When popular Carly Biels, who is a shoo-in for Princeton University due to her dad's alumni status, does poorly on her SATs, she receives a mysterious message from "The Taker," who offers to take the test for her--for a price.
So I am going to be in the minority here because the average rating for this book is 3.8 or something, but I am also probably one of the oldest people to read this book so not a huge surprise there. In this book, Carly Biels seems to have it all - popularity, the most desirable boyfriend, Princeton pedigree - but when she bombs the SAT, her world comes crashing down. Even to a girl with good moral fiber, a mysterious text from "the Taker" promising an SAT score good enough for any university can seem like a tempting option. With clever SAT-like questions, tips, and rules, Steele cleverly organizes the novel in a way that makes the pages seem to turn by themselves.
This book had some good moments and actually some surprisingly interesting characters, but it became a little to "US Magazine" for me. There are just way too many pop culture references and product placements for this to feel like legitimate literature (and if Starbucks was called "bucks" one more time, I think I might have screamed). Further, I am over high school books/TV shows/movies that have teenagers acting like they are in college. Maybe things have changed since I was in high school, but they cannot have changed THAT much. Shotgunning beer before you can even get a driver's license? Seriously? That being said, there are some good vocabulary words and worthwhile pieces of literary/historical knowledge scattered about this book that give me the faintest glimmer of hope that young people today are not completely vapid and will take pearls of knowledge from this and every book they pick up.
J. M. Steele’s The Taker is about high school senior Carly who got a 1710 on her SATs. While she is grieving over such a score, she receives an anonymous message from the Taker, someone who promises to take the SATs for her if she did not speak about him and follows all the conditions which he sets. Over the course of the book, Carly was forced to be tutored by Ronald, someone from a lower clique as she was, and who would help her improve her scores dramatically. Stuck with Ronald, Carly not only improves her test taking skills on the test but sees the truth about the popular clique which she hangs out with and discovers the identity of the Taker.
The Taker reminds me of the Mariah Fredericks’ Crunch Time, where one of the protagonist from Crunch Time cheated on the SATs. However, Carly did not cheat on the SATs as she thought she did, until the end where she finds out the Taker was actually bluffing about taking the exam for her. Unlike Crunch Time, I enjoyed the Taker more because the book is less confusing through one person’s point of view rather than four. Furthermore, Steele’s style in beginning and ending the chapter was very unique. The beginning was SAT format questions that are all true and relates the book. At the end, Steele incorporates things to do for the exam which does not recommend cheating. The Taker is an easy, relaxing book, and the best time to read it would be before the exam. The book relates to the topic and eases the anxiety before the test!
Really? The narrator in this book wants to study creative writing at Princeton next year, but sounds like a vapid fifteen-year-old. While a few strong words are sprinkled through the opening chapters, the overall writing style needs a solid editing.
As for the storyline, I don't buy it. She texts her SAT scores to her best friend, then gets a mysterious text back from "The Taker," and she just passes it off as a prank? Anyone with the brains she insists she has would be a little more unnerved about an unknown person hacking into her texts.
Nor is the narrator consistent. First, she wants an extremely high score, even mentioning she wouldn't mind a perfect score. Then she reveals later how she's so relieved none of the four people who have received perfect scores in her school are her friends. The change would be believable if the authors focused more on her internal change, but it happens on a few pages apart with such suddenness that I don't believe anything she says.
Not that I even want to. She's just so blank, I'm not even interested. By the end of chapter two, I returned the novel back to the bookshelf.
True rating: 1.5 There are many problems with this book. One. The lingo. I really don't think someone who wants to major in writing would speak in 'omgs' and 'ttyls'. I just don't think it's right. I mean...her poem wasn't bad. I didn't understand it, but poetry isn't supposed to be understood. The writing style was just plain odd.
Two. The characters. Gosh. Carly makes me want to puke. She's obnoxious. Probably because those people who are too popular for their own good make me pissed. Brad is a bit better, though. A cheating scandal. Oh me oh my. But. He still wants to get with her? Secret there maybe? Or is it just for the sex? And Ronald? Oh friggin' goodness. I don't like him. I prefer brooding and darker guys, but this was just sad. 'Nerdy' and a bit 'awkward'. But not in a good way. Those 'nerds' can be good character. If done right. And he wasn't done right.
Three. The basic idea. I get it. SATs are hard. But I've taken them. Twice. Before high school. They aren't that hard. I mena...I was young and didn't care about the score...but seriously? Really? And online messaging? That's a thing now?
Four. The Taker himself. Okay. The ending is confusing. Who is the Taker? I get the mystery but e-flowers? What the...just use email! Or text! I don't know! Just not that. What are you doing? Geez.
