What Can(t) Wait

Mar 18, 2011 Flannery rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Dairy Queen series fans, Simone Elkeles fans, and people who like learning about first gen Americans

Shelves: arc-galley-or-first-reads, read-in-2011, young-adult-teen, reviewed-2011

When I saw that this book was not only about the Mexican-American experience but that it also included a teenage girl who excelled in math, I couldn’t wait to read it. (the Mexican experience aspect because I find it fascinating and the math thing to stick it to my 5th grade science teacher who told my mom that it was no big deal that I sucked at circuitry because I was a girl and would obviously never need to know anything about it) The only other YA books that I’ve read involving Mexican teena...more When I saw that this book was not only about the Mexican-American experience but that it also included a teenage girl who excelled in math, I couldn’t wait to read it. (the Mexican experience aspect because I find it fascinating and the math thing to stick it to my 5th grade science teacher who told my mom that it was no big deal that I sucked at circuitry because I was a girl and would obviously never need to know anything about it) The only other YA books that I’ve read involving Mexican teenagers are Simone Elkeles’s Fuentes brothers books, and those are firmly anchored by their romantic plotlines. While I enjoyed those books, I’m happy to say that What Can’t Wait is not carried by Marisa’s romantic life. Instead, we follow Marisa Moreno through her senior year of high school. No one in her family has ever gone to college but Marisa and several people who surround her believe that she has what it takes to achieve something more. Her attempts are thwarted left and right but she doesn't give in. I have to say, I always find it refreshing when a teenage protagonist is a hard worker and grounded in reality. So many YA books are based around trivialities but this one deals with several more serious issues. Yes, I remember how ridiculous many of my teenage concerns were and recognize that these books of which I speak are probably very true to actual teenage concerns and life. I guess I just like things a little more gritty. The tone of this novel is realistic, a little on the dark side, but decidedly optimistic. And the pacing is quick yet steady; I never felt like the story was rushed or that there was lag.

This book gives off a Dairy Queen series vibe, and we all know what a good thing that is. The family situation is quite similar as well—a teenage girl who has to work hard for her family to the detriment of her schoolwork, her friendships, her love life, and her future, a dad who just doesn’t get it, a mother who seems like a pushover in many cases, and siblings who often compound family stress. There isn't much in the way of descriptive writing going on but I truly didn't mind--Ashley Hope Pérez wrote a book that feels like we are reading Marisa's journal of her entire year. (perhaps that is another reason I kept thinking of DJ Schwenk?)

I checked out the publisher of this novel because I had never encountered them before and I thought perhaps Carolrhoda was a word in a different language—as it turns out, the origin of the imprint name is quite a touching story. The head of Lerner Publishing Group, Carolrhoda Press’ parent company, named the imprint after his wife’s lifelong best friend who died too young of breast cancer. She was in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia and worked to bring more books to children worldwide. Carolrhoda Lab, an offshoot of Carolrhoda Press, is a smaller imprint dedicated to publishing , “distinctive, provocative, boundary-pushing fiction for teens and their sympathizers.” (I chuckled at the teen sympathizers line—I suppose I don’t mind being labeled as such) After reading this work, I am certainly going to see what else this imprint has to offer.

3.5-3.75 stars rounded up.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this one!(less)

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Dec 01, 2010 YA Reader rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone around 13+

Recommended to YA Reader by: courtesy of Netgalley

What Can't Wait deals with a huge number of very important issues clearly and concisely. It was a pleasure to read and I was enthralled even though there isn't much in the way of a dramatic plot. There are, for certain, moments of high tension; these include an accident with a forklift as well as teenage pregnancy. Although this is uncommon for a YA novel, the book is good because it's different and it focuses on Marisa's daily life which is often tough for her to handle at times.

Marisa's life i...more What Can't Wait deals with a huge number of very important issues clearly and concisely. It was a pleasure to read and I was enthralled even though there isn't much in the way of a dramatic plot. There are, for certain, moments of high tension; these include an accident with a forklift as well as teenage pregnancy. Although this is uncommon for a YA novel, the book is good because it's different and it focuses on Marisa's daily life which is often tough for her to handle at times.

