Waiting+for+You

Discussion page for //Waiting for You//. //Marisa spent freshman year grappling with anxiety disorder and depression. Now the amateur photographer is heading into sophomore year with some coping skills and waiting for love to find her. While her best friend is IMing older guys and her once-"normal" parents are separated, Marisa thinks she's finally found romance with popular Derek, her first boyfriend. Why, then, would she rather hang out and discuss her problems, especially her relapsing depression, with her "totally geeked out" chemistry partner, Nash? Maybe while Marisa's been waiting for love, it's been in front of her all along. The story isn't new, but Colasanti keeps it fresh by speaking to teens in their own language. Marisa's realistic, first-person narration ably captures the importance of typical adolescent problems. The author also offers a hint of mystery (although readers will soon figure it out) with a late-night radio show featuring Dirty Dirk, an anonymous student who reaches out to Marisa. Chick lit for girls who think. (Fiction. YA)// Kirkus Reviews

This book is a Sarah Dessen read-alike. Some may argue that Dessen is better. I liked this book, and if you don't pick a Sarah Dessen, then I'd recommend this one, but my guess is from a literary standpoint the Dessen book is better. It was a good read, but not better than good. ~Kathy Watson, Kimball Library