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Audrey, Wait!

by Robin Benway (Goodreads Author)

3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 · rating details · 7,329 ratings · 838 reviews

The wait is over for the paperback of this irresistible, fast-paced, hit-worthy debut! When funny, charming, absolutely-normal Audrey Cuttler dumps her boyfriend Evan, he writes a song about her that becomes a number-one hitaand rockets Audrey to stardom!

Suddenly, tabloid paparazzi are on her tail and Audrey can barely hang with her friends at concerts or the movies withou...more

Hardcover, Large Print, 437 pages

Published April 1st 2009 by Thorndike Press (first published April 10th 2008)

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May 08, 2009 Ash marked it as attmepted-to-read

Audrey has just dumped her sort a loser boyfriend who then writes a song about how she dumped him. Now she and the song have become famous. Seen as the villian in the song she's scrutinized by the public and her whole life has turned upside down.

I really tried. Really I did, but after hitting the fourth chapter and the 50th f-bomb I just couldn't do it. I know teens cuss, and I know they use the f word, but seriously? Was that really necessary? I literally stopped reading and started opening ra...more

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Aug 03, 2008 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fans of Meg Cabot, Sarah Mlynowski

Shelves: young-adult

A girl finally brings herself to break up with her agreeable(ish) but self-centered slacker boyfriend, and he chooses that moment to finally pay attention to her. Unfortunately, the attention is paid in the form of an angst-ridden song that ends up becoming his band's big break. Naturally this turns Audrey a celebrity and she finds herself practically held hostage by her new insta-fame. I wonder if anyone can read this book now and not think (if even for a moment) of the once-unavoidable "Hey Th...more

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Jun 22, 2010 Morgan F rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, music, 2000s, own, haha, its-a-girl, read-2010, debut, realistic, medium-sized, dating, fame

I need to clarify. This book is more of 4.5.

Girl meets boy. Girl dates boy. Girl breaks up with boy. Boy writes song about girl. Girl becomes famous.

You know, I really wasn't expecting this novel to be as unique as it was. It could have easily been annoying and cliched, but instead it was fresh and humorous. And when I say humorous, I mean it. This book was laugh-out-loud funny. So I advise you not to read this book in public. We don't want the person sitting next to you on that 5 hour flight to...more I need to clarify. This book is more of 4.5.

Girl meets boy. Girl dates boy. Girl breaks up with boy. Boy writes song about girl. Girl becomes famous.

You know, I really wasn't expecting this novel to be as unique as it was. It could have easily been annoying and cliched, but instead it was fresh and humorous. And when I say humorous, I mean it. This book was laugh-out-loud funny. So I advise you not to read this book in public. We don't want the person sitting next to you on that 5 hour flight to think you are on some new medication.

Audrey was such a refreshing voice. She was witty, vibrant, and confident. I loved her sarcasm and tone. Most authors try to impose personality traits on their two-dimensional characters, but Audrey lived it up. Instead of the author telling me Audrey liked music, she made me believe. This girl goes to concerts, blows out speakers, jams out to mix tapes, and discusses her fave bands. I also like how Audrey isn't obsessive about her appearance or too self-depreciating. Anything we know about her we find out from other characters in passing.

All the rest of the cast was equally enjoyable. I would want to sit at their table at lunch. Audrey and Victoria(like the Queen) had a very believable friendship, filled with inside jokes and shared interests. I even had a thing for Jonah, who was the perfect best friend's boyfriend. James was adorable (but not in a little brother kind of way) and I wish there were more redheaded love interests out there in bookdom. Even the parents were awesome in their obliviousness and almost-hipitude.

The writing was very, very enjoyable. While some of it seemed over-the-top, it never seemed like Benway was trying too hard. The humor was just effortless. My favorite line would have to be this: "'I'm having a life crisis. Pass me the Teddy Grahams.' He handed over the box. 'All that's left are little paws and legs at the bottom of the box,' he said. 'It's a massacre.'" The writing just rang true for me. And yes, that means there is cussing and sexual/drug references, so if you have a problem with that, then don't read this one.

Overall, a great debut from an author I'm expecting will be a star in the land of YA literature. (less)

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Apr 21, 2013 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: why-the-hype

Rating: 3.5 Stars

When I first came across Audrey, Wait! in my library, I dismissed it as being a rather silly novel. You see, I can be a very snobbish reader. Unless a book screams "DEPTH!" to me, I usually walk away from it. Well, then I joined GoodReads and virtually all my friends have loved this novel - even those who aren't fans of contemporary literature. As such, I couldn't help but pay my library another visit and check out the excruciatingly bright hardcover edition of this book. I kept...more Rating: 3.5 Stars

When I first came across Audrey, Wait! in my library, I dismissed it as being a rather silly novel. You see, I can be a very snobbish reader. Unless a book screams "DEPTH!" to me, I usually walk away from it. Well, then I joined GoodReads and virtually all my friends have loved this novel - even those who aren't fans of contemporary literature. As such, I couldn't help but pay my library another visit and check out the excruciatingly bright hardcover edition of this book. I kept expecting myself to be similarly blown away by this novel as my friends were, but I wasn't. Nevertheless, I do have to admit that Audrey, Wait! made me laugh at a time in my life when I wanted to cry and the amount of time I spent immersed in this fun-filled world is one I don't regret. Not one single itty-bitty bit.

Audrey, Wait! is the simple story of a girl who breaks up with her boyfriend. Or, not so simply. When your boyfriend is in a band, he might just end up writing a song about you. And that song might just gain attention and publicity. And that might just make you famous as well. Which, in turn, might just make falling in love with the cute guy at the ice cream shop you work at a lot more public than it needs to be. Or going for a concert. Or even sleeping in class. Needless to say, Audrey's life is turned upside down by the sudden fame she receives from breaking up with her boyfriend and if you thought being a celebrity was fun, Audrey will make you think again.

One of the best aspects of Audrey, Wait! is its narration. From the first page itself, Audrey grabs you and doesn't allow you to put down her story. Not only is she spunky and sarcastic, but her dialogue and life story is surprisingly relate-able and real. From the deep bond between Audrey and her best friend, Victoria, to the adorable crush she has on James, and the understanding relationship she maintains with her parents, this book never let me stop smiling. In fact, I blame this book for making my cheeks hurt so much by the end of it. If that wasn't good enough, though, Audrey loves music and the lyrics dispersed throughout the chapter titles made me grin even more. Audrey, Wait! is also a surprisingly solid representation of paparazzi and the culture of today's world, which I most definitely appreciated. It wasn't too over-done, like the crazy paparazzi of many movies, but it wasn't subtle either, striking a good balance.

Yet, unfortunately, Audrey, Wait! really does lack depth. Audrey not only gets along perfectly well with her parents, but any issues she has with Victoria and James are swiftly dealt with as well. Audrey's school nemesis is seen as "that girl" that exists in every novel to make the protagonist appear a little better and with the exception of the multi-faceted and flawed personalities of Audrey and Victoria, not much else proved that this novel was worth the hype it received. Thus, my rating is based solely on my thorough enjoyment of this tale and the fact that, every once in awhile, we all need a good laugh. For the next time you find yourself in that kind of mood, pick up Audrey, Wait! It'll have you in splits of laughter within pages. Just see if it doesn't.

You can read this review and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.(less)

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Mar 01, 2012 Maru rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone looking for a fun read

Shelves: favorites, reviewed, characters-i-love, ya-contemporary

Rating: 4.5 STARS

If you ever feel like reading a book that makes you laugh, lets you escape into a light, fun world, and really really entertains you, this is it. Audrey, Wait! is a simple book, nothing extremely original or groundbreaking, but it's one that works and that successfully reaches its goal - to entertain. I laughed out loud, I related to the characters, I enjoyed all the music references, and in my opinion, it has some of the most accurate characterization of teens I've read in a wh...more

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Sep 23, 2008 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2008

Teenager Audrey Cuttlin dumps her rock-singer/boyfriend Evan, only to have Evan write a song about the experience. After hearing the song performed at a party, Audrey assumes she's heard the end of it, until the song gets picked up and becomes a smash hit. Now Audrey is the focus of a media firestorm as the song rockets up the charts.

Can Audrey go back to being a normal teenager when her every move is scrutinized by the media, debated by the on-line community and documented for all to see?

"Audre...more

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May 04, 2013 Kailia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-authors, read-in-2013, young-adult, swooon

After having read and loved Robin Benway’s sophomore novel, The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June, I decided that I would get her debut novel Audrey, Wait! This is a novel that I have heard nothing but amazing things about so I was eager to see how I would like it. I learned some things while reading this book: 1) I don’t listen to enough American music since each chapter in this book had song lyrics and I only knew a few of the bands and 2) I really like Robin Benway’s writing. In a...more After having read and loved Robin Benway’s sophomore novel, The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June, I decided that I would get her debut novel Audrey, Wait! This is a novel that I have heard nothing but amazing things about so I was eager to see how I would like it. I learned some things while reading this book: 1) I don’t listen to enough American music since each chapter in this book had song lyrics and I only knew a few of the bands and 2) I really like Robin Benway’s writing. In all honesty, I have no idea when I began or finished this novel because I flew through it!

The writing and the narration are the best parts of this novel. From the very beginning, I became invested in Audrey’s story and her narration carried the book with a surprising gust of life. Audrey was spunky and sarcastic and awkward and I could relate to her very well. She’s a usually happy person who is loud and sometimes all over the place, just like me. I smiled and laughed my way through this book. But what I loved most was that it didn’t feel like I was reading a book but that I was there with Audrey, seeing all the events of her life happening as a fellow viewer.

The plot was surprising to be sure. While the idea that your boyfriend might be in a band and he might write a song about you that would become a big hit (Taylor Swift songs anyone?) seems superficial, Robin Benway carried it though with sincerity and honesty, something that I appreciated. The society and paparazzi depicted in this book seemed familiar. A simple hug with a friend could be turned into something completely different and I loved Audrey’s reaction to it all.

Yet Audrey, Wait! Did have a flaw and that was the subtle superficiality of it all. As mentioned above, a lot of the book was realistic but some of it bugged me. For example, Audrey’s relationship with her parents: On a side note, I loved seeing her parents in this book. They were a big part of Audrey’s life and I appreciated that they had a relationship with their daughter. But the relationship was too, for a lock of better word, good. Too many of their arguments were resolved easily for me to feel like yes, this is how it’s really like. Even if a teen has a good relationship with their parents, they have arguments that make no sense and sometimes are not resolved for hours, even days. Really, most of the conflicts in this book between characters were resolved perfectly and within days of occurring. It just didn’t feel real.

If you know me at all, you know that I am a die hard romantic. Really, I am. So the romance in Audrey, Wait! Was cheesy and sweet and I loved it. There was something so real about Audrey and her love interest’s relationship. Besides the issues resolving quickly, their banter and awkward moments were adorable and real. I kid you not, I awed and smiled like a crazy person at certain parts of this novel.

Overall, I’ve become a big fan of Robin Benway’s. Her writing is funny and real and her characters are worth rooting for. While certain aspects did bug me, Audrey, Wait! Is just as good as everyone says it is. While the cover and synopsis do not do this book justice, believe me when I say that Audrey, Wait! Has heart. I dare you to read this book and not smile!
(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: poeple who liked Jessica Darling, all YA readers who like funny contemps

Recommended to Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner) by: Carla

Shelves: favorites, young-adult, wtf-why-is-this-not-more-popular

From the "Final Thoughts" portion of my review:

This book inspired my "WTF! Why is this book not more popular" shelf on here!

This was absolutely one of the most fun romps I’ve had in contemporary YA since I first read Sloppy Firsts. I fell in love with Audrey and all the rest of the characters (minus Sharon – ew!). It was LOL-inducing and I just couldn’t stop reading to find out what more crazy shenanigans Audrey was going to have to endure with her newfound fame. If you are looking for a TRULY...more

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May 14, 2012 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I. Am. Speechless. This is such an amazing, fantastic, spectacular book filled with wit on nearly every page! While not the most diverse book, it's unique and quirky, and I recommend it to any teenage girl (or guy, who knows?) because it will make you laugh so hard. Five stars! :D

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Jan 18, 2013 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So I think we all know by now that contemporary? So not my main squeeze. I'll step out with one every once in a while, and after reading nothing but praise for Robin Benway's Audrey, Wait!, I decided it was worth a shot. Of course, before cracking that spine I had to sit myself down and have a talk: I was going to have to suspend disbelief, big time. I wasn't going to let the notion that the entire plot of Audrey, Wait! is utterly ridiculous and unrealistic overcome my enjoyment of the story. I...more So I think we all know by now that contemporary? So not my main squeeze. I'll step out with one every once in a while, and after reading nothing but praise for Robin Benway's Audrey, Wait!, I decided it was worth a shot. Of course, before cracking that spine I had to sit myself down and have a talk: I was going to have to suspend disbelief, big time. I wasn't going to let the notion that the entire plot of Audrey, Wait! is utterly ridiculous and unrealistic overcome my enjoyment of the story. I was going to go with it. And you know what? It really worked! Telling myself not to get caught up in the details (like how this would never ever actually happen to anyone) allowed me to enjoy the crap out of Audrey, Wait!

What I expected from Audrey, Wait!: Predictable rise to fame story. Audrey would get über popular and famous, it would go to her head, she'd loose sight of who she was alienating friends and family along the way before inevitably having the bubble burst and coming back down to earth as a decent human being everyone loves.

What I got from Audrey, Wait!: Something completely different and unexpected. Woohoo!

Audrey, Wait! is so refreshing not because it's another book about music, but because it's a book about people who love music. Not those who play it, but those who make it a part of every moment of their day. Those who feel the beat in every iota of their being and connect with a song more deeply than they ever could with most people. Those who post collages of their favorite bands, spend hours making the perfect playlist, and will spend their last $30 on concert tickets to see this band they love open for a band everyone else loves. I was that music lover in high school, and that is the Audrey we see in these pages.

For Audrey, music is life, but when her ex's band skyrockets to mass popularity with a song about, well, her, she suddenly can't even trust the bandwaves. Instead of embracing her adjacent fame, Audrey retreats--somewhat by force, and somewhat by choice--unable to live her life normally when there were so many out there pegging her as a role model or Muse.

I absolutely adored Audrey and her music obsession, and also loved the fact that here we had an introverted narrator that was still so fun loving. It's odd how rare that combo appears in writing, it seems you're either extroverted or shy and brooding. I really appreciated Audrey's personality as a type that exists a lot in the real world, but not so much in books. It is possible to be introverted and still be an incredibly strong and fearless person!

And of course, one of the things that made Audrey such a strong lead were her relationships with others. I love that even though her world comes crashing down around her ears as a result of her ex, Evan, she never gets catty with him. She realizes that he was upset at the time, and that things just happened to fall the way they did. Her best friend Victoria and Victoria's boyfriend Jonah are absolutely wonderful and supportive friends, it was so refreshing to see such a great girl friendship in YA that didn't get ruined when guys became involved (even if Victoria does let the ancillary fame get to her a bit). Audrey's "nerdy, but in that really cute Rivers-Cuomo-from-Weezer way" crush, James is so sweet and adorable he had me smiling constantly. But for me, it's Audrey's parents that really take the cake. They totally tie Mia's parents for best YA parents of the year. They know their kid and what works for her, they respect her choices, support her, but also work to keep her safe and set boundaries that she follows because she respects them right back. Love it!