Marisa's life is interesting to read about for a number of reasons. She is an intelligent girl with high expectations for herself. She wants to graduate and attend an engineering course in Austin but her father, in particular, believes her only ambition should be to stay at home and help provide for her family. Her aspirations guide her through the novel and show how stereotypes still make life hard for many teenagers with big wishes for their futures.

What's great about this book though is it shows how hard work can pay off and it follows Marisa's journey towards acceptance; her bid for acceptance at UT-Austin, as well as her desire to be understood by her family and recognised for her hard work and commitment (a big ask especially from her father). Her teacher, Ms Ford, is the only one that seems to really have faith in her encouraging her immensely to stretch herself academically even when home pressures make it difficult. What Can't Wait highlights to its readers that achieving success can still be harder for women even in the 21st century (of course this is not in all cases but it's still a problem) and that it how it could remain without determined people like Marisa standing up for themselves overcoming huge hurdles for the good of mankind.

Marisa's niece is integral to the story. Marisa looks after her regularly to help out her sister and she feels responsible for little Anita's education. Marisa helps to teach Anita to read and I felt that it mirrors her own ambitions, making sure that Anita gets the best start possible to ensure she can be whatever she wants. The way in which Marisa's hopes for Anita compare with her own dreams is very sweet and it really indicates to the reader how serious she is about changing attitudes for the better.

Ashley Hope Pérez has presented a terrific character in her book and I hope that many will read her work so that people will recognise that women are capable of great things and that determination, in particular, is the key.

Alan is an interesting character too. He's funny and I love the way in which his artwork reflects his feelings, it's a really lovely idea and it's wonderfully described. I can imagine exactly what his pictures look like without any illustrations, a sign of a simply superb author. Alan's relationship with Marisa works well in the novel and the challenges they face do sincerely help to develop the story.

Overall I would highly recommend What Can't Wait. It's delightful - sweet, fresh and powerful. Look out for this book next March and makes sure it flies off the bookshelves because it really deserves to. Pérez is a debut author with tons of talent - watch out.(less)

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Oct 29, 2012 Mayara Cristina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Teenagers and foreign

Genre: Realistic Fiction WHAT CAN´T WAIT
Ashley Hope Pérez

Marisa had seventeen years old when she came with her family to United States. They comes to Houston from Mexico, her family worked hard and expected that she worked hard too, but she is a teenager girl, she need go to school. She is excellent in calculus; she should study hard, because she will take the AP test, and get into engineering college in Austin. Some days she think that will be possible go to the college, and others days she...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary

Overall Review:
Based on the author's time teaching at an inner-city school, "What Can't Wait" is a realisitc story of one Hispanic teen's life in a low-income neighborhood in Texas. Marisa's voice drew me in immediately; Pèrez weaves a story that is ultimately hopeful, but also down-to-earth. "What Can't Wait" not only kept me turning the pages—it made me pause to think about the blessings of my own life when I was done.

Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 11 religious exclamations; 15 mild ob...more Overall Review:
Based on the author's time teaching at an inner-city school, "What Can't Wait" is a realisitc story of one Hispanic teen's life in a low-income neighborhood in Texas. Marisa's voice drew me in immediately; Pèrez weaves a story that is ultimately hopeful, but also down-to-earth. "What Can't Wait" not only kept me turning the pages—it made me pause to think about the blessings of my own life when I was done.

Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 11 religious exclamations; 15 mild obscenities; 4 religious profanities; 7 derogatory terms (there are also 2 or 3 mildly derogatory terms in Spanish); 37 scatalogical terms; 16 anatomical terms; 2 obscene hand gestures; 8 f-word derivatives.

Violence/Gore: A character is severely injured in a forklift accident at work (the accident is reported second-hand). A boy attempts to date-rape a girl. A boy makes crude threats to a girl and the girl threatens him with a cut glass bottle (the scene is fairly intense). It is implied that two marriages have some degree of abuse, but no detail is ever given. Gangs are referenced.

