Wait for me

by An Na

Mina is living a lie in so many areas of her life. Her mother expects her to get accepted to Harvard, but her grades aren't even close, and she's been spending time with her new boyfriend Ysrael while her mother thinks she's studying for the SAT. Mina finds it easy to lie because she doesn't want to disappoint her mother, but also because her mother is a difficult, bitter, and pushy person. Her own life has been a big disappointment, and she doesn't want more of the same for Mina. Mina has a chance to run away with Ysrael, but finally decides she can't desert her hearing-impaired younger sister, Suna, who gets little of her mother's love or attention. Waiting is the theme running throughout the story--Mina waiting to leave home and live her own life, her mother waiting to reap the rewards of her sacrifices, Suna just waiting to be noticed. This novel received starred reviews in several review journals, and it is a well-written work, but there was something about it that just didn't reach me. I call this a "gray" novel. The action is flat, no highs and no lows. There was very little character development, and the tone throughout was melancholy. I don't remember even a tiny bit of comic relief. However, I have no doubt that this is a book that would be just what some teens need to read, and it does end on a small note of hope. Some of you should give it a shot. Another Tayshas book for 2008-2009.

----reviewed by Mrs. Sams