Audrey, Wait!

by Robin Benway

EVERYBODY'S SINGING, "AUDREY, WAIT!"

Audrey Cuttler's life hasn't been the same since that song, "Audrey, Wait!" hit the airwaves. All she wants to do is go to concerts, hang out with her friends, and maybe score a date with the cute boy who works with her at the Scooper Dooper.

But now, her ex-boyfriend's song about their breakup is at the top of the charts and she's suddenly famous! The paparazzi won't leave her alone, the tabloids are trying to make her into some kind of rock goddess, and the Internet is documenting her every move!

Will Audrey ever be able to have a normal life again? Get ready to find out, because it's time for Audrey to tell her side of the story.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Music, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen

313 pages, Hardcover

First published April 10, 2008

About the author

Robin Benway is a National Book Award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author of six novels for young adults, including Far From the Tree, Audrey, Wait!, the AKA series, and Emmy & Oliver. Her books have received numerous awards and recognition, including the PEN America Literary Award, the Blue Ribbon Award from the Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, ALA’s Best Books for Young Adults, and ALA’s Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults. In addition, her novels have received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly, and have been published in more than 25 countries. Her most recent book, Far From the Tree, won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the PEN America Award, and was named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, NPR, PBS, Entertainment Weekly, and the Boston Globe. In addition, her non-fiction work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Bustle, Elle, and more.

Robin grew up in Orange County, California, attended NYU, where she was a recipient of the Seth Barkas Prize for Creative Writing, and is a graduate of UCLA. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Hudson.

Reviews

[Morgan F · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to do when you come to the realization that, behind the pretty packaging, your boyfriend is basically a self-centered, narcissistic asshat? If you have a brain in your head, you dump him, of course. And that is precisely what Audrey does. Normally that would be the end of the story--except that Audrey's boyfriend has his own band, a modicum of talent, the inspiration for the ultimate break-up song, and a record executive coming to see his gig on the same night that Audrey dumps him. And so, out of Mr. Shallow's pain and anguish, the song, Audrey, Wait! is born, and it's not long before it's sweeping the country and racing up the charts. Suddenly, Audrey is famous and not coping so well.

At first, I thought the idea that Audrey would become so famous for simply inspiring a hit song was a little over the top, but when I look around at the number of people who have become famous for doing absolutely nothing other than allowing cameras to follow them through their every waking moment, I had to admit that it's certainly possible. I like that Benway portrays Audrey realistically, bumbling through her new found fame and making mistakes that exacerbate the situation (such as talking to a reporter who doesn't register sarcasm, finding out a video of her making out with another singer has gone viral, allowing her fame to alienate her from her friends, etc.). I also enjoyed the fact that Audrey and her friends seem authentic. They're sarcastic and intelligent without becoming unbelievably hip, a la Nick and Norah of the infamous Infinite Playlist. There are quite a few funny moments, a fairly predictable romance (but, alas, such is the familiar landscape that is young adult lit), and an intelligent, funny, and strong female character. However, what really sold me on the whole concept is Benway's message about the pitfalls of fame--a message teenagers need to hear in a celebrity crazed, electronic media-based society. All in all, this makes for a fairly enjoyable read for adults, but a winning recipe for the target audience (I say this with authority as my female students love this book).

Cross posted at This Insignificant Cinder

[Tatiana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me first say that this book is highly praised by both readers and literary critics, therefore I am sure there is a lot of merit to it. However for me "Audrey, Wait!" simply didn't work.

There are several reasons why I didn't like this book: 15-16 year-olds having sex, drinking and taking drugs, excessive and unnecessary use of f-word, Audrey's unrealistic fame (I don't think anybody would be interested in a girl who had a song written about her, no matter how popular this song is). I was able disregard these minor issues, because I've seen and read it all before and don't have much of a problem with that. What I couldn't get over was the "voice" of the book, Audrey's voice. Maybe I don't remember what it is being a teenager anymore, or maybe I have never been a teenager like Audrey, but I found her annoying to no extent. The whining, the snarkiness, the carelessness - I absolutely disliked this character and it almost never happens to me. I didn't think Audrey (or anyone in this book) was a multidimensional character either. It seemed like the defining characteristics of Audrey were her love for music and cat and snarkiness.

Another thing, this book painfully reminded me of both "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist" and "Juno." Same obsession with music and pretentiously "sophisticated" teenage conversations which I have never heard in real life.

