Melody
ISBN-13: 9780670011308
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: May 2009
336 pgs


Hello, my dear friends! I manage to sneak in some time here, so my apologies if I could not visit or comment on your blog sooner (I promise I will try to play catch up if possible)! My reason for this post is I finished reading this book on Monday and I want to review it before my opinion all fades away as the time passes (yes, I can be quite forgetful at times).

Fifteen-year-old Marisa lives in a small town in Connecticut with her parents; other than having anxiety disorder her life is pretty simple and peaceful. She often tells herself she is fortunate to have a happy and a secure family, and a best friend whom she could share all her problems and secrets with, and be there for her whenever she needs her.

She has a crush on a guy named Derek for a while, but just never muster up the courage to approach him. And then, there is another boy Nash whom she knew for a long time likes her, but it is just a one-sided attraction, for Marisa thinks he is not her cup of tea since he is geeky and not as sociable, unlike Derek who is so great looking and popular.

Then, things start to change in Marisa's life in some ways when Derek begins to notice her after his break up with his girlfriend, and it is at this time that she started to notice there is a distance between her parents. Though she is thrilled that she and Derek became an item finally, there are times she felt lonely without her best friend and Nash, now that they have someone in their mind. She did not want to share her problems with Derek, thinking that no one would want someone with issues and she wants to be portrayed as the perfect girl for him anyway. But after a while, Derek's attention begins to waver as he became friends with his ex-girlfriend again, and to heighten the anxiety Marisa's parents are thinking of having a divorce and Marisa has never felt so lonely and helpless in her life. All this while, she has been seeking solace in listening to an anonymous DJ who seems to understand the problems of most of the students face in school and like others, Marisa is curious about him but he never reveals his identity.

Though awkward in the beginning, Marisa starts to hang out more with Nash. Slowly, she began to see him in a new light but would he be on a par with Derek, and that of course has to leave it to Marisa to think about and decide.

Waiting for You is a great story about friendship, connection and love that I am sure will appeal to many YA readers. While reading this book, I really sympathize with Marisa and there are times I wished she could stop fussing so much over Derek because apparently she is being over cautious of her relationship with him that she is not being herself, which made me think he might not be the right guy for her after all it is unhealthy being that way. Nevertheless, I still cheered for her and hope she would be able to see things more clearly and made the right decision eventually. Another plus point about this story is that the characters and the difficulties Marisa faces (e.g. her parents' situation, the ups and downs with her best friend, Sterling) are realistic; overall I would recommend this to any readers who enjoy the YA genre.


Other reviews:
Em's Bookshelf
Pop Culture Junkie
S. Krishna's Books
(Let me know if I missed yours.)
11 Responses
  1. Julia Says:

    Sound like a great book, Melody! I might try to pick this one up from library :) Hope to see you again real soon! And Merry Christmas!


  2. Beth F Says:

    This sounds like a good one to read with my niece. Thanks so much.


  3. Sandy Nawrot Says:

    Yeah, I tell you, those crushes with the golden boys rarely turn out for the best! It sounds like a good YA book though!


  4. Iliana Says:

    Oh this sounds good. I haven't read a good YA book in a while so I'll have to keep this one on my radar!


  5. Thank you for your great review, Melody. This does sound like a good one.


  6. Ladytink_534 Says:

    Sounds like an interesting read. Anxiety disorders are no laughing matter and only get worse as you get older unfortunately.

    Hope you had an exceptionally happy holiday this year :)


  7. The Bookworm Says:

    Grat review Mel, sounds like a good YA read.
    And what a cute little poppet ;)
    http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/


  8. Violet Says:

    I've read good reviews of this book, so glad you enjoyed it and took the time out to write your thoughts on it :)


  9. Darlene Says:

    Great review Melody. This sounds like something I would like.

    I hope you had a great Christmas!


  10. bermudaonion Says:

    This sounds like a great book that tackles some important topics.


  11. Melody Says:

    Hi everyone! Thanks for your comments! I apologize for not replying to everyone on a one-to-one basis as I'm trying to catch up on everything, LOL.

    I enjoyed reading this book and I'm hoping to read more titles by this author!


Post a Comment

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to hear from you.