So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti shows how unhappiness is a very common feeling when your family is broken up, especially when someone you love leaves your life. Divorces are very common 'solutions' to marriage problems nowadays, but if you have a kid, do you truly realize how badly it affects them? Their whole world has just been turned upside down and they are expected to just hit the ground running? Brooke's mood took a turn for the worst when her parents separated, and he dad left them for another woman. Though she found something else to focus on. The love of her life, Scott Abrams. As soon as Brooke worked up the courage to talk to him, he announced his moving to New York City. This didn't stop her though, she packed her bags and against her friends' better judgement, moved to Manhattan to live with her dad. They 'coincidentally' ended up in the same neighborhood, and at the same school. Brooke needs him to be happy again because she has had one too many traumatic, sad experiences for a girl her age.
In the beginning of So Much Closer Brooke knew that her parents weren't happy together. She heard them fighting, and even caught her dad cheating. "I decided to sneak downstairs and see if mom looked mad. Except I didn't find mom down there. I found Dad. And Justine, my babysitter, kissing. I don't know if mom knew about it...People destroy your trust. Then they leave." Brooke was very unhappy with her father, who wouldn't be? She couldn't believe that he did that to her mom. She immediately lost trust in him.
Towards the middle of the story, Brooke had gotten over her dad and accepted the fact that he was a terrible person, who cheated on her mom and left them. She was unhappy and angry with him and life in general. Though she her love for Scott Abrams was stronger than her hate for her dad, so she moved to NYC to live with him, all to get closer to Scott. This shows how Brooke's character isn't very intelligent or thoughtful. She told her mom who had basically raised her on her own, that she wanted to leave her and go live with her dad who had done nothing but damage. This must have broken Brooke's mom's heart. Brooke didn't realize this though, and she moved anyways. She left her friends and life behind. But when Brooke went to school, and saw Scott, he didn't even recognize her. Brooke realized her mistake. "I shouldn't have moved. This was a ginormous mistake. I'm all alone. I don't even know where anything is. I'm a total outsider at school. I don't know anyone. Scott doesn't count. He didn't even recognize me as first. I'm obviously thinking about him way more than he's thinking about me..."
Then in the end, Brooke realizes that just because Scott said a few words to her before he moved, doesn't mean he was in to her. And that being around Scott at school wasn't worth leaving her mother and friends, and it isn't worth it living with her dad who is never around. She has pushed people away that have tried to include her in things. All she could focus on was Scott, but it seems as that was a mistake. "And the girl sitting next to him. Who is touching his shoulder. He's with her. They're together. He's here with another girl." Apparently Brooke's angry attitude is visible to other characters as well. ""Yeah, Scott said you were like that." "Like what? "You know. Angry."...Whatever. So I'm angry. You would be, too, if your dad left your mom for another woman." Now Brooke has nothing, no friends, no Scott, and no happily married parents. Not all of these things are her fault, but if she had thought before she acted she would at least have some friends and her mom to rely on.
I think that Brooke has a right to be depressed and angry. But to fix this, she needs to move on. Yeah her dad cheated, but that wasn't her fault and there is nothing she can do about it. Moping around doesn't solve everything. Also I think that she is a little reckless and crazy. She really should have thought of the outcome before moving her life. It never occurred to her that Scott might have another life, after living in NYC for the summer. She really needs to think before she acts. I think that this book, probably really touches some readers, who parents are divorced. They can relate to what the character is going through, and see how she moves on and resolves her problems. A divorce is a significant problem in our society today, and I think that is a very large reason for why Susane Colasanti wrote it.
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