Five. The story seemed fast paced. One thing happens. Another. Another! In books, you need it relatively fast but not die-hard zooming through the stratosphere fast.
Six. Too many coincidences. So many. It just annoys me. I know those are spoilers, but there is a high chance of someone getting crushed by a damn car in this book. Geez... I know things happen, but those are just too many 'things happening'.
In all...sucky. No. Don't read unless it's free. (I got my copy free.) Or you're bored. Really bored.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
SATs. I know absolutely nothing about them. In Canada to apply for university you just submit your senior grades each term. Apparently in the US there's fancy essay writing and tests? Eek! As soon as I heard The Taker was about SATs I jumped at the chance to delve into the magical world of American standardized testing. The scenario? Very cute and probable. The execution? Less than likable, but the ending chapters left me with a warm fuzzyish feeling so 3 stars!
If I could've made some small adjustments to The Taker my biggest change would have been humour. I love to laugh! The whole scenario of cheating on your SATs is actually quite cute and funny rather than melodramatic. I think the plot would be a little less slow and boring if there'd been more joking and bantering, or even awkward moments and escapades between Carly and Ronald. It seemed too serious and angsty rather than fun and flirty and I think a younger audience could have understood the novel better that way.
Lately a lot of the YA books I've read seem like Disney Channel Original Movie scripts. Popular protagonist, always a shy male love interest, quirky supporting friends and characters, some sort of jock boyfriend. While the plot is interchangeable you can always see through to the "copy-paste" skeleton of the novel. While there were some differences in The Taker I found it too much like Lizzie McGuire for it to be truly original.
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.
The Taker by J.M.Steele is a good book to read. The challenges in this book is Carly being seen with Ronald, a nerd. Also the other challege is that Carly doesn't know who the Taker is. The thing that makes this book special is that you don't know what is going come next. Also you don't know who the taker will be and you just get in to it more.The things I like about this book is how Ronald trys to get close with Carly but Carly doesn't like Ronald like that. The main character of this book is Carly Biels a High School senior is a shoo- in for acceptance into Princeton, her dream school. Ronald Gross, smart guy, senior in High school and likes Carly Biels. The major event in this book is when Carly meets the taker at a mall garage at night but doesnt see his face. The hook about this book is you don't know what's going to come next, so you just want to keep rading it. This book has a connection to the world beacsue some people cheat on there SAT. One speacial scene in this book is when the FBI come to there school and Carly gets scared so she goes to find her boyfirend but sees him kissing another girl under the bleachors. I like this book beacuse its a mystery. This book doesn't have any squels.
The Taker J.M. Steele All she had to do was take the SAT’s and pass, but that didn’t happen. Carly Biels is a senior in highschool and has to take the dreadful SAT’s, but she is confident that she can pass them with no help at all. But when it comes to the real test, she fails. What will happen when Carly gets a secret text stating, “I can help you. The Taker”? Will Carly accept the help she is offered and face the consequences of the mysterious “The Taker”? This is the biggest decision in her life right now. Will she make, or break her own future? Read The Taker by J.M. Steele to find out more on the lifestyle of Carly. The Taker by J.M. Steele was a very good book and it taught me that I should always do the right thing, and be honest. The author did a spectacular job writing this book because it kept me guessing throughout all of the chapters. I defenately think that my audience should read it because it will keep them occupied and they will want to read more and more. For a rating of the book “The Taker” by J.M. Steele, I would give it a five out-of five star rating because like I said before, it was a really good book and it kept me wanting to read more.
Eh. This book was an easy light read, but the adult me just couldn't stand the brutality of the high school social structure in this book. Carly is a senior who takes advantage of geeky kid Ronald (who she's ignored the entire 10 years he's lived across the street from her) to help her prepare for the SAT's after she bombs them the first time around. Clearly, Ronald is the cool one in this book, and Carly's lacrosse playing hero of a boyfriend Brad is the kind of guy who would have made me feel like crap in high school. Carly comes around in the end, but there were several times in the book where I really wanted to bitchslap her. I actually liked her two best friends, an aspiring actress and a hard-core journalist, better than I liked Carly. Still, there was a nice surprise ending, and I think that kids enduring the stress of SAT's and college applications might relate to this book in a way that I can't as an oldster. One more note: the back cover has some fake eraser shavings printed on it, and they were driving me crazy. I kept trying to brush them off.
Umm so yea... I'm not sure where to start... I honostly had to roll my eyes at a lot of this. When it was written, I was only about 2 years younger then the MC and none of the partying went on, at least not to that extent. The whole teen boy thing too, like really not every guy just wants that... sheesh. And for being so smart, Carly seemed to carr way too much about being popular. So she don't like the partys? Don't go. Brad was a jerk. He was nice once. And that even still had ulterior motives. Very little characterization other then sterotypes. I did enjoy the reference to Sylvia Plath though.
The book "The Taker" by J. M. Steele, is about how a high school girl overcomes her biggest challenge. Carly Biels is wanting to get accepted into Princeton College and the only thing she needs is a good SAT score. Unfortunately when she gets her scores back, the are not what she was expecting them to be. Once reality kicks in, she is faced with the fact that with these scores she can no get into Princeton. She has to do something to get her grades up and that is when she receives an anonymous text from the "taker". Read this book to find out what happens to Carly and her future. The Taker is a fictional book written manly for kids in high school. The book is not part of a series and I am a high school student in 11th grade.
This has been one of my favorite book that I have read in high school. The book was written with so many details and examples that it makes you think you are experiencing what the characters are experiencing. The book is written about kids going to high school, and as a kid in high school reading this I could relate to the book a lot. All the problems she has or she was facing I could see how, and I could see my self being in those situations too. I would definitely recommend this book to friends and encourage them to read the book. I wish that there were more books making it a series, but it is just one book. Overall I loved the book and I am very glad I decided to read it.
How is it that a book about standardized testing had me losing brain cells?
The characters in this story all suck, especially Carly, the main character. She is so whiny and obnoxious. All of the characters were bland and underdeveloped. My response to every character's whining was, "Ugh, get over it!"
Not only were the characters bad, but the writing was subpar, and the author(s) are unforgivable for their many "retard" jokes. If one character makes those jokes, they're a bad character; if they all do, it's a bad author.
Without all of the pointless filler and infuriatingly slow, dragging plot, The Taker could have been over in 200 pages. I was so unbelievably bored and mad over this book. If not for my need to find out the identity of The Taker, I would not have finished this book. (I considered DNFing it on numerous occasions.) And you know what really blows? I knew who The Taker was in chapter two. Way to build an intriguing narrative. *insert eye-roll emoji here* What I hated the most, I think, is the way that the author(s) attempted to divert your suspicions to other characters by blatantly saying, "Oh, it can't possibly be him. Don't even consider him!" Do you really assume your readers to be so stupid and gullible?
I am mad. This was an utter waste of my time. Why did I read this when I have, like, 50 Stephen King books on my shelves?
"The Taker" written by J. M. Steele is about Carly Biels and how she failed the SAT. Right after Carly receive her terrible scores, she receives a text message from and unknown number saying he can help with her scores. Carly tries to ignore the message ,but with a meeting with the principal Mr. Fellner that scares her to death. Carly feels that the only way to get into her dream school ,Princeton, is to agree to have the Taker take the SAT for her and get her the perfect score she needs. While Jen ,Carly's best friend, is trying to uncover the mystery of the Taker. Carly is scared that Jen will find out that Carly is using the Taker and will be expose her. While talking to Molly ,Carly's other best friend, Carly discovers that she doesn't need the Taker and she wants to get the good score on her own. When Carly and Jen get to school they see cop cars in front of the school. They letter discover that a student .Rick Sorenson, the principal and the creepy SAT teachers were all involved as the Taker. Carly is relieved that the Taker is gone and she can get the perfect scores on her own. I really enjoyed this book. It made me realize that I should never give up and do my best. Also never cheat on a test because that will have major consequence. I recommend this book to kids over the age of 14. There is some bad language that will not be appropriate for younger kids. Let this book be a remind you to never give up and always believe in your-self. I give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating because it was my favorite book. I give this book a 3 out of 5 literary rating because it had some language and inappropriate scene in the book.
Actual rating: 3.5 The Taker follows a High school student preparing to take the SAT exam. This book was an enjoyable coming of age read. I appreciated a lot about this story. I am currently a college student so I understand the stress of taking an exam. I started this book during college finals to give me a book I could passive read. For what I needed this book to be it was perfect. I loved that it was a book with short chapters that allowed me to read just a couple pages at a time. Like I mentioned before it addresses test anxiety so well. The format of the book was also really unique I loved how it had SAT questions at the beginning of the chapter it gave a really unique element to the book. The cons of the book are that the main characters are not very strong. There were times I felt supper connected to the characters and other times I could not relate at all. I feel like some of the side characters made this book worth it. I feel her friend group was really well written. The writing style is choppy there were times it would have a good flow then it would loose me. I also wish there was more diversity in the characters in the story they were all kind of the same
I liked the formatting of this book - opening questions with SAT-style questions, giving us insight into the main character's feelings with SAT-style vocab words, and occasional lists that foreshadowed events upcoming chapters or set up a punchline. However, everything else about this book was just lacking. None of the characters are very compelling, and the main character is downright unlikeable. Despite the book wanting me to think she's become a better person by the end, it just seems like she's moved from an emotionally abusive relationship to a shallow one. I predicted the resolution and twist of the subplot of the book very early on, but even if I hadn't seen what was coming the reveal would have been disappointing. There was a decent amount to work with here, but instead the resolution is hasty and at the very end of the book with no room to breathe. On top of that, there's fatphobia, internalized misogyny, and use of the r word sprinkled throughout the book making it even more unpleasant. I probably would have liked this book better if I read it as a high school freshman, but not by much.
What i like about The Taker, is its not only about doing what you’re highly expected of or worrying about your future, its about the present to create your future. The Taker teaches about responsibility and teaching one self what their hearts contain, in this case, the MC’s heart was full of expectations by those who cared, loved, and loathed her, but when dealing with a certain situation, and the most unexpected individual, you find that you’re achievement surfaced above the clouds because they truly believed in you and yea, he may have deceived her and hurt her ego a tad bit, but the way I see that, he did it to teach her that whether someone was to do something for her or she had to do it herself, she used that as a motivation tactic to earn the score she deserved, even if she didn’t know at the time it was a sham, her motivation is what drove her to get a good score, just as she was promised. I LOVED IT🥰🥰🥰
Carly must get into Princeton, but she tanks the SAT and only has eight weeks to study for the final retake. Then she receives a text message from “The Taker”, who promises to raise her score at least three hundred points, but she must study and act as if she is working hard on her own. For her tutor she enlists Ronald Gross – the nerdy guy who has lived across the street, and whom she has ignored, forever. Along the way Carly learns about lies and love, test-taking skills and life-skills.
This is the second SAT fiction book I have read in the last six months and I enjoyed this one the best. A fun, quirky look at the too serious world of the SAT’s that many high school seniors will relate to.
I hated the main character who was too much like the brainless self-absorbed all-about-me teen of today (apologies if you're a teenager that isn't lumped into that box). I hated that she wasn't good enough for the other guy interested in her, and I HATED the twist. Who 'the taker' is was the stupidest ending ever AND I'm sorry but if I had been in her shoes that is NOT how I would have reacted. And frankly, no one stops to think about how this is cheating? That doesn't affect anyone's outlook on anyone else? And these people are going to college?
This book is definitely one of my favorite books that I have read. The story line is very real and easy to connect to. It's about a girl, Carly, who's in high school and about to take her SAT test. When she gets her scores, she realizes that her dad's dream of her going to Princeton for college is never going to happen. She's doomed. Throughout the book she has to find a way to get a better score on her final test while having to deal with her social life at school too. I think it's very relatable to highschoolers, and even to middleschoolers like me.
*SPOILERS* Oh my goddess I can’t believe that Ronald is the Taker! I just had to spill this somewhere, but I would be so freaked out if I was Carly. But then what Ronald said at the end, basically that she was the ‘girl of his dreams’ was so sweet. Overall, this book was really good and I would recommend it to anyone!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book is the best book if you want a man writing for a woman, its as if the man have never met a woman in his life and beliefs that men are always right and should always be forgiven. In the book he lies in a huge way, and she forgives him??? I hate this book don't read it, save yourself.
So entertaining! This book was so interesting and fun. I really recommend it and I felt the twist at the end was very unexpected! They should make a movie about this book because I would 100% read it. I relate to Carly a lot as well, and the book was written with loads of details.
main character is really dumb yet is apparently eligible for Princeton university? most characters don't have depth and don't seem like real people/realistic. white people are strange
Definitely one of those books that you pick up for nostalgia's sake and find was actually awful the whole time. Shallow characters, even more meaningless dialogue, creepy subtext.
