A review by courtney_in_chaos
Wait by A.L. Jackson

2.0

If 'angst' was an Olympic sport, this book would clean up. I don't think I've ever come across a book that is so over-the-top moody. I'm sure this book is referenced in an emo handbook somewhere.



The MCs are Edie and Austin. They knew each other as teens and had feelings for each other, but they were both so tragic, broken, dark, sad, whatever, that it didn't work out. Edie had told Austin her deep dark secret, and he let it slip, so she ran. When the book starts, it's four years after she left, and they magically happen to run into each other at a bar.

Honestly, this book is just painful to read in so many ways. For one thing, the story moves along at a snail's pace. Austin will say a line of dialogue, and then there's like four pages of him thinking about the past and how Edie looks. And then Edie will say one line, and then we'll get four pages of her wondering internally if she could trust Austin again. I would have killed for a few pages of just some back and forth without all the rehashed angsty bull-crap.

And because it took so long for the story to move, it took FOREVER to find out Edie and Austin's big "secrets".



The author took so long to get the story moving anywhere that by the time I finally learned what had happened to Edie and Austin to make them so "broken", I honestly just didn't care anymore. I still don't understand why Edie left, why she couldn't tell her brother what happened at the time, and why she blamed Austin for taking away her home and her future.

And then the writing style of this book...



I'm paraphrasing here, but you get the idea :

My beautiful boy.
Finally, I feel safe.
His arms.
My darkness, my light.
So broken.
He sees me.
Chases thoughts of him.
So many secrets.
But in his arms, is home.

I see her.
My angel.
I need to protect her.
But I break everything I touch.
Look what I did to him.
So dark.
She is the light.
I have to make it up to her.
Will she give me the chance?
Her eyes are like diamonds piercing my soul.