Waiting for You

To start off, I simply adored Susane's first book, When It Happens, and have had her second, Take Me There, in my TBR pill for a month or two. So, when I got Waiting For You as a present, I was ecstatic! Since, it had been getting great reviews, the cover was cute, and it seemed like the perfect book to start summer of with. Though it had a bit of predictably, it was still all that and plenty more. In Waiting For You, Susane created a wonderful cast made up of the sweet Nash and Marissa a girl that any teenager can relate to. Also I loved the supporting characters because all were presented in a heartfelt and three dimensional way. Marissa probably was my overall favorite, because I felt for her in the whole Waiting For.... aspect. Since, who hasn't ever "Waited" in one way or another for something magical to happen. Such as get a amazing boyfriend, which was the main waiting for issue in this book. I have to admit, though, that the plot was a bit predictable. You basically had the whole thing (what was going to happened, who was going to be with who, who the mystery DJ was, ex.) figured out from the beginning. Fortunately, Susanne still made Waiting For You in a way that you overlooked this flaw. The only other problem I had with this book was the bad transitions. For example Susanne would sometimes mention something big in such little detail, like she already suspected you to know what had happened. Overall, Waiting For You is another soul mate book that many teen girls should have on their to be read lists this summer. I promise that you won't regret it. Plus, who can resist such a pretty cover? Grade: B+

I can honestly say I fell in love with this book. The characters were real and many teens can relate to them. Susane Colasanti has become one of my favorite authors, and i recommend ANYONE to read this book!

Marisa and her best friend Sterling have a ritual. "We get together before school starts, when all of the electric energy of possibility is zinging around, and make a pact on how we want our lives to change.... There's only so much waiting a person can endure until they start thinking that maybe nothing exciting will ever happen to them. Like, ever." For Marisa, she would like nothing more than to start fresh. In her first year of high school, she was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and did some bizarre things as a freshman. She hopes that the summer and a new start will be like hitting reset in her classmates' minds. She doesn't want to be seen as weird. Now she has her anxiety under control and is trying to take charge of the rest of her life as well. But what happens when things beyond your control happen? Marisa is shocked when her perfect family life is rattled by talk of her parents divorcing. Her little sister is more than obnoxious with her strong political and health beliefs. Not to mention Sterling keeps falling for older guys...on the Internet. And then there are the boy situations. Derek is cute and seems to be flirting with Marisa in art class. But he has a girlfriend. Then there's Nash, the boy next door --- literally --- who is beyond geeky. Marisa only wants to be friends with Nash. Instead, Derek intrigues her, and so does a mystery DJ who has the school enthralled with his nightly online broadcasts and his interesting commentary. (Think Christian Slater in the popular '80s film Pump Up the Volume.) As Marisa tries to sort out all the craziness in her life while still keeping her head on straight, she begins to realize that perhaps she was waiting for the wrong things. Maybe she needed to open her eyes to appreciate what she had all along. WAITING FOR YOU is Susane Colasanti's third young adult novel. As in her previous books, WHEN IT HAPPENS and TAKE ME THERE, Colasanti does a great job of creating realistic teen characters. The dialogue and language make her protagonists fresh and current. Her take on romance is sweet and optimistic, and slightly reminiscent of a teen movie. Not only does WAITING FOR YOU pay homage to Pump Up the Volume, it also mentions the seminal teen television show "My So-Called Life." Colasanti clearly knows how to write in an engaging, light manner that teenagers will enjoy. --- Reviewed by Kristi Olson

Marisa has had a crush on Derek for a long, long time. He's perfect: friendly, cute, popular. The only problem is that he has a girlfriend. Then there's Nash, her longtime, geeky neighbor. Sure, he's super shy, but he's also extremely sweet and smart. So when Derek breaks up with his girlfriend and starts paying attention to Marisa, she's ecstatic. Soon it's official - Derek and Marisa, the couple of the school. But then things change between Nash and Marisa. They start to talk more and find themselves becoming good friends. And then there's the fact that the once geeky Nash isn't so geeky anymore. In fact, he seems to have gotten...a style! When Marisa has Derek, the guy she's always wanted, doesn't that mean she should be happy? And when she's not happy, does this mean that maybe she and Derek aren't meant to be? Susane Colasanti writes a must-read for all teens. Not only does this book delve into young love, but it also deals with family life and the problems that are common today. This book is a rite of passage for all teens going through the dramas of high school: family problems, friend drama, crazy siblings, cute boys, and surprising finds. WAITING FOR YOU, the third teen read from Colasanti, is recommended to all. This book will bring laughs, tears, and awkward moments that will be sure to please everyone who reads it. Reviewed by: Steph

Marisa is determined to make sophomore year great--she's going to make everyone forget how spacey she was last year when dealing with her anxiety disorder. She's made a pact with her best friend Sterling that from now on, they will live in the Now, and they will find boyfriends--there will be no more waiting. But the new school year also brings some surprises as well: Marisa rekindles her friendship with her childhood buddy, the extremely nerdy Nash, and attracts the attention of charming and flirtatious Derek. Her unshakable parents are acting completely odd, and Sterling can't stop falling for older guys over the internet, a scary prospect. Marisa learns that sometimes things in life don't go the way they were planned--but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Waiting for You is a book that will really hit home with a lot of teens. At the center of the story is Marisa's struggle with waiting for that perfect someone who will love her for her, no matter what; a longing that is familiar to many. But rather than allowing the book to focus on that one want, Colasanti crafts a multi-layered read that digs deep into the details and captures the subtle nuances of friendship, school, and day-to-day life. Marisa is an engaging and refreshingly honest narrator with an authentic voice who sometimes gets too wrapped up in herself, but her genuinely kind qualities more than make up for it. One of the best aspects of Waiting for You is how Colasanti weaves each of the situations and plot twists throughout the book seamlessly together to reinforce her main idea: the perfect guy isn't always what you expect him to be like, and not all great relationships can last forever. Waiting for You is a humorous, poignant, and quietly powerful book that will inspire readers to live their lives in the Now instead of waiting for something better.