moving away to New York City the summer before senior year doesn’t really help either.

It’s risky and kind of crazy, but Brooke knows that this is her chance. She can follow him, and she can tell him they’re meant to be together. It’s her last chance. It has to work.

In So Much Closer (2011) by Susane Colasanti, Brooke discovers that New York isn’t what she expected, and neither is Scott Abrams or any of the people she meets at her new school. She moved to New York City for Scott Abrams, but will she wind up staying for herself?

So Much Closer is Colasanti’s fifth novel and her own personal ode to the city that never sleeps.

This is a story about a girl who pinned all of her hopes on a boy and then has to figure out what to do when that boy might not be the right one. It’s a story about New York City. It’s a story about finding out that the things you want aren’t always the best things for you.

There are a lot of romances out there and a lot of books about New York City. Colasanti looks at both with fresh eyes to create a story that is as vibrant and as vivid as its setting. So Much Closer is a splendid book filled with quirky characters, an evocative story, and writing that is funny, sharp, and absorbing.

Possible pairings: The Secret Life of Prince Charming by Deb Caletti, Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson, What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen, and Moonglass by Jessi Kirby.

Check out an interview with the author, Susane Colasanti!