Audrey, Wait! continually took turns I wasn't expecting, and I cannot express how completely refreshing that is for someone who reads enough to rarely be taken by surprise. The ending did seem fairly rushed to squeeze everything in and have a happy-go-lucky goodbye, but considering how low the cheese factor was compared to the incredibly high fun factor over all, I won't let that weigh too heavily on my enjoyment. Despite the ridiculous situation, Audrey and co. just came across as so real to me, landing Audrey, Wait! a place among my favorite contemps.

Original review posted at Bunbury in the Stacks.(less)

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Oct 06, 2012 Natalie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

This review also posted on my blog, Natalie Reads Books.

California high school student Audrey Cuttler dumps self-involved Evan, the lead singer of a little band called The Do-Gooders. Evan writes, “Audrey, Wait!” a break-up song that’s so good it rockets up the billboard charts. And Audrey is suddenly famous!

Now rabid fans are invading her school. People is running articles about her arm-warmers. The lead singer of the Lolitas wants her as his muse. (And the Internet is documenting her every mov...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Julianna Helms rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Julianna by: Sophia/Helen

Shelves: best-boys, favorites-all-time, needs-review-about-now, re-read-status, recent-favorites, kick-your-butt-heroines, mind-boggling-brilliant, starred-reviews

**ACTUAL, FULL REVIEW** Original is here on my blog. (Note: due to copy-and-paste, formatting and links have been lost.)

You know what I think?

I think Audrey was right. She shouldn't have waited.

I can't even start this review right if I don't talk about the amazingness that is James. Holy rock stars, did you know that food > music? Okay, fine, food = music. But still. Man. That boy is something. Now I realize that I just sounded like your grandma with her "back in the dayz" talk, but hey, I'm...more **ACTUAL, FULL REVIEW** Original is here on my blog. (Note: due to copy-and-paste, formatting and links have been lost.)

You know what I think?

I think Audrey was right. She shouldn't have waited.

I can't even start this review right if I don't talk about the amazingness that is James. Holy rock stars, did you know that food > music? Okay, fine, food = music. But still. Man. That boy is something. Now I realize that I just sounded like your grandma with her "back in the dayz" talk, but hey, I'm just being honest here, k? Now where can we find a James in real life is the question...

Anyways! Audrey. Gosh, I love Audrey. She's quirky and so hilarious that you'll find yourself crying "THAT'S A KNEE-SLAPPER!" more than once. She's going to rock your socks off (so many puns...) if you haven't read this yet. I want her to be my best friend. (JK. I love my best friend. But come on, Audrey is just too awesome to not have as an IRL friend.) She reacts like an actual female teenage human being to situations that does not bestow upon the average actual female teenage human being. Quite a phenomenon, this one.

Now, moving on. The plot of this book was amazing. Contemporaries and I usually clash because they are too loose all over the edges, but this one was focused, straightforward, and had a beginning, middle, and end that I could see the arc of, but could not have predicted everything about. Not saying, of course, that contemporaries aren't cool--if you haven't noticed, my last star review was for a contemporary. I just wanted to point out that contemp skeptics can rest their hearts easy with this one, because Robin Benway knows what she's doing.

Also, the music: my gosh the music. It's everywhere, and it's frexing beautiful. I want to hug this book and drink it and somehow just, oh, I don't know, I just love this book so much. I'm sorry, that sounded really creepy, but I can't help it. These reviews are me spilling my feelings, so tada, there's a pot of TMI for you to waddle your way through.

Overall, there is nothing overall to say because Audrey, Wait! is utterly too mind-blowing to actually allow the mind the manifestation of an accurate description. The only advice I can give you is: go read it, then report back to me after you've indulged in this pure gleeful, Anna and the French Kiss-fun novel that ultimately answers sophisticated answers with simple eccentricities.(less)

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Aug 11, 2010 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, contemporary, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Original post at One More Page

I needed a break from all the dystopia an somewhat depressing books I've been reading lately, and Audrey, Wait! was the perfect one. I found this book while I was browsing in the Fully Booked and bought it impulsively -- and now it's one of the best impulse buys I've ever made.

Audrey is your normal teenage girl who likes music, goes to concerts, works for an ice cream store, hangs out with her best friend and has a musician boyfriend. However, the musician boyfriend...more

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Jun 12, 2010 Infinite Playlist rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: (teenage) music-lovers

Shelves: mine, music-bands-concerts, mood-funny, friendship

Heartbreaker - Chartbreaker sieht mit seinem knalligen rot-orange-pink-gelbem Cover nicht nur nach Sommer aus, das Buch selbst verbreitet auch so viel gute Laune und witzige Momente, dass es sich perfekt zum Lesen in der Sonne eignet. Und das obwohl das Buch selbst eher im Herbst und Winter spielt.

Audrey Cuttler ist ein musikbesessener Teenager mit einer besten Freundin und einem Ex-Freund, der Musiker ist und aus lauter Verzweiflung über ihre Trennung ein Lied darüber schreibt. Bis dato war Eva...more Heartbreaker - Chartbreaker sieht mit seinem knalligen rot-orange-pink-gelbem Cover nicht nur nach Sommer aus, das Buch selbst verbreitet auch so viel gute Laune und witzige Momente, dass es sich perfekt zum Lesen in der Sonne eignet. Und das obwohl das Buch selbst eher im Herbst und Winter spielt.

Audrey Cuttler ist ein musikbesessener Teenager mit einer besten Freundin und einem Ex-Freund, der Musiker ist und aus lauter Verzweiflung über ihre Trennung ein Lied darüber schreibt. Bis dato war Evans Band höchstens lokal bekannt, aber der Song "Audrey, wait!", in dem er mit seiner Ex-Freundin abrechnet, entpuppt sich als Megahit und plötzlich verändert sich sowohl sein als auch Audreys Leben komplett. Evan spielt ansonsten keine große Rolle, es geht viel mehr um Audrey, die plötzlich damit klarkommen muss, dass unbekannte Leute im Internet fies über sie ablästern oder dass Mädchen von ihrer Schule, die vorher nie ein Wort mit ihr gewechselt haben, jetzt ihr Autogramm haben wollen. Das ist nur der Anfang. Auf einmal wollen Markenfirmen Audrey als Werbegesicht für sich gewinnen und Paparazzi folgen ihr auf Schritt und Tritt. Zur Seite steht Audrey bei diesem ganzen Trubel ihre beste Freundin Victoria, ihre superfette Katze, ihre Eltern und auch der schüchterne James, mit dem Audrey in einem Eiscafé arbeitet, entwickelt sich immer mehr zu einem neuen Freund.

Wenn ich dieses Buch vor ein paar Jahren gelesen hätte, hätte ich es sicherlich zu meiner persönlichen Bibel erklärt. Audrey erinnert mich sehr an mich selbst. Sie liebt Musik über alles, geht mit ihrer Freundin ständig auf Konzerte, schwärmt für Bandmitglieder, träumt von Backstagebesuchen und schneidet ständig ihre Lieblingsbands aus Zeitschriften aus, um ihr Zimmer damit zu tapezieren. Mit 16 kann es meiner Meinung nach kaum ein besseres Hobby geben als Musik. Dazu kommt noch der Humor. Ich wette mein halbes Bücherregal darauf, dass ich mit der Autorin Robin Benway einen Heidenspaß hätte. Sie trifft einfach genau meinen Lachmuskel. Ständig musste ich bei diesem Buch kichern, lachen oder wenigstens grinsen. Manchmal auch lächeln, weil eine Szene oder ein Satz einfach nur schön und wunderbar getroffen war. Besonders gut kommt der Witz in den Dialogen rüber, die Audrey mit ihrer besten Freundin Victoria oder mit ihren Eltern führt, die manchmal versuchen cool zu sein, was Vollblutteenager Audrey natürlich nur peinlich findet. Immer für einen Lacher gut ist auch Audreys dicke, fette Katze, die sogar dem Briefträger Angst macht und deren Schnarchen sich bestens für einen eigenen Klingelton eignet.

Was ich diesem Buch auch noch zu gute halten möchte, ist die Darstellung der Eltern. In vielen YA-Büchern sind Eltern sehr unpräsent. Entweder sind sie verreist oder kümmern sich nicht oder werden schlichtweg vergessen. Ganz oft hat man das Gefühl, sie müssten einfach von der Bildfläche verschwinden, um es den Protagonisten schwerer zu machen. Ganz anders bei diesem Roman. Audreys Eltern sind immer zu Hause und ihnen liegt ihre Tochter sehr am Herzen. Sie versuchen sie zu beschützen und geben ihr gleichzeitig Freiraum um ihre eigene Persönlichkeit zu entwickeln. Sie verbieten auch mal etwas, versuchen aber fair zu bleiben und sind wie Eltern es sein sollten eine Bezugsperson für ihre Tochter (trotzdem erzählt Audrey ihnen selbstverständlich nicht alles). Davon abgesehen sind sie richtig lustig und führen grandiose Gespräche. Audreys Eltern sind mit Liebe charakterisiert, es gibt das ein oder andere Detail aus ihrem Leben und ihrer Vergangenheit und sie sind nicht einfach nur vorgeschriebene Statisten.

Ich komme jetzt zu zwei mickrigen Minuspunkten, die mir an dem Buch aufgefallen sind, mich aber nicht groß gestört haben. Zum einen gibt es eine handvoll sehr stereotyper Charaktere und zwar die aus dem Musikbusiness. Simon von den Lolitas verkörpert das perfekte Klischeebild eines Rockstars und auch die MTV-Mitarbeiter, Backstagebekanntschaften und Manager/Produzenten sind allesamt geldgierig, gemein, hinterlistig und nervig. Ein bisschen mehr Tiefe wäre da nicht schlecht gewesen, aber dafür tauchen diese Charaktere einfach nicht lange genug auf. Schade nur, dass das Musikgeschäft ausschließlich in seinem typisch negativen Licht dargestellt wird.
Was mich außerdem gestört hat, war das Verhalten von Victoria gegen Ende des Buches. Sie ist Audreys beste Freundin, aber wie Audrey auch selbst erkennt, verhält sie sich irgendwann nicht mehr richtig so. Kostenlose Make Up Produkte und Backstagebesuche scheinen ihr wichtiger zu sein als das Wohlergehen ihrer Freundin. Später wird zum Glück geklärt, warum Victoria das alles so sieht und ihr Standpunkt erschien mir verständlicher, aber ich fand es trotzdem ein wenig unausgewogen, dass Audrey sich am Ende bei ihr entschuldigt und nicht umgekehrt.

