Customer Reviews

The Taker

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Anyone who's ever done worse than expected on a test will be able to identify with Carly, a star student who bombs on the SAT. What happens next is what makes this such a great book. Carly gets a mysterious IM from someone calling himself (herself?) "The Taker," who offers Carly a guaranteed way to get the kind of SAT score she needs to get into an Ivy League college. From that point on, Carly has to figure out what kind of person she really is, who her real friends are, and what matters most in life. Although it's built around the pressure of the SAT, what's so smart about this book is that it understands ALL the pressures in teenagers' lives, the temptations they face, and the choices they have to make. The characters aren't perfect, and that's what makes them so believable and so easy to relate to. Five stars!

Carly's world is turned upside down when she considers cheating on the SATs. But really, wouldn't life just be over if she doesn't get into Princeton? This book was a quick read, an engaging mystery, and I have to say, a painfully true window into high school life. When Carly gets bad scores on her first round of SATs, she has to juggle the social pressures of being a senior, while spending her life cooped up with the most nerdy kid in her class. So of course she looks for a way out! There were several times I laughed out loud reading it, and was very sad when it all came to an end. I recommend it especially to any high school students who need a break from studying for the SATs!!

It was a great book. However, towards the end it seemed like the author was just throwing things together in an effort to end the book. This really killed it and after all that reading and excitement, I didn't want to finish the last 20 pages or so until I forced myself to do so.

Am I about to take the SATs? No. Am I a parent of someone about to take the SATs? No. Did I still love this book? Duh.

Sadly, the SATs are far behind me, but I still remember quite well the feeling of misery when I looked over my first round of scores (like Carly, I took the SATs twice). And while the story line is relatable, thats not what I loved most about this book. I loved Carly. She is fun, and she is sassy. The conflict in her life allows her to be a great lead character, but she has the loveable spunk of any good sidekick. This makes her an ideal person to get to know and follow through her senior year. With her loveable wit, it's hard not to start rooting for her on page 1. No, actually, I started rooting for her at the bottom of page 5 -- but close enough...


Everyone else has already commented about how this is a great tale for anyone who is about to take the SAT. I think this is a great tale for anyone. Period. The book has a wonderful sense of humor and I often found myself laughing out loud -- a few times in public. While embarassing to laugh on a New York City subway car, I enjoyed every minute of this book, and every minute I spent with Carly Biels. I promise that you will too.

Whoever this J.M. Steele character is, I sure do like their style.

Carly Biel's story is one that struggles between right and wrong. Carly is a good student and a likable character in this novel, but she has one flaw--test-taking. After bombing the SATs the first time around, Carly has one more chance to do better. Only one more chance to fulfill her (and her father's) dream of attending Princeton, where her boyfriend will be. Study really, really hard...right? But this route is becoming increasingly frustrating for Carly and not even tutoring from Ronald Gross (school genius) can help her get her score as high as she needs it to be. There is another option, however--one that is only supposed to be a rumor--and Carly goes for it: making a deal with "The Taker" for her SATs to be aced in exchange for "something". Who the "The Taker" is and what "something" he wants, Carly has no clue--but she's already in head-over-heels.

THE TAKER is a hugely relatable novel. Because of pressure for good grades, many teens have at one time or another thought about cheating, or have cheated on a test or assignment. This is an intricate novel that explores that decision and its consequences. For Carly, there is no turning back. Read the book to find out what happens!

Reviewed by: Safia Abdul

This is one of the few young adult books that I am happy to recommend to any teen or parent. The author does a great job of making the characters easy to relate to and manages to weave in messages about doing the right thing in life and following your heart. For kids growing up today, it's tough making decisions and this book taps into the feelings of uncertainty and "people pleasing" that every teen experiences. Parents will love this book because of the positive messages it manages to convey sometimes with humor, often with poignancy. I read it cover to cover in one day-couldn't put it down. When you read it, see if you can keep a straight face after you begin reading page five!

this is an amazing book that i couldn't put down. This thrilling, clean fun and interesting novel kept me hooked the entire time. Perfect for ages 11- any age!!!!!!!! Just read it, an amazing ending!

"The Taker by J.M. Steele not only has an ending you wouldn't expect it also has helpful tips about school and test taking. When I first started this book I thought it wouldn't be that great (boring). But the unexpected twists kept me reading! This book kept me on my toes. What is Carly Biels going to do? Will she use The Taker?..."

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I liked it. it was a funny read and you couldnt help but laugh at Ronald's way of testing. it was very cute.
so yeah i recommend this book. to anyone who ever worried about taking a test, which should be almost everyone :)

I just finished reading this book and i thought it was amazing. Once I started reading The Taker I couldn't stop. At first I was like this book is lame and no point in reading it but my thought was just the wrong one. Carly feels pressure in passing the SAT's to go to Princeton but when she doesn't do well she gets a text from some guy named the Taker. Through out this book she thinks that agreeing to the Taker is a bad idea and tries to undo it but the Taker deleted his e-mail address. When her life goes from bad to worse, she sees her boyfriend making out with Tori Clemens she doesn't know what to do. Will her life change or just keep changing at the wrong times?