It was a chore for me to finish this book, but it doesn't mean I would recommend it to nobody. Obviously, there is an audience for this kind of literature, many people (especially younger teenagers and music fans) have and will enjoy it. Unfortunately, I am just not one of these people.

[Ash]

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 random pages. 9 out of 10 times I found the f-bomb and EVERY time there was a cuss word. Come on people, you don't even use the word right. In case you didn't know it's a verb, NOT an adverb or adjective. Inanimate objects can't f*#$. Okay? Okay.
I skimmed the rest of the book and ended up reading most of it. I was really tempted to read the whole thing because there were some very funny parts. Even though I didn't read the whole thing through, I could see why all those celebrities complain about not having privacy and all those tabloids that spread lies.
All the cussing really takes away from the book though. It was distracting and kept me from getting into the story. There were times when a character would start cussing up a storm and it didn't seem like something they would do or that they'd react that way. At the beginning I really didn't like Audrey. She seemed superficial and mean at times, but she grows a lot by end of the book.

If you don't mind cussing then I think you could really enjoy this book. I really wish there would've been less though, because I think I could've liked it.

[Maggie ☘ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best (and the only good) character in this book was an oversized cat named Bendomolena. Really.


I did like Audrey, the MC, at the beginning. But damn if this girl didn't start annoying me as the book went on.


“I care, Victoria! Or does that not matter anymore? Does my opinion not even count?”
“Oh, no, it definitely counts. In fact, that’s all that counts!”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“News flash, Aud! You’re all you talk about anymore, and even then, all you do is complain! You’re a fucking whiner!”

... pretty much my sentiments yeah


The love interest, James, was so bland. We never got to know his character. All I know is that he's shy, probably doesn't have any friends *insert question mark* and likes music (but can't sing). That's all that was revealed. It was one of the blandest romances I've read about in recent memory.


The storytelling also didn't really work for me. It was told in this way like Audrey was looking back and telling me, the reader, a story of what happened after the breakup. So there was a lot of '...But I'm sure you already know that' type of thing. And I guess it wasn't my cuppy in this case.


Most of all, though, this book was suposed to be a fun story about a girl breaking up with her boyfriend and subsequently becoming famous after he wrote a very popular 'she broke my heart' type of song about her. That premise interested me. A lot. This was supposed to be humorous adventure with a lighthearted narrative that was in prespective of the ridiculous situation. It was not, however, supposed to be all angst. It wasn't supposed to get annoying. I think me getting tired of the MC was somewhere around the time she started whining about her current situation 24/7. Girl, get a little prespective, will ya? It just wasn't fun. It didn't make me laugh at all. It's like the book tried to be fun, but got drowned with Audrey's inner whinings and angst-fest. It was also veeerryy unrealistic, but that's about the only thing I expected and got from this book. Crowds would't care quite SO much about the girl behind a current popular breakup song.


All in all, not what I expected, nor wanted. I know this is the author's first book, released 2008, and as much as I was annoyed, I didn't hate this book, so 2 stars. Although I'd much rather recommend Emmy & Oliver for sure.

[Steph (Reviewer X) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.)

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 There Delilah"? At any rate, the chain of events that follow are pretty predictable: friendships are strained while former school enemies try to mooch off any residual limelight they can absorb, Audrey's parents end up finding out far too much information about her love life, and ultimately there's a showdown with her ex. Hijinks ensue. Still, Audrey's friends and ex-boyfriend are pretty entertaining. Evan inevitably calls to mind "that guy" probably all of us have dated at one point (because who isn't susceptible to a guy with a guitar?) Audrey herself is a little prickly at times, but stumbles into a fair share of of fairly funny situations, and the music references fly pretty fast and furious. All in all, I came out of it feeling that Meg Cabot may have a few things to answer for because this book felt tighter (and smarter) than some of her books have lately, and will probably snag a lot of her fan base.

[Shinjini · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is quite different from what I have read in the Young Adult genre so far. I found this buried deep in the pit that is my TBR. It was a short and fast-paced book so I decided to pick it up.

The story is… interesting. This book is about a girl, who breaks up with a guy and has a song written about her. (Some Taylor Swift vibes right there.) Unfortunately for Audrey, the song, "Audrey, Wait" suddenly becomes really popular, and her life starts to spiral out of control. Audrey has the wildest time as she constantly gets hounded by the media and harassed by the public attention. Others come calling for their fifteen minutes of fame, throwing other obstacles in her path and poor Audrey pretty much has to put herself under house arrest so she can keep her sanity.