***SPOILER ALERT*** I was recommended this book by the school librarians and was not sure if I would like this book, because I did not want a book that would be much like the books I already had to read in class. However, they recommended the perfect book for me! This is an amazing book to read if someone is going through the college selection process and the SAT's and everything that has to do with that (I've been seeing this as my sisters apply to colleges). This book was easy to connect to, yet not difficult to read. Carly Biels seems to have it all when it comes to high school- a popular boyfriend and great grades. However she is not good at test-taking. Carly finds out her scores and is shocked. At first she is pleased with her 710 on Writing but then she gets a 510 on Critical Reading...and a 490 on Math. Even her boyfriend who is not known for his intelligence does better on the SAT's than she does, which is very unfortunate considering it is a family tradition to go to Princeton, which is also her dream school. After these scores she does not know how to face her family. Right after she hangs up her phone after receiving her scores, Carly gets a text from an unknown caller saying "I CAN HELP YOU. -The Taker-". After Carly digs deeper into what "The Taker" is she decides to go for it. "The Taker" tells Carly when she re-takes the SAT's they will not count. She can be guaranteed a near perfect score, because "The Taker" will switch her test. All she has to do is keep this a secret and to keep studying. Carly ends up taking her SAT's and getting 710.700.790. She learns that those are her own scores. This happened because she had been studying and was confident in herself and not stressed out about it, which helped her to do better. I love the message that this sends. Basically it says if one is confident in oneself one will be able to achieve whatever they need to. I also love this book for one to read if they do not want a challenge. This could be a good or a bad thing. The sentences are simple and the book does not take a lot of thinking to understand. However, I really enjoyed this because it was a way I could read and just enjoy reading and learn a lesson at the same time.
When Carly Biels bombs the SATs, everything in her life begins to fall apart. Her parent’s high expectations of her becomes stricter, her dream of attending Princeton seems miles away, and worst of all, she has to attend tutoring sessions with Ronald Gross. (Pronounced like “floss” as they say.) The answer to her problems comes in a phone call from the Taker. For one promise, the Taker will take the SATs for Carly, ensuring her at least a 2200 to get back to her Princeton road.
Seeing as I’m familiar with what’s on the SATs (even though I won’t be taking the official test until next year) I can imagine all the stress that comes with it. So of course I can see why some people might be desperate enough to cheat their way into college. I mean, the SATs is a big deal. If you screw up, your future is ruined. It’s unfair the way that your whole future depends on just one test. You die or you survive. Although that’s meant figuratively, some people do take the news literally. And it sucks! Why should the SATs be so important that people no longer care about morals or judgment as long as they get a good enough score for college? I’m so anti-SATs it’s not even funny, but what can I do about it? Study, study, study, and hope I never get stressed enough to actually even THINK about the Taker. Not that I think it exists. I’m sure it’s pretty hard to cheat at all during the examination, even if you have all the money in the world.
Surprisingly enough, considering the overused storyline, I really liked the book. Carly’s mistakes annoy me to no end, but I think her actions are necessary for the development of the plot. The ending is kind of predictable. I never did think the Taker was real. And in discussing characters, Ronald Gross wins my vote. He’s the stereotypical geek, but he’s so sweet! If I had a math tutor like that, I would rock the SATs as well. But sadly, guys like him are rare . . . It still makes me laugh when I think about how he has to ride the school bus and he’s like 18 years old. That’s stretching it too far into unbelievable territory, but it’s still funny.
A test you failed and retaking but sure you are going to flunk it? Three letters: SAT. Those are the special words for the arches of your future. Carly doesn't know what to do when she gets a bad score on her SAT. But then there is a mysterious text from "The Taker". Carly agrees to the condition under desperation but what is she really getting herself into?
I'm telling you there is a reason my mind change between from a two stars to a three. First of all how the tension grew at the end and I felt like I was going to EXPLODE if I didn't know who was The Taker!!!!!! So its still mixed points of 2.5-3.0, but along those lines. The thing I started hating was that how there is the social rank kind of thing in this book. But I liked how Carly was not like a bitch and her friends either. But that didn't mean they spent time with the nerds all the time. The thing was, I felt Carly and Jen and Rick and Molly and even Ronald felt so flat to me. But once to the ending, it should've been like that at the beginning. So CONGRATS, CARLY!!! YOU CAME FROM A PApER To A HUMAN!!!! I didn't really like Carly's boyfriend either. But Carly was flawed--at least. Some pintes I just hated her and some points I thought she was pretty cool.
Even though I may be the World's Not Realizing Person I can kind of guess who the Taker was. First I thought it was someone and I thought it'll come out and this BIGGER mor DYNAMIC ending. But it just fizzed at the last page or so. I can REALLY guess what would happen and they actually did happen! :( By the last chapter or so, the author seemed to be giving up and just hinting who the Taker was. And that was who it was. Utter dissapointment. Besides feeling relieved that I found out who The Taker was, I was mad it wasn't someone else!!! Just some other random person!!!! But in a way, I'm glad it was like how it was. It just came out CHEESY. It sucks cause the Taker doesn't really "appear" a lot and was kept more on the sidelines. There were high points like the How to Survive SAT rules or her friend Molly.