Hannah, from About Books, is this weeks Guest Reviewer! ******************* Audrey, Wait — Robin Benway
“The day Audrey broke up with her boyfriend, he wrote The Song. A song about their breakup. The song is a huge success, suddenly his band the Do-Gooders are famous and everyone wants to know more about the mysterious Audrey. She’s thrust into the spotlight. Even at school people are acting differently towards her, as though she’s an actual celebrity. But the thing is, Audrey doesn’t want to be famous. All she did was break up with her boyfriend and now it seems as if half the world hates her for it. What people forget is that they don’t know anything about her. Only her name.”
Wow. This is one of those books that makes you happy. In fact, I think it could be the ultimate comfort read. It’s witty, fast-paced, has an interesting plot, and had me laughing out loud more than once. The star of Audrey, Wait is definitely Audrey herself. I don’t think I’ve ever read a more lively, funny, and confident main character. Audrey and her best friend Victoria have some great conversations that show that the author clearly remembers what being a teenager was like. It also makes me want to be friends with them. A lot.
Yes ok, the plot is a little far-fetched – I don’t think you’d get nearly as famous as Audrey does if someone wrote a song about you, but then again she avoids the press and that would make them far more interested in her. It’s also handled very cleverly. The plot and characters are a bit larger than life, but at the same time, the writing somehow makes it all seem realistic. Audrey handles her breakup and rise to fame surprisingly maturely. Her relationships, especially with ex-boyfriend Evan, are far more layered than I expected.
I loved this book so much. It’s lively, it’s funny, and it stars smart, believable teenagers. I can’t really explain how good this book is, or find a quote because every time I look for one, I want to copy a whole page. And then I keep on reading and forget I’m meant to be writing a review. Go and get yourself a copy right now!
******************* Thank you so much Hannah for an awesome review! If anyone else has a great book to recommend to high school students, please email me (my profile has the address). Check out this post for more information on how to become a guest reviewer. Please remember to check out Hannah's blog, About Books, and share some book love. Thanks again, Hannah!