Waiting for the Storm by Marie Landry

Waiting for the Storm by Marie Landry
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 205
Series: n/a
Review Source: eBook for review from author through Xpresso Book Tours

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Seventeen-year-old Charlotte O’Dell knows this summer is going to suck. Her mother just died, her sister hates her, and her dad has completely checked out. Fulfilling her mother’s final wish, the family heads to Angel Island for the summer to stay in a beach house her mother once loved.

After a year of being shut away taking care of her mother, Charlotte is numb and practically afraid of her own shadow; she hopes going to the island will give her the time and space she needs to begin healing, and an opportunity to bring her family back together. When she meets her mysterious neighbor, Ezra, it doesn’t take long for Charlotte to confess the issues she’s developed. Ezra begins giving Charlotte assignments to get over her fears, and although she accepts his tasks, all she really wants is to be with him. When she’s with Ezra, she’s able to forget the hollow ache in her heart and the fact that her family is falling apart. But Ezra has secrets…

Can Charlotte pull what’s left of her family together, mend her broken heart, and allow herself to fall for Ezra? Or is it all just a storm waiting to happen?

My Thoughts:
‘Waiting for the Storm’ is a quiet book; it’s an emotional story about grieving, about love, and about change. The book is the day to day tale of Charlotte and her family the summer right after her mother’s death. Charlotte is dealing with the loss, but she’s very much a changed person from before. When Charlotte meets the boy next door, Ezra, she connects with him automatically.

I loved Charlotte’s narrative voice and her story. Charlotte loves books and she starts blogging for the island’s library. Charlotte is in a very isolated position, and yet just from her voice you can see the good person she is and what a good friend she would be. Ezra, meanwhile, is a quiet and mysterious character with secrets of his own, but he’s also sweet and he listens to Charlotte. More than that, he understands her. I really can’t describe how much I loved the scenes with Charlotte and Ezra. Their relationship was so sweet, full of butterfly feelings and sweet kisses, but I loved how they also had the deeper connection of friendship and sharing secrets.

Marie Landry did a fabulous job of combining romance with family issues. All the characters and relationships here are layered. Charlotte’s sister Ella is lashing out, while their Dad is falling into a depression. These things are big parts of the story, and each of them is resolved, or at least dealt with, by the end of the book. I felt the ending was a tiny bit wish fulfillment, in that it likely wouldn't work out so perfectly in real life, but I still loved it. I mean, who wouldn't want a happy and hopeful ending (or beginning, really) for characters they've grown to care for?

The reason why I liked ‘Waiting for the Storm’ so much is because of the emotions it made me feel. This book is just so beautiful and meaningful, and the characters felt like real people. The book also features a Canadian setting relatively close to me, so I knew the cities and schools mentioned, which is always a cool feeling. YA contemp fans, look no further for your next read: ‘Waiting for the Storm’ is not one to miss.

The Cover:
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Rating:
[5/5]

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