I love the variety of styles within the YA community. Some books are deep and dark, others light and fun. Some are lyrical, others conversational. Susane Colasanti is a YA Contemporary Romance author who has an ability to draw you in one page one, weaving a tale as comfortable as if you are sitting in a coffee house with a friend as she tells you her story.
In WAITING FOR YOU, Marisa is that friend.
First, the book synopsis:
At the beginning of her sophomore year, Marisa is ready for a fresh start and, more importantly, a boyfriend. So when the handsome and popular Derek asks her out, Marisa thinks her long wait for happiness is over. But several bumps in the road—including her parents’ unexpected separation, a fight with her best friend, and a shocking disappointment in her relationship with Derek—test Marisa’s ability to maintain her new outlook. Only the anonymous DJ, whose underground podcasts have the school’s ear, seems to understand what Marisa is going through. But she has no idea who he is—or does she?
WAITING FOR YOU is my third foray into Colasanti’s writing, and is just as delightful as the others. Susane is a former high school science teacher, and her prose clearly shows she ‘gets’ teens today. Her books are best enjoyed in comfortable pajama pants, hair up in a bun or ponytail, with a warm blanket over you. They are just that familiar and cozy.
I loved the pop culture references in this book. From John Mayer, to one of my favorite movies (Pump Up The Volume), to the best teen drama ever (My So Called Life), this book took me back to my own teen years. Relationships are so important in this stage, and they are at the heart of this novel. Marisa’s best friend Sterling is quirky and unique, their friendship authentic and fun. Her relationship with her flawed parents is spot-on, as is her sweet relationship with her aunt. And her relationship with her little sister is complex, growing throughout the book, and refrains from falling into flat, clichéd territory.
But of course, my favorite relationships are with the guys.
Marisa is waiting for her life to begin and ready to fall in love. She gets two chances, with two very different kinds of guys. While predictable, and definitely easy for the reader to tell which boy Marisa should really be with, the plot is fun. Her journey to finding the right one is believable—what teen girl wouldn’t go for the obvious hottie first?—and the ending is sweet.
The author does not shy away from heavy topics in this story, but they never manage to influence the tone of hope that laces Marisa’s narrative. Her mother has an affair, her parents split up, her heart is broken, she fights with her best friend, and she fights her depression . . . but that’s just it—she fights it. Teenage depression is a very real problem, but through Colasanti’s pages, teens can see that it isn’t the end of the road. Like Marisa, they can battle back and make smart, healthy decisions to stay better. Depression is manageable.
Is the story predictable? Yes. But it is well worth the read. It transports you back to your own teenage years, complete with all the anxiety, worries, and questions that stage of life brings, along with the excitement and newness of first love.
