Teen Reviewer: What Can't Wait

What Can't Wait
By: Ashley Hope Perez
Reviewer: Virginia Upton  *****

Description from Goodreads:

"Another day finished, gracias a Dios."

Seventeen-year-old Marisa's mother has been saying this for as long as Marisa can remember. Her parents came to Houston from Mexico. They work hard, and they expect Marisa to help her familia. And they expect her to marry a boy from the neighborhood, to settle down, and to have grandbabies. If she wants a job, she could always be an assistant manager at the local grocery store.

At school, it's another story. Marisa's calc teacher expects her to ace the AP test and to get into an engineering program in Austin—a city that seems unimaginably far away. When her home life becomes unbearable, Marisa seeks comfort elsewhere—and suddenly neither her best friend nor boyfriend can get through to her. Caught between the expectations of two different worlds, Marisa isn't sure what she wants—other than a life where she doesn't end each day thanking God it's over. What Can't Wait—the gripping debut novel from Ashley Hope Pérez—tells the story of one girl's survival in a world in which family needs trump individual success, and self-reliance the only key that can unlock the door to the future.

Virginia's Review: (Mild spoilers ahead)

What Can't Wait was a wonderful book. Very uplifting, romantic, and sad at times. My favorite part of the whole book is when Alan forgives his girlfriend for being so rude to him. This book touched my heart. It's a book every teen should read if they are having a relationship problem. It's a book that helps you through rough times. When you're sad it will cheer you up. What Can't Wait is my favorite book out of all the Eliot Rosewater books I have read. I read it in three days! When I finished it I was so sad, I wanted it to keep going. I would recommend all teens read this book. Teens will love this book if they are into romantic novels. I [give] this book 5 stars. TEENS PLEASE READ THIS BOOK! This is an amazing book!!