Alles in allem hat Heartbreaker - Chartbreaker meine Erwartungen bei Weitem übertroffen. Dieser Roman ist das perfekte Buch für diesen Sommer und auch zu anderen Jahreszeiten allen Musikbegeisterten nur zu empfehlen. Es geht übrigens vor allem um Bands aus dem Rockbereich. Jedes Kapitel beginnt sogar mit einem Songzitat, worüber ich mich jedes Mal gefreut habe.
Hervorheben möchte ich noch kurz die Übersetzerin Bernadette Ott, die einen hervorragenden Job geleistet hat. Der Roman hat sich flüssig gelesen und es gab keine Stelle, an der ich mich geärgert habe, nicht das Original in den Händen zu halten.
Ich bin wirklich gespannt, ob Robin Benways nächstes Buch (The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June, erscheint im August diesen Jahres) da mithalten kann.(less)

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Apr 17, 2010 Lori (Pure Imagination) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Lori (Pure Imagination) by: grumpybear17@msn.com

I want to be best friends with Audrey. Not because she's famous. Because she's awesome! I'm seriously a little sad that she's not real. Her snark and sarcasm were right up my ally.

In the beginning of the book Audrey breaks up with her self involved guitarist boyfriend. There really wasn't any hard feelings. It was a good breakup. As good as breakups get. But when Evan(see self involved ex boyfriend)gets a record deal and a song about their breakup starts playing all over the world, Audrey gets u...more

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Aug 02, 2010 Princess Bookie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My Thoughts: Audrey, Wait! is an amazing book! Its one of the best books I've read this year! I just loved it from start to finish! I usually don't rate books this high because either 1. They just aren't that great. 2. Because they don't seem to compare to my obsession of how good The Twilight Saga or Harry Potter was. I do enjoy books but I don't love love love them! This one was one I actually loved. I loved Audrey, and I loved James. I even loved to hate Evan! I don't know why I waited so lon...more

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May 24, 2009 Christina rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-reads, young-adult, library-book

The biggest problem with Audrey, Wait! is that the whole plot revolves around a so-called catchy, chart-topping song of the same name. Since we can't hear the song, we can only rely on Audrey's word and the words of the song, which are, honestly, pretty lame. While there are popular songs out there with lame lyrics, it's usually because of the beat, the music. But because we can't hear the song in Audrey, Wait!, all I could think was that "Audrey, Wait!" was quite possibly the dumbest song ever,...more

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Sep 28, 2008 Elizabeth Wallace rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: (most) people who love rock

Shelves: best-books-ever, no-rating-high-enough, read-and-reviewed

Wow. I expected this book to be good, and boy was I wrong, it was amazzzzing! I liked Audrey's character, the writing style, the music references, the plot, and how realistic it was while still being very light-readish.
When I saw the description, I was like "this is unexpected, it seems pretty cool." Then when I actually got my hands on the book, I saw that it was reviewed by Meg Cabot, and I was pretty worried about the originality of it all. But no worries, Audrey, Wait! was as amazing as the...more Wow. I expected this book to be good, and boy was I wrong, it was amazzzzing! I liked Audrey's character, the writing style, the music references, the plot, and how realistic it was while still being very light-readish.
When I saw the description, I was like "this is unexpected, it seems pretty cool." Then when I actually got my hands on the book, I saw that it was reviewed by Meg Cabot, and I was pretty worried about the originality of it all. But no worries, Audrey, Wait! was as amazing as the description.

Audrey has decided to break up with her, space-cadet, self and band-obsessed boyfriend. She's pretty much over it until that night when, at the concert, she hears his band's new song a breakup song that would make her want to dance, if it weren't about her! Lucky (JK) for her, a guy from a record company is at the performance, and just after things start to calm down a bit, she hears THE SONG on the radio. Audrey, wait (the song) is a huge hit and soon it's all over the radio and the paparazzi is after her. But Aud just wants to get back to life, school, and the pursuit of happiness (plus possibly a new boyfriend). Though there are plenty of benefits of being famous, it doesn't really (in Audrey's opinion) balance out being followed everywhere, or balance out all the jealous girls, adoring fans, gawkers, and people who want to get money off of cell phone pictures.

Through this all Audrey stays lovable, funny, and as original as the plot. Also, I loved her music taste. The bits of songs at the beginnings of each chapter were things that I looked forward to, and I loved loved loved the quote from Bea's Song (River Trilogy II) by The Cowboy Junkies. I love not feeling alone in my music taste.

All in all, A plus plus plus (and if you don't love my review, my other one was better but I lost it!!!!!!)

P.S. If you loved the music references as much as I did, you might also like Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by whatserface.

