khairun_atika's review against another edition
3.0
I read some rather good reviews about the book, and about most of Susane Colasanti's books, so I decided to give this book a try. It works in some ways in that it distinguishes the blurred lines between what a girl truly wants and what a girl fantasises. However, the protagonist, Marisa is merely portrayed as a paranoid girl with anxiety disorder, which is not totally addressed and barely mentioned. In fact, she seemed just like another meek teenage girl with a low self-esteem, which I believe could have been more layered. Still, it is quite a pleasant story of teenage hopes and dreams, addressing social issues such as divorce and mental health.
somarostam's review against another edition
2.0
I guess this is it! This book is the third book of Susane Colasanti that I have read. I wasn't actually expecting much, since I didn't like her last two books much, but I still hoped that this book was a little better than them. Fortunately, it was.
Marisa is the typical teenage girl, all she wants is to have the perfect boyfriend and to be the most popular girl in school. I am beginning to hate this kind of plot, it's always the same, why are these girls always obsessed with popularity?
Anyway, Marisa thinks she has the perfect life. She got a cute boyfriend, she has two best friends, and her parents seem to be very happy together. But it all turns upside down on her , her mother is having an affair and now her father is living somewhere else.
Her boyfriend, Derek, seems to be unable to get over his ex-girlfriend. Her friend, Sterling feels left out since Marisa spends a lot of time with Derek. And her other friend, Nash is a wreck after his girlfriend ended things with him.
Now is the time for Marisa to finally stand up, and leave her depression behind. Maybe she can make things right this time, and maybe she can finally find her Prince Charming? Or can she?
Will Marisa get out of her depression? Will she finally not let Derek take control over their relationship? And will she find the perfect boyfriend? Find out when you read, Waiting For You...
This book is the typical Susane Colasanti book. The pace is very slow, you need to push yourself to actually finish the book. Thank God, I am not the quitting time, or I would have stopped reading the book after the first ten pages.
The characters are all normal, they have nothing that special. But you can easily connect with Marisa. She was definitely my favorite character, she liked photography and reading, just like me! That's a plus for this book!
Overall, this book is your typical teenage story. I didn't enjoy it very much, but your ideas might be different.
Marisa is the typical teenage girl, all she wants is to have the perfect boyfriend and to be the most popular girl in school. I am beginning to hate this kind of plot, it's always the same, why are these girls always obsessed with popularity?
Anyway, Marisa thinks she has the perfect life. She got a cute boyfriend, she has two best friends, and her parents seem to be very happy together. But it all turns upside down on her , her mother is having an affair and now her father is living somewhere else.
Her boyfriend, Derek, seems to be unable to get over his ex-girlfriend. Her friend, Sterling feels left out since Marisa spends a lot of time with Derek. And her other friend, Nash is a wreck after his girlfriend ended things with him.
Now is the time for Marisa to finally stand up, and leave her depression behind. Maybe she can make things right this time, and maybe she can finally find her Prince Charming? Or can she?
Will Marisa get out of her depression? Will she finally not let Derek take control over their relationship? And will she find the perfect boyfriend? Find out when you read, Waiting For You...
This book is the typical Susane Colasanti book. The pace is very slow, you need to push yourself to actually finish the book. Thank God, I am not the quitting time, or I would have stopped reading the book after the first ten pages.
The characters are all normal, they have nothing that special. But you can easily connect with Marisa. She was definitely my favorite character, she liked photography and reading, just like me! That's a plus for this book!
Overall, this book is your typical teenage story. I didn't enjoy it very much, but your ideas might be different.
sammilittlejohns's review against another edition
3.0
Personally it's no longer my sort of book, however, i was having a clear out and decided to reread some books that I couldn't remember before I sent them on their way. This book is a sweet coming of age story, and I know younger me enjoyed it because it touches on more realistic themes that I think are more relatable. It deals with mental health, such as depression and anxiety disorders in a way that isn't romanticised or portrays them as being end all, awful diseases you can never over come. It also deals with relationships, with both parents and teenagers, to show that some relationships will work out, but other don't and that's okay. Overall, just think this is a nice YA novel that deals with a lot of important topics that are pretty common in society, and so it's worth a read, especially if you're a young adult yourself, or you just enjoy these types of books.
bmitch21's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
emiliebookworld's review against another edition
This was my first time reading something by Susane Colasanti and after reading the book, I can say that it won’t be my last. I really enjoyed Waiting For You, it makes a really good summer read. It’s light, enjoyable and a quick read. Had I not been so busy, I would have probably read it all in one sitting. I thought it was the perfect summer read, I just relaxed and enjoyed it the whole time I was reading it.