Sex/Nudity Rating: Characters flirt, hold hands, and kiss. A character notes crude graffiti. Teenagers reference sex, pregnancy, and attempted rape. A girl has thoughts about "wanting" a boy, and that he is "making [her] hot in x-rated places." Two teenagers have intense makeout sessions on three occasions and come close to, but do not have, sex. (These scenes are half a page to a page long, and include a lot of detail.) A teen becomes pregnant (no detail is given and it is only reported second-hand), and it is implied that another girl became pregnant when she was a teen (she is now married). A girl mentions boys looking at pornography on their cell phones. A boy tries to force a girl to have sex with him (attempted date rape). A lot of detail is given. Later, the same boy indicates that he is going to act similarly (but it does not go as far).

Mature Subject Matter:
Mature themes include implied abuse (parental and spousal), teenage sex and pregnancy, date rape, immigrant struggles, and serious/disabling injury.

Alcohol / Drug Use:
Six instances of drug or alcohol use (cigarette smoking; references to marijuana, including drug trade; alcohol consumption by minors).

Reviewed By CindyB
This book was sent to Compass Book Rating for review by Lerner Publishing Group(less)

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Mar 03, 2012 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recap:
Marisa is the good daughter: cooking for her father and brother, babysitting whenever her sister asks, giving half of her paycheck to the family each month.

But Marisa dreams of going to the University of Texas to study engineering, and ber calculus teacher thinks that Marisa is actually smart enough to make it happen.

But her father has all but forbidden her to go to college.
Her mother doesn't want her to leave home.
Her sister needs her to be a full-time babysitter for her niece.
So college...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Martha rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Following on Shanghai Girls and Inside Out and Back Again, this book took on the modern day story of a traditional Hispanic girl and her family in Texas. She is the first in her generation who graduates from high school and hopes to become an engineer. As a senior in high school she deals with a niece, a sister, a brother, mother, and father who need her while she struggles to do well in AP calculus and write essays for admission to UT.
While in grad school, I worked in the Student Affirmative Ac...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Maggie Desmond-O'Brien rated it 5 of 5 stars

After a number of disappointing 2011 debuts, I was more than a little worried that my first year participating in the Debut Author Challenge would be a bust. Surely, I thought, they have to have found at least one author this year that we'll remember in ten years. Or even five years. Right? Right, I decided about 50 pages into What Can(t) Wait, and her name is Ashley Hope Perez.

I know I've ranted and raved about how every PoC/diversity book these days seems to be an issue book, and I stand by th...more After a number of disappointing 2011 debuts, I was more than a little worried that my first year participating in the Debut Author Challenge would be a bust. Surely, I thought, they have to have found at least one author this year that we'll remember in ten years. Or even five years. Right? Right, I decided about 50 pages into What Can(t) Wait, and her name is Ashley Hope Perez.

I know I've ranted and raved about how every PoC/diversity book these days seems to be an issue book, and I stand by that. I should be able to find as many different sorts of characters in my chick lit and humorous novels as I do in my heavyweights. What Can(t) Wait, however, is an eloquent reminder of why we have issue books in the first place - to remind teens that actually face these issues that they're not alone. Perez accomplishes this with incredible heart and wit, keeping me as engrossed in Marisa's story as I was, I kid you not, in the Vampire Academy series.

It's hard to put my finger on exactly what made this book work for me, simply because everything was so much greater than the sum of its parts would lead you to believe. Other than a slow and somewhat awkward beginning, it's almost flawless in its execution, and the strength of its plot - its subtle subversion of stereotypes - left me with that sort of achy feeling I get when I know I will never, ever write a book as good as the one I'm reading.

If I had to pick some highlights, I'd start with the fact that Marisa's strength is freaking calculus, which comes out of left field when compared to a lot of similar YA novels where the parents want the kid to do well at math or science when the kid is really good at the arts, which I think is a lot of author projection and autobiography at play. Second, Marisa's (also Mexican immigrant) boyfriend is a genuinely nice guy - and here's the best part - with depth. I'm tired of the machismo bad boy image of so many YA love interests (looking at you, Jace), but also equally exhausted by the two-dimensional good guy, and Perez manages to avoid both tropes.

Finally, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love when YA protagonists actually have to work to make ends meet. It's a much more realistic reflection of the teen experience (certainly my experience) than inexplicably rich or upper middle class kids, and I think it can be just as funny, romantic, and even escapist when done right, as it is here. Marisa finding things to be funny about even when her life sucks? (The scene where she sings "Sexy Back," anyone?) I was fist pumping SO HARD, because that's my life.

