Take Me With You When You Go
By Barbara Schultz,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Emotional novel-in-emails reveals siblings' abuse, growth.
Add rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
When TAKE ME WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO begins, 18-year-old Bea has run away from home. Her younger brother Ezra is left to bear the brunt of the anger of their abusive parents, Anne and Darren, as they ransack Bea's room and treat Ezra and Bea's boyfriend, Joe, like criminals. The boys know nothing about Bea's whereabouts. Before long, Bea reaches out to Ezra via a private email account and asks him to get one as well so that they can stay in touch. Bea reveals to Ezra that she left at the urging of MG (which stands for Mystery Guy), a man she met online. Ezra is afraid that Bea's MG will turn out to be a creep, and in fact he's not the person she expects. Meanwhile, Ezra's situation is dangerous in different ways from Bea's. He leaves home as well, but Darren is a violent threat. He tracks Ezra to a movie theater and pulls out a gun. In another scene, Darren knocks Ezra to the ground and beats him in front of Ezra's boyfriend Terrence's neighbors. All the while, Bea and Ezra keep up their correspondence, sharing stories, offering support and validation, and helping each other understand the damage that has been done to them. Their deepening connection shows them what they need to move forward.
Is It Any Good?
This emotional novel told through a brother and sister's emails to each other turns a painful story into a compelling page-turner that's a pleasure to read. Co-authors Jennifer Niven and David Levithan are expert at creating relatable characters and feelings, and it's fascinating to watch these fictional siblings navigate trust issues created by years of their stepfather's cruelty. Take Me With You When You Go tackles very challenging material, yet the characters' deep love for each other, and the ways they come of age -- and come out strong -- leave the reader quite hopeful. There are also answers to years of questions to be (at least partly) revealed.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way Bea and Ezra's relationship changes in the course of Take Me With You When You Go. What's their communication like early in the book? How have they changed by the end?
If you had a friend who experienced domestic abuse, what would you do? Who could you talk to about that?
This book is a modern epistolary novel: a story told through letters (in this case, email). Have you read other books like this? What do you like (or not) about the way the story unfolds?
Book Details
- Authors: Jennifer Niven , David Levithan
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , High School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Knopf
- Publication date: August 31, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 18
- Number of pages: 336
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: August 12, 2021
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate