Waiting for Christopher

by Louise Hawes, Nina Nickles (Illustrator)

In the heat of the moment, Feena, along with her friend Raylene, kidnaps a toddler named Christopher, who is being abused, and, even though she longs for the unconditional love only a child can give, she soon finds the situation spiraling out of control, forcing her to make some tough decisions.

Genres: Young Adult

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

I recently moved to the Pacific Northwest, where my windows open onto the ocean and my heart wonders how I managed till now to do without daily doses of wet and wild!

I have two grown children, both teachers. They are, deliciously, among the wisest people on the planet. That exclusive crew also includes my new writer's group, my local book club, and my fellow faculty at....

....the Vermont College of Fine Arts in the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults Program. I am currently serving as VCFA's Katherine Paterson Chair, and reveling in my colleagues' and students' fine and fearless writing.

What's new? Two poems in THE COUNTRY IN THE MIRROR: Poems of Protest and Witness, (Editor, Sharon Darrow). And a new novel...out soon!

Reviews

[Olivia Carpenter]

Lots of this did not make sense to me so I kept reading and hoping it would(it didn’t ever really make sense.) I feel like many parts of the story are a lazy way of moving the plot along/ saving it. The plot was there, I think it could have been done better and without some of the perverted writing.

[aarifa]

The ending was so disappointing. I was hoping for something more. :-/

[Victoria]

Can't wait to read this!

[Katy Lovejoy]

more mature lizzie and the lost baby vibes

[2remias_rachel]

Book 2 Quarter 3- I really enjoyed reading this book. It related to my contemporary issue of child abuse. The story really kept you on your toes which I absolutely loved and it had a surprise ending which really shocked me as the reader. I also liked how the story was told in third person because it brought a lot of perspectives from the outside world into the story. Overall I thought the story was very good.

[Chelsea]

Beware. It is what I call a "message in a bottle bottle" book. That's a movie my husband hated because it did not have the happy ending he was waiting for. While I did enjoy this book, I was left with a sense of sadness and incompleteness. So don't read this book if you are looking for something with a fairytale happy ending.

[Florence Primrose]

Feena, a high school freshman in a new school is lonely. One day on an impulse she takes an abused toddler left in an amusement park by his mother. She finds an ally in a popular girl from school as they work out care for this chid.

Although considered a young adult book, the story is interesting as Feena struggles to find answers.

[Vicki]

Feena's brothers died when he was 1, her parents divorced & she & her mother are in grief spirtually lost. Then they move to Florida, when Feena watches a small boy a lot like her brother in looks & w/the same name being physicaly & emotionally abused several times, bh his mother. When his mother abandons him, Feena cares for him along with a new friend Raylene. OK

[Stephanie A.]

I'm not a big fan of kids, so it was hard to put myself in the girl's shoes or totally fall in love with the story. That said, this is exactly the kind of solid, well-plotted, modern day, not-centered-around-a-boyfriend YA novel that the world needs more of.

[Alex]

omg i love. so sad i cried. i know understand better about child abuse. so so so sad. defenitely should read absolutely

[Steen]

I actually finished this a long time ago, and just forgot about it. It was weird...I don't have much to say about it. Unrealistic, yet realistic.

[Savanna Bunnell]

A good, grabbing read. The story becomes very real to you. You will not be let down.

[Sabrina]

Don't really remember what this book was about...but it was just okay...it was really good at first but had a crappy ending =/