Maybe that's what made this book work for me: the fact that, even though we live in radically different families and circumstances - I can't imagine my family wanting me to get married over going to college, for example - I could associate with Marisa so well, and I imagine other teens would be able to, too. Good storytelling, in my book (pun fully intended), is a writer taking the very specific and making it general, and that's exactly what Perez does here.

Her next novel, The Knife and the Butterfly? Definitely going on pre-order, guys.

In short, it's an issue book that gives me exactly what I want out of an issue book while never really feeling like an issue book, and not only one of this year's best debuts, but one of its best YA novels so far, period.(less)

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Jan 28, 2012 Pamela Kramer rated it 5 of 5 stars

What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Perez is a story that will resonate with teens from Texas (the setting of the story) to Chicago (where the second language spoken is Spanish, followed closely by Polish).

In this realistic tale, seventeen-year-old Marisa is attending high school, trying to continue getting good grades so she can attend college, working long hours at the local super-store to help with the family finances, and balancing a soon-to-be boyfriend and best girlfriend.

There are many ways in...more

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Jan 26, 2012 Zandra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Marisa comes from a family of Mexican immigrants and lives in Houston, Texas. She was raised to be an obedient and dutiful daughter. Like all members of her family, she is expected to work and contribute her wages to help with the household bills. In addition, she is responsible for taking care of her young niece and the preparation of all her family’s meals. Despite all that she does for her family, Marisa manages to get good grades in school. In fact, her math teacher is so...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Yessica C rated it 5 of 5 stars

Marisa is always taking responsibilities of others. She never has time to think about herself and her dreams. What cant wait written by Ashley Hope Perez is a fantastic novel that describes the typical situation of a young girl in which her father is a very naive person and being part of the Hispanic culture expects his daughter to take charge in home as in things like cooking and cleaning. She falls in love but knowing her responsibilities she pulls away from him. She faces many obstacles, a hu...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: peach-consideration

If Marisa can get into her stretch college--the University of Texas, Austin--she would be the first in her Mexican-American family to get to college and not just the local two-year school in Houston everyone expects her to attend. The only ally and confidante she has in this endeavor is her AP Calc teacher, who pushes and pushes but doesn't understand a family dynamic in which Marisa is expected to share half of her Kroger paycheck with her family to make ends meet.

Even these challenges might be...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2011

More books like this need to be written. It's a story of a Latina girl who struggles like hell to follow her dream of getting an education with the reality of life -- she's got a mom and dad who need her support around the house, as well as a sister and niece who live with a less-than-stellar husband/father. What's sort of noteworthy is that it makes the points about the challenges of life as a minority without being a story about a minority character. Mari is Mari, which is the key. She's sympa...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Vanessa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, teen-fiction

I really liked What Can(‘t) Wait. It’s a realistic, romantic, “problem” novel. Marisa is really smart, especially in math, and she has the potential to break out of the cycle of poverty dragging her familia down. Her Mexican-American family needs her income and babysitting time, though. Unable to comprehend that her future could be brighter, her parents actually discourage Marisa from excelling at school. When a teacher needles Marisa to apply to the engineering program in faraway Austin, she ha...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Serena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Marisa Moreno has been determined to pass her AP Calculus class and test since the day her old-fashioned Mexican father told her that “Girls and numbers don’t mix, mija. Leave the mathematics to men” (12). Encouraged by her calculus teacher, Marisa pins her hopes on a scholarship to UT-Austin in order to major in engineering.