P.P.S. If you loved the laughs, you may like The Queen Geek Social Club.
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deleted user Are you serious Elizabeth?
I don't even have words to describe how wrong that is.
Have you ever heard of censorship? It's the act of taking any disagre...more
Jun 30, 2010 02:03pm

Elizabeth Wallace Okay, Sara, sorry that bothered you. Looking back it probably wasn't a good idea since it wasn't my book. I was only twelve at the time I wrote this r...more
updated Nov 16, 2011 05:42pm

Jul 23, 2009 Ruth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen

When 16-year-old Audrey dumps her musician boyfriend, he writes a song about it which ends up soaring to the tops of the top ten lists. Now Audrey finds herself inexplicably popular, as kids at school start asking for her autograph, and strangers snap photos of her through the school windows. She's trying to get the cute guy at work to notice her, but on their first date they get chased and cornered by paparazzi, and need a police escort to get home. It finally comes to a head as her ex calls to...more

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Jun 25, 2008 Steph (Reviewer X) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Every fucking one

I AM SO GLAD I GOT TO READ THIS BOOK!

Audrey, Wait! is fucking awesome. I hope we can aptly conclude how much thought I’m putting behind that statement, given this is the first time I’ve outright cursed on this blog. (Which is surprising, actually, as I’m such a potty mouth.)

When I started this book, I was expecting great things because of all the glowing reviews it’d received. I went out of my way to buy it, too, which isn’t something I do often. Some people have been saying this book is fantast...more I AM SO GLAD I GOT TO READ THIS BOOK!

Audrey, Wait! is fucking awesome. I hope we can aptly conclude how much thought I’m putting behind that statement, given this is the first time I’ve outright cursed on this blog. (Which is surprising, actually, as I’m such a potty mouth.)

When I started this book, I was expecting great things because of all the glowing reviews it’d received. I went out of my way to buy it, too, which isn’t something I do often. Some people have been saying this book is fantastic from the get-go. I agree the first chapter is positively charming. It is. But then chapter two slowed down, and I was afraid of continuing on, because I was afraid the rest would go downhill, la too many books to remember, let alone list.

Turns out I could not be more wrong. The "slow down" was actually not as slow as I figured (how did I reach that conclusion?), and as soon as I got past this perceived bump on the road, the book charged forward with such flair, such candor, and a voice that just won’t quit. The writing could not be more pitch-perfect (and though there’s a lot of cursing—not a problem with me, but with others it’ll be, I’m sure—the profanity! is! perfectly! done!) to a teen’s. While the narrative often reads like the character is enacting a monologue (and most assuredly not a monotonous one), it’s also got this magnetic, readable quality that makes it shine.

And finally, to my favorite part of any review: the characters. Beautiful to the third power, well-drawn, three-dimensional; in short: great. The development was mind-blowing, not only on the part of the main character, the witty Audrey, but also Victoria’s, Jonah’s, and James’s. And, of course, Evan, even though he’s absent for most of the novel. They all—especially Audrey—had this amazing sense of humor that kept me turning pages. Pair this up with the quick pacing and edgy realism, and you’ve got yourself a winner.

Robin Benway’s got one hell of a skill on her hand. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next. Whatever it is, Robin, please don’t kill it by sticking My Chemical Romance in the middle :P

(To which Robin replied that she loves MCR. Aww.)(less)

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Mar 10, 2008 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got this book in the beginning of February, and I feel awful for not reviewing it sooner.

Audrey Cutler lives with parents and her cat, just a “normal” girl. Normal? Think again. Her ex-boyfriend Evan wrote a song titled Audrey, Wait! which everyone, and I mean everyone knows. Even her parents know the song. The song rockets to the top of the billboards week after week after week… Audrey didn’t think it would go this far, ever. She’s as famous as Evan now, with people hording every known pictur...more

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Jun 13, 2010 April rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, highly-recommended

Why, oh why did I wait so long to read this book? Despite having Audrey, Wait on my shelf since November, I sort of avoided reading this book. It took some goading from Twitter to get me to crack this one open. Thank goodness I did, because Audrey, Wait! is made of awesome. Sixteen year old Audrey decides her boyfriend Evan just doesn't cut it anymore, so she breaks it off with him. BIG MISTAKE. Evan, being a rocker decides to write a song inspired by the breakup called Audrey, Wait! and what do...more

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Jan 29, 2011 Taylor rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was a good book but i wouldn't have picked it up if new york times best selling author Meg Cabot hadn't commented on it. I give it about four stars. maybe three.

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Jul 30, 2008 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I grew up as a Jenny amidst Tommy Tutone's "Jenny (867-5309)." I know an Eileen who lived through the heydey of "Come on, Eileen." These songs, however, were not written ABOUT us, they just featured our names. Imagine if you broke up with a dude who then turned around and wrote a song about how cold hearted you were, with the annoying refrain of "Your name, wait!" Audrey is that girl, and she's immediately launched into the public eye (a place in which she is none too comfortable). The character...more

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Jan 27, 2010 Tammara added it · review of another edition

Cute! Very funny, clever little novel. Audrey drops her boyfriend Evan, who, while a nice enough guy, and talented to boot, is more interested in himself and his band than he is in his girlfriend. The breakup goes as well as could be expected, except for one thing. Evan is a musician, and he buries the pain of getting dumped in a song. A song that turns out to the be hit of the year. All of a sudden, "Audrey, Wait!" is all anyone can talk about, and the spotlight has Audrey running for cover. Li...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Melanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Audrey Cuttler didn't do anything special, she just broke up with her boyfriend like normal sixteen year-old girls do all the time. But Audrey broke up with Evan who happens to be in a band and he happened to write a song about their breakup and it's currently making its way up the charts. While Audrey is making her way into hiding.