Marisa has been waiting for a boyfriend for a long time. She has an idea of who she wants him to be: Derek. But Derek has a girlfriend and doesn’t seem to know that Marisa exists. In the meantime, Marisa spends time with Sterling, her best friend who is an amazing cook, and Nash the geeky boy who lives a few houses down. And all of a sudden, Derek breaks up with his girlfriend and starts showing interest in Marisa, who couldn’t be happier. And then there’s Dirk, the late night radio broadcaster who seems to know exactly how Marisa feels, the only problem is she doesn’t know who he is.
Marisa was a great character but I have to admit I would sometimes get annoyed with her. Almost from the start we know she has an anxiety disorder and can sometimes make a bigger deal out of things than she needs to. But then there were other times when I just wanted to tell her to stop over analyzing and over exaggerating everything. Besides that I really liked Marisa, you can tell that she actually wants to get the bigger hand over her problem and actually improve her condition. It wasn’t only about seeing her evolved, but about her being the reason for her evolution and forcing it. Let’s just say I liked her better in the second half of the book because of this.
Nash was such a sweetheart. Right from the beginning you could tell he was in love with Marisa but he was afraid to admit it to her...until he did. The whole length of the book I was rooting for him. I really wanted Marisa to figure out that he’s the one she’s supposed to be with and get over her whole obsession with Derek. I really liked Nash and just like Marisa you really see him evolve and the whole time his motivation is really obvious...and there just may be more to him than meets the eye.
The story was great, I liked how it was divided into the different seasons and how with each season came a different Marisa...or maybe I’m just over interpreting this thanks to having taken so many literature classes. The way it was divided gave it a sort of pace, everything was evenly spaced and the timeline made sense. The story was easy to follow and at times I could predict some of what would happen but at other times I really didn’t see them coming. It was really enjoyable...but that might not mean anything considering most of what I read.
Waiting for You was a great summer read. It doesn’t actually take place in the summer but just how the story is and how it’s written makes it feel like it should be summer the whole length of the book. If you’re looking for a light summer read you should definitely pick up a copy of this book.
Marisa has been waiting for a boyfriend for a long time. She has an idea of who she wants him to be: Derek. But Derek has a girlfriend and doesn’t seem to know that Marisa exists. In the meantime, Marisa spends time with Sterling, her best friend who is an amazing cook, and Nash the geeky boy who lives a few houses down. And all of a sudden, Derek breaks up with his girlfriend and starts showing interest in Marisa, who couldn’t be happier. And then there’s Dirk, the late night radio broadcaster who seems to know exactly how Marisa feels, the only problem is she doesn’t know who he is.
Marisa was a great character but I have to admit I would sometimes get annoyed with her. Almost from the start we know she has an anxiety disorder and can sometimes make a bigger deal out of things than she needs to. But then there were other times when I just wanted to tell her to stop over analyzing and over exaggerating everything. Besides that I really liked Marisa, you can tell that she actually wants to get the bigger hand over her problem and actually improve her condition. It wasn’t only about seeing her evolved, but about her being the reason for her evolution and forcing it. Let’s just say I liked her better in the second half of the book because of this.
Nash was such a sweetheart. Right from the beginning you could tell he was in love with Marisa but he was afraid to admit it to her...until he did. The whole length of the book I was rooting for him. I really wanted Marisa to figure out that he’s the one she’s supposed to be with and get over her whole obsession with Derek. I really liked Nash and just like Marisa you really see him evolve and the whole time his motivation is really obvious...and there just may be more to him than meets the eye.
The story was great, I liked how it was divided into the different seasons and how with each season came a different Marisa...or maybe I’m just over interpreting this thanks to having taken so many literature classes. The way it was divided gave it a sort of pace, everything was evenly spaced and the timeline made sense. The story was easy to follow and at times I could predict some of what would happen but at other times I really didn’t see them coming. It was really enjoyable...but that might not mean anything considering most of what I read.
Waiting for You was a great summer read. It doesn’t actually take place in the summer but just how the story is and how it’s written makes it feel like it should be summer the whole length of the book. If you’re looking for a light summer read you should definitely pick up a copy of this book.
bookswithbit's review against another edition
3.0
This is such a cute coming of age novel. The character really grows and learns how to cope with different things in life and over the course of a year, we see her mature and let go of the old her and I love it.
The love interest is the best, and it's a really cute story. I really liked it.
The love interest is the best, and it's a really cute story. I really liked it.
the_lady_reads's review against another edition
1.0
This is going to be short.
This was somewhat realistic and a big disappointment.
Frankly, I was turned off as soon as we found out about Marisa's mother's affair. I don't condone or enjoy reading about affairs. I couldn't stand the characters in this book. None of them had a single appealing quality, especially not Marisa. I was pretty bummed, because I expected a lot more from Susane Colasanti.
I had to flounce this book about a third of the way through.
This was somewhat realistic and a big disappointment.
Frankly, I was turned off as soon as we found out about Marisa's mother's affair. I don't condone or enjoy reading about affairs. I couldn't stand the characters in this book. None of them had a single appealing quality, especially not Marisa. I was pretty bummed, because I expected a lot more from Susane Colasanti.
I had to flounce this book about a third of the way through.
tameka_young's review against another edition
4.0
This story had me at the first John Mayer reference. It's funny, smart, interesting, and full of wonderful multi-layered characters. I identified very much with Marisa and loved being a part of her journey to find the best version of herself. Lots of great 90s pop culture references, which are considered retro in the context of the book. Somehow this managed to make me feel both nostalgic and ancient. This is by far my favorite Colasanti book I've read.
missprint_'s review against another edition
3.0
Marisa is ready for her sophomore year to be different. After waiting for so long for the perfect person to come along and for the rest of her life to start, Marisa is tired of waiting. This is going to be her year. It has to be.
When cute, popular Derek asks Marisa out, it seems like her waiting really is over.
But it turns out, waiting or not, things don't always go smoothly. Instead of living a dream, Marisa's perfect family starts to shatter and dating Derek isn't all it's cracked up to be.
The only bright spot in what is turning out to be a way less than perfect year is DJ--the anonymous podcaster that the whole school listens to. Even when everything is a mess, DJ seems to understand exactly what Marisa and the rest of the school need to hear.
Even dealing with her lab partner/neighbor Cash is way harder than she thought filled with missed signals, confusion and a general pervading awkwardness. This is definitely not what Marisa has been waiting for in Waiting For You (2009) by Susane Colasanti.
Waiting For You is Colasanti's third book. Like her others, it is also YA. Despite that, and the age of her narrator, this book felt much younger to me. If not for the focus on dating and relationships, I would have pegged this as a Middle Grade title rather than a Young Adult one.
While the story resonates with teens who share Marisa's frustrations about waiting for something and seemingly never finding it, this was not my favorite Colasanti read. Although the story was interesting--Colasanti always manages to pack in a lot of fun extras besides the core story--I never connected with Marisa as a narrator.
Consequently, I'm sorry to say the story did not resonate with me. Marisa is immature and rash, jumping to random conclusions with seemingly no confirmation and missing other, larger, things completely. Other principal characters like Cash felt much more developed compared to Marisa, not to mention being more entertaining, despite Marisa being the one narrating the story.
Waiting For You has its fans, and it will appeal to some readers. For others, like me, it won't. But that's okay because Colasanti has a lot of other books that are sure to do the trick.
Possible Pairings: The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti, What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen, The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart, Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan, Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee
When cute, popular Derek asks Marisa out, it seems like her waiting really is over.
But it turns out, waiting or not, things don't always go smoothly. Instead of living a dream, Marisa's perfect family starts to shatter and dating Derek isn't all it's cracked up to be.
The only bright spot in what is turning out to be a way less than perfect year is DJ--the anonymous podcaster that the whole school listens to. Even when everything is a mess, DJ seems to understand exactly what Marisa and the rest of the school need to hear.
Even dealing with her lab partner/neighbor Cash is way harder than she thought filled with missed signals, confusion and a general pervading awkwardness. This is definitely not what Marisa has been waiting for in Waiting For You (2009) by Susane Colasanti.
Waiting For You is Colasanti's third book. Like her others, it is also YA. Despite that, and the age of her narrator, this book felt much younger to me. If not for the focus on dating and relationships, I would have pegged this as a Middle Grade title rather than a Young Adult one.
While the story resonates with teens who share Marisa's frustrations about waiting for something and seemingly never finding it, this was not my favorite Colasanti read. Although the story was interesting--Colasanti always manages to pack in a lot of fun extras besides the core story--I never connected with Marisa as a narrator.
Consequently, I'm sorry to say the story did not resonate with me. Marisa is immature and rash, jumping to random conclusions with seemingly no confirmation and missing other, larger, things completely. Other principal characters like Cash felt much more developed compared to Marisa, not to mention being more entertaining, despite Marisa being the one narrating the story.
Waiting For You has its fans, and it will appeal to some readers. For others, like me, it won't. But that's okay because Colasanti has a lot of other books that are sure to do the trick.
Possible Pairings: The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti, What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen, The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart, Vibes by Amy Kathleen Ryan, Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee
melindagallagher's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book was good, not great. I felt that Marisa tried a little too hard to find a boyfriend instead of being true to herself. While she learns that it is better to just be herself in the end, I thought it took a little too long to get there. But I think that is an issue for many young teenagers just trying to fit in. Give this to readers who are just beginning to explore young love.