Mrs. Perez mentioned that she wrote this book to give her former students a novel they would want to read, a novel true to their life. The novel goes above and beyond in thi...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: family-stories, ya-fiction, serious-subject-matter

High school senior Marisa is trying to make a better life for herself, but she doesn't have the support of her parents. She's always gotten good grades but her parents don't seem to care. She's taking AP calculus but her family doesn't understand why she'd want to spend time studying rather than picking up extra shifts at the Kroger where she works. This feels like a real portrait of someone with a real life, and I enjoyed it and I wished I knew Marisa. I also really like how her relationship wi...more

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Apr 16, 2011 cecilia rated it 4 of 5 stars

what can(t) wait gave me unexpected delight in how much I could relate with Marisa. Not to the same extremes in terms of parents and pregnancies, but still I shared the same sense of feeling overwhelmed with the need to take care of everyone first before our own.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried at certain points of what can(t) wait - particularly the parts where Marisa and her father fought about her future. Her father's thinking absolutely shocked me, especially when he did not seem very s...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Doret rated it 4 of 5 stars

Marisa, a high school is trying to make plans for the future. She's torn between family obligations and going after what she really wants. Marisa works at a local supermarket giving more then half are pay check to family expenses. She has even more responsibilities when her not so great or smart brother in law is in an accident. Marisa must babysit her niece Anita, leaving her even less time to study. Marisa has always been a straight A student and her parents have never acknowledged this.

I fell...more

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Mar 25, 2011 Vinaya rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, books-i-liked, ya-fiction

I once spent a summer internship volunteering at a women's shelter. I think that was probably the most gut-wrenching two months of my life. It wasn't just the black eyes, and hopeless faces and horror stories. It was the fact that these women, over and over, went back to the same lives, going nowhere, being no-one because they couldn't see a way out. Nothing is guaranteed to make you feel quite so helpless as seeing injustice you can't do anything about. And while I admired the permanent employe...more I once spent a summer internship volunteering at a women's shelter. I think that was probably the most gut-wrenching two months of my life. It wasn't just the black eyes, and hopeless faces and horror stories. It was the fact that these women, over and over, went back to the same lives, going nowhere, being no-one because they couldn't see a way out. Nothing is guaranteed to make you feel quite so helpless as seeing injustice you can't do anything about. And while I admired the permanent employees at the shelter, I wondered how they could do it, day-in and day-out without getting burned out. How they could spend weeks trying to help someone out of an abusive relationship, only to have her pack up herself, her kids and move straight back into the same situation she had struggled so hard to overcome.

Reading What Can't Wait gave me some very nasty flashbacks to that summer. This is the book that Between Here and Forever ought to have been. Sharp, perceptive and heart-rending. This is a story about someone in a hopeless situation, struggling to reach out for a dream that seems further and further away from her grasp. Marisa is a senior in a Houston high school. Her father is cold and distant, her sister's married to a first-class jerk, her brother is lazy and her mother is resigned and helpless. Marisa's smart, and secretly, she's ambitious. She doesn't want to quit studying after high school and go to work at the local store. She wants to go to UT-Austin and study engineering. But when disaster strikes the Moreno family, that dream, already remote, becomes almost impossible to achieve. Sandwiched between family duties and her own aspirations, Marisa is torn in a million different directions, with no idea of which path is the right one.

There are some books that dance with reality, and others that grab it by the throat and squeeze. What Can't Wait is of the latter sort. I think if I had never worked at the shelter, if I had been allowed to live my pampered, comfortable existence with no idea of what real life was, I would have found myself getting more than a little impatient with Marisa's refusal to just reach for her dream and run off with it. To be honest, even knowing better, I sometimes found myself wanting to shake her and say, 'Think of yourself, for a change!' But I know this is not as easy as it sounds, and Perez does a brilliant job illuminating that. "No man is an island entire of itself;" said John Donne and nothing can bind a person more securely than the obligations of family duty. Marisa doesn't hate her family; even from her scary, distant father, she still hopes for approval. She loves her niece and wants her to have a better life, one of the main reasons she finds herself taking the more self-sacrificial route.

This book is a brilliant depiction of what it feels like to be a teenager caught between a rock and a hard place. Marisa's life is drawn with a hard-edged pen - you can tell that Perez really knows what she's talking about. Similarly, her up-and-down relationship with boyfriend Alan and best friend Brenda also rings largely true, even if I thought Alan was a little too good to be true. But hell, Marisa totally deserves that, and I guess he does stand up for himself when push comes to shove. (view spoiler)

Gritty, sometimes frustrating but with a message of hope at the end, What Can't Wait is a much better read than a lot of YA fiction I've been subject to this year. It might not pack the punch of, say Jellicoe Road, but definitely holds its own against contenders like Between Here and Forever and If I Stay. Certainly a book I would recommend.(less)

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Mar 11, 2011 Sarah Maddaford rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, modern, realistic-fiction, romance, school, young-adult

When I first got to a Spanish phrase I couldn't google and figure out, I was a little ticked off. I'll admit to being a complete gringa despite growing up in Texas with a mother who speaks Spanish and a sister who majored in Spanish. At first, all the Spanish phrases were a bit frustrating, but then I got into the flow of the story and they started to be a part of the flavor of the story rather than a barrier to understanding Marisa. Part of Marisa's situation was being mired in a world where no...more When I first got to a Spanish phrase I couldn't google and figure out, I was a little ticked off. I'll admit to being a complete gringa despite growing up in Texas with a mother who speaks Spanish and a sister who majored in Spanish. At first, all the Spanish phrases were a bit frustrating, but then I got into the flow of the story and they started to be a part of the flavor of the story rather than a barrier to understanding Marisa. Part of Marisa's situation was being mired in a world where no one was striving for more including more understanding of English. Although my Dad's family wasn't Hispanic, he was in a similar situation. His family didn't value education and didn't really understand his desire for it. Unlike Marisa, he didn't manage to go straight to college, but that doesn't diminish the things she had to overcome in order to reach her goals. I can't imagine having to stand up to my dad in order to do my school work, or having to work so hard that I couldn't study for a test. My dad always put our education first and any money we made second, but we were middle class and not struggling.

While I greatly enjoyed the story, the romance largely confused me. Perhaps it's because I never dated in high school and thus never felt the mix of hormones and emotional turmoil, but I couldn't figure out how Marisa went from one choice to the next after she left her parents' house. I could somewhat understand her reaction to being kissed by a boy who listened so well to her problems especially when she remembered who she was kissing. I guess it was all supposed to be a jumble of emotion that was difficult to experience and understand because that's how life is, but not having had that experience, it just felt weird.

There is a bit of sexuality including Marisa trying to convince Alan and then saying no to someone else. That someone else doesn't stop immediately which might bother some people. There is also some coarse language both in English and Spanish, but there isn't much if any violence. (less)

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Dec 07, 2010 Jodie (Books for Company) rated it 4 of 5 stars

The rating is actually 3.5/5.
Please check my blog for individual ratings.

When l got this book on Netgalley l had the impression it would be a very simple,easy and relaxing book to read with a straight forward storyline, a nice change from paranormal which l enjoy every now and then.
Well l was wrong, even though this book doesn't have the most complex story line and it is quite a easy read this book does tackle many difficult situations and problems which many teenage girls go through day to day....more

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Mar 19, 2011 Raimy rated it 4 of 5 stars

What do you do when your family is so far removed from your aspirations in life they won’t back you up when you try and get there? Marisa is 17, the same age her sister was when she got pregnant and married her good-for-nothing ass of a boyfriend. Over the years there has been rarely anything but an A on her report card but her father can’t read and her mother doesn’t want to look at them. She is expected to graduate from school, get married, have a baby, and work at the local store for the rest...more

What do you do when your family is so far removed from your aspirations in life they won’t back you up when you try and get there? Marisa is 17, the same age her sister was when she got pregnant and married her good-for-nothing ass of a boyfriend. Over the years there has been rarely anything but an A on her report card but her father can’t read and her mother doesn’t want to look at them. She is expected to graduate from school, get married, have a baby, and work at the local store for the rest of her life. But there are a couple of people in her life that understand she’s more than that.

When thinking about university at the beginning of her senior year, Marisa’s calc teacher, Mrs F, mentions the Engineering course at the University of Texas. Not knowing much about her personal life Mrs F convinces Marisa she’s good enough to go and makes her apply. What follows is a highly emotional year for Marisa; her sister’s husband is involved in an accident making him unable to walk so her sister has to be the main breadwinner. Her family haven’t got much money so she is forced to give up half of her wages to help them out, even when she cuts her hours to look after her niece. The only thing Marisa wants to do is make life better for herself so she can help the family out more but with her dad refusing to even acknowledge school it is going to be very difficult.

When I read the summary of What Can(t) Wait I knew that there would be parts of this book that infuriated me. Obviously being a Caucasian English girl growing up in the middle of a little village in North East England the story is quite far away from anything I have experienced first-hand. My parents were always supportive of anything I did, especially school, so knowing that Marisa’s father didn’t want her to carry on her education and he just wanted her to get married and bring up her husband and family really bugged me.

I know very little about Mexican families, I know they are very family orientated and as far as I’m aware they are very religious too. This book was all about Mexican families (I think there were two white characters within the whole thing!), Mexican ideals and the things that were there but no-one spoke about. Even though I don’t know much about the type of life Marisa leads the way the book was written made me understand fully about the expectations of her family and how completely normal these were. I guess one thing that definitely put this across was how normal it was for Marisa’s sister to be on the couch after a bust-up with Jose, and how the news about a 14 year old character getting pregnant was taken.

I liked that you had Marisa’s sister, Ceci, around to show exactly what was expected of Marisa because I don’t think I would have gotten as much out of the story if it wasn’t for her. I found myself thinking “man if that’s what they want for Marisa, it’s no wonder she wants out!” I also like how much of a feel you got for Marisa’s Mami too, she was obviously the dutiful wife she was meant to be yet at the same time you could tell how much she wanted Marisa to be happy and to do what she wanted to do, especially towards the end. I felt betrayed by Mami part way through but at the same time I know she was just worried.

I loved the relationship that Marisa has with Alan too, he is such a sweetie and I do think he is the perfect guy for her! I love the descriptions of his drawings too, I felt like I could see them. That’s said for a lot of this book actually, I felt like I could see it, like a movie, in my head.

I really couldn’t stand Marisa’s father, you could see what he thought quite clearly and I really didn’t like the way he states that girls and maths don’t mix. I don’t think he was meant to be a nice character but he really, really frustrated me. I just kept thinking that yeah, he had a bad childhood but surely he wants better for his kids than he had, surely he wants everything they want. Maybe he was jealous, maybe he was old-fashioned, or maybe I just didn’t understand that part of the culture. I don’t know what it was but he was definitely the only thing I didn’t like about this book.

I think What Can(t) Wait is an amazing story about finding out what you want your life to be like and fighting to get it that way. The story was a bit predictable but it had a fair few twists within it to keep you on your toes. Whilst reading it I could tell that the author was either in the same kind of situation or knew plenty of people who had to deal with the issues Marisa had to deal with. It was like she just seemed to “know” teenagers and how they thought and acted, the story was really well done and I look forward to seeing more by Ashley Hope Perez. (less)

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Apr 03, 2013 Marti rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, teen

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 25, 2011 I Eat Words rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this refreshing cultural read by debut author, Ashley Hope Perez. I love reading contemporary YA books, and this one did not disappoint. I loved the "Spanglish" terminology used throughout the novel, and the Mexicana vibe that gripped the pages.

Mari was a really relatable character, and the mistakes she makes throughout her senior year just prove she's human. She tends to keep things locked inside while having to deal with the stress of her niece, her AP calculus grade, her job...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Joli rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

What Can't Wait is a thoughtful debut novel by Ashley Hope Perez. More so than any book I've read recently, What Can't Wait addresses the burden of familial expectations and the pursuit for Marisa's (the main character) own desires - education and independence. I liked how the family was an integral part of the story and didn't exist just to create conflict with Marisa. They help to shape her character and give more insight into why she does what she does.

I really loved getting to know Marisa. S...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-rosie-list, teen-general-fiction, read-in-2011, 2011-teen-book-reviews, with-reviews

Seventeen year old Marisa doesn’t know what she wants from life. What she does know is that her parents expect her to help support the family, and if working as an assistant manager at Kroger would make more money for her family then that is what they want her to do. Marisa enjoys school and her calculus teacher tells her that she could get into the Engineering program in Austin. For Marisa that would be a dream come true, but how can she accomplish so much when her home life is a mess?