Surrounded by paparazzi and crazed "fans" Audrey's whole life has changed since the song came out. Like high school isn't hard enough. Between the magazines and websi...more

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Oct 25, 2011 El Templo de las Mil Puertas added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 17-eltemplo, reseñas

"Audrey corta con Evan y él compone una canción inspirada en ella, la mejor que ha tocado su grupo. La interpretan esa misma noche en un concierto local al que asiste todo el instituto. Audrey se muere de la vergüenza, entre otras cosas porque la letra de la canción habla mal de ella, pero al empezar el curso Evan no está y una semana después todo el mundo se ha olvidado del asunto. La vida de Audrey sigue su curso: va a clase por la mañana y trabaja en una heladería por la tarde. El resto del t...more

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Oct 17, 2009 The Loft added it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-humor

“Hi, Mom, it’s me. I’m alive and sober. But there’s still time for things to get exciting.”

So says the spunky and often sarcastic Audrey, the teenage heroine of this novel. After her life was turned upside down by her ex-boyfriend writing a mega-hit of a song called “Audrey, Wait!” about her, and more specifically the way she dumped him, she has to change the way she would normally live her life. As a result of all the unwanted paparazzi and fans that she has acquired – she has to call her paren...more

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Mar 08, 2009 Adele added it · review of another edition

This is the debut novel from Robin Benway and I think she really hit the pool with a huge bombs-away. I loved how much life, vitality and kick-ass attitude is embedded in this book. I felt like I was chatting with a girlfriend as it was honestly, a really sparky (for lack of a better word)read.

The protagonist, Audrey, is the girl I would love to have been in high school, or even now. She is fiery, confident and a possesses a somewhat scary need to collage her bedroom walls. Unlike many protagoni...more This is the debut novel from Robin Benway and I think she really hit the pool with a huge bombs-away. I loved how much life, vitality and kick-ass attitude is embedded in this book. I felt like I was chatting with a girlfriend as it was honestly, a really sparky (for lack of a better word)read.

The protagonist, Audrey, is the girl I would love to have been in high school, or even now. She is fiery, confident and a possesses a somewhat scary need to collage her bedroom walls. Unlike many protagonists, she actually has functional relationships with family and friends and is secure in herself. That is until she breaks up with her boyfriend, Evan, who then writes a stellar song about her treatment of him, which then results in the band being signed and the song becoming an international hit.

The novel shows the affect this large scale popularity, fame and celebrity status has upon your identity, the people you love and your privacy. Benway's careful to depict the perks (of which Audrey's BF is quick to seize) and the costs of such attention. It hurts to see this character, who wants nothing of the fame, to repeatedly fall victim to circumstances she has no control over. The positive and negative attention received has quite a corrosive affect on her life but throughout Benway's protrays Audrey as someone sticking to her guns and keeping a firm grip on who she wants to be, rather than the unflattering and unfair portrayal in the song. It's always great to see a strong female protagonist and this one was more likeable than most. I would like her as a friend to make me awesome mixed CDs.

The supporting characters are divine. The friendship between Audrey and Victoria has the histrionics, humour and shorthand that a true camaraderie would possess. You can definitely feel the love that the author has for this BF and I was not surprised to hear that Benway based Victoria upon her own BF, Adriana.

I found that I really related to the character of James, Audrey's co-worker at Scooper Dooper and potential love interest. There is a dearth of red headed leading men in literature; I am glad that Benway has stepped into the breach and made an attempt to fix this. I liked that Audrey's interactions with him were characterised by their quiteness and compatibility, rather than miscommunications and blow ups. Most of all, I liked that her parents, though a little out of the loop, weren't depicted as stereotypical, demon parents.

This novel was an exceptionally quick read for me. The pace is smooth and event filled with great characters (none of which are cliched) that you are really rooting for. The themes of love, friendship, celebrity and identity are strongly represented and Benway write with an enthusiastic sometimes bent that is entertaining and a little intoxicating. I will definitely be checking out this author's sophomoric effort!
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Mar 08, 2009 Theresa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009

I really liked this book but the reason I gave it 3 stars was because the main character kept doing things that didn't really make sense considering her situation.

Audrey breaks up with her boyfriend, Evan, the lead singer of a band called the Do-Gooders. Evan writes a song about their break up that becomes the next big thing in America, shooting to the top of the charts and making the Do-Gooders a household name. All of a sudden, Audrey is famous and the paparazzi are following her and she no lo...more

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About Robin Benway

I'm the author of "Audrey, Wait!" and "The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June." My new book "Also Known As" will be released on February 26, 2013. I live in Los Angeles with my extremely stubborn shih tzu, Hudson. I've gotten a lot better at cooking. I still love coffee. We should be friends.

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Books by Robin Benway

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June

Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves

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Quotes from Audrey, Wait!

“It's funny how bed and pillows and covers can change a conversation. Words turn quiet and you mean more and say less. It's like you can build your own little world, Population: 2.” — 63 people liked it

“You have to turn it up so that your chest shakes and the drums get in between your ribs like a heartbeat and the bass goes up your spine and fizzles your brain and all you can do is dance or spin in a circle or just scream along because you know that however this music makes you feel, it’s exactly right.” — 42 people liked it

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