Realis...more

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Apr 03, 2011 Cheree Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Marissa wants to be more than what her family expects her to be. Her family expects her to marry, work hard and stay around her family to help them out. Marissa wants so much more. She tries hard at school and is even taking AP calculus to get into a good university to become more than an assistant manager at the local grocery store. With all her family and work obligations, Marissa finds it hard to keep up with her advanced classes and sometimes she even thinks that she will never be able to ac...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Bree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: galley-grab

http://breesabookworm.blogspot.com/

This is a Galley Grab review...Thank you Lerner Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I like books that tell about a persons life, where there is no moment of great climax, but many small moments of meaning. This book is very meaningful, interesting, and hopeful.

Marisa is Mexican, her parent's are from Mexico and moved to Texas later in life. She is bilingual and very very smart. But because of her parent's culture, her life is diffi...more

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Mar 06, 2011 Alex rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-ya, contemporary, for-review

At First Sight: Marisa's life has always been complicated - living in Houston, helping support her family and most often than not taking care of her niece Anita and getting dragged into her older sister's messes - but, during senior year of high school a bit of hope opens up for her since her AP calculus teacher keeps urging her to apply to a prestigious engineering program at UT-Austin.

Marisa knows is a long shot and that her immigrant parents have never cared much about how well she does at sc...more At First Sight: Marisa's life has always been complicated - living in Houston, helping support her family and most often than not taking care of her niece Anita and getting dragged into her older sister's messes - but, during senior year of high school a bit of hope opens up for her since her AP calculus teacher keeps urging her to apply to a prestigious engineering program at UT-Austin.

Marisa knows is a long shot and that her immigrant parents have never cared much about how well she does at school and are more worried about how much money she can scrounge up to help pay the house bills than about Marisa's college plans; but she has always wanted something more for herself and this might just be her way to get it, if she can survive Senior Year.

This is a plan that gets infinitely more complicated when her sister Cecilia's husband gets injured in a work accident, and Marisa finds her self stretched more thin than ever. Her only comfort being her best friend Brenda and her new boyfriend Alan, and her niece Anita, for whom Marisa would do anything and everything, even going after her dreams, against all odds, just so Anita can see that it can be done.

Second Glance: I was very excited to read this book and also a bit reluctant, mostly because I tend to go very hard on characterization of Mexican characters. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the occasional but proper use of Spanglish* and the fact that the author didn't fall into easy stereotypes

The story itself, well, it goes a bit in circles (though not much), but it is one of easy derails off the road and hard choices between what's best for you and what your family wants. Marisa's family was an accurate description of Mexican family-dynamics in the good and the bad, a bit old fashioned and perhaps a bit exaggerated but very true in it's essence.

I loved Marisa's voice, her vulnerability and her mistakes, the way she gets off track at times - because it shows just how easy it is - and how she pushes to make things right. I really liked Alan and Brenda who perhaps not always understood the way Marisa thought but who tried to be there for her every step of the way. And even Marisa's siblings were well drawn, her irresponsible, vaguely lazy brother and her sister who's always dumping responsibilities on Marisa, but comes through eventually, as does their mother.

Bottom Line: What Can(t) Wait is an interesting look at the choices we make to become who we want to be, and a good book all around, regardless of anyone's background. It was a great pace and something interesting to say.

Favorite Quote: "Because whatever our other failings, Mexicans don't let people in crisis go hungry." - Marisa (So true, at so many levels, lol). (less)

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Feb 25, 2011 Nicola McDonald rated it 4 of 5 stars

Seventeen year old Marissa is trying to escape the norm of certain Mexican traditions, yet she struggles with still keeping a place in her family. She juggles school, a job, household chores, taking care of her niece, and spending time with her boyfriend, Alan. But she has a dream to graduate from high school and go to a good college outside of her hometown. Marissa finds it hard to hold on to her dream with so many responsibility already pulling her in different directions.

With encouragement an...more

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Jun 24, 2012 Brandi Rae rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction

Marisa is the daughter of Mexican immigrants, ones who have many expectations for their daughter. She must work and contribute half the money to the family, do all the cooking and all the dishes in the house, and be available to watch her niece at all times. And anything else that might need to be done in the name of doing good by the family.

What they don't expect is for her her to go to school. And take AP classes and get good grades. And want to go to college to become an engineer.

When an ac...more

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