I wasn't expecting it, but this book actually gave me a lot of things to think about. People are very prone to hero-worshipping famous celebrities and this can lead to a lot of damage in the celebrities' personal lives, and the lives of the people closest to them. There are all these memes and videos that go viral, right? How many of us actually stop to think about the people who are actually involved in them? Can they really handle their fifteen minutes of fame? Is it because of the inability to handle the newfound fame that some celebrities have a substance abuse problem?

Here, Audrey had a pretty successful song written about her, but she wasn't actually involved in the writing or production process. Yet, she had people hacking into her phone, following her, and pretty much disrupting her life. I was very close to getting a headache just reading this, and then thinking about all those people who have to go through something like it. As a bit of an introvert, it is possible I'm slightly more sensitive but this still feels like a threat to someone's privacy and that's plain scary to me. Fortunately, Audrey finds a lot of support from her family and her friends and she is able to steer her life back on track. Until more mayhem ensues.

Along with the story, there are quite a few other things working in this book's favor, and some issues as well.

Pros:

1) Pace: This took me about 3 hours to finish and considering this book is about 250 pages long, I'd say this was pretty fast-paced.

2) Length: This book was not very long. It was well-edited and there weren't many redundant scenes.

3) Story Structure: A unique narrative structure is used to tell this story. It starts with the narrator, Audrey, referring to the reader as someone who must already be privy to The Song and The Music Video. So, using the book, Audrey essentially confides in the reader and tells her side of the story. I have not seen a story structure like this before, implementing a long flashback, and I actually quite enjoyed this form of story-telling. It was structured more like a movie where the audience is taken into confidence by the narrator.

4) Writing: Robin Benway's writing is very relatable. Her characters seem to say exactly what you and I think about a particular situation. I've read Also Known As by the same author, and her writing, in both books, has felt very real.

5) Characters: Even though Audrey was kind of an idiot at times, I couldn't bring myself to be cross with her. She was quite endearing and her plight was pretty upsetting. I felt she was a bit immature but I still managed to root for her in the end. The supporting characters were also nice. They were pillars of support for Audrey and each tried their best to give her a semblance of a normal life. If friends won't bring a hammer to break the CD of the guy who has wronged you, then who will?

6) Song Recommendations: This book has a bunch of mentions of different songs in chapter quotes, and in the main story. I have made a list of them and will be listening immediately.

Cons:

1) Immaturity: As I said before, there was a bit of immaturity in the actions of some characters but it is understandable in the grand scheme of things. Plus, when you are 16, you are allowed to be a little immature.

2) Loophole: One of the characters, the main antagonist, Sharon Eggleston, hates Audrey. She is always trying to make some kind of profit off of Audrey's situation and she pretty much loathes Audrey. I have two problems with this character. First, she is a cliche. You know the type- incredibly popular, spectacularly beautiful, and who, for some reason, hates the female protagonist. Second, the reason why she hates Audrey is pretty unclear. Why do these girls hate each other? She just seemed like a token character to me but the thing is, a lot of blame was placed on her and I would just like to know why. This loophole is still niggling at the back of my mind as I write this review.

Overall, this book is a fun, quick read. The characters are likable, and the narrative structure is interesting. If you are in the mood for a light-hearted YA romance set in the music world, this could just be what you're looking for.

[Elizabeth Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Sappix · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audrey,Wait! was a totally cute book. I loved reading about how a entire persons life can change with the course of one song.
If you want a cute read, this is def. worth your time!

[Agnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

Robin Benway’s young adult novel “Audrey, Wait!” centers around an ordinary teenager from California, Audrey Cuttler, who loves music, works at an ice cream shop and has, in her own words, an elephantine cat. But after Audrey breaks up with her self-centered boyfriend and he writes a song about it, everything changes seemingly overnight. As the song “Audrey, Wait!” races up the charts, Audrey gets caught in the spotlight and cannot even leave the house without a mob of paparazzi documenting her every step. All Audrey wants is to hang out with her friends, go to concerts and maybe score a date with a cute guy from her work, but all of that suddenly seems like an impossible dream.

THUMBS UP:

1) Entertaining and enjoyable read.
“Audrey, Wait!” is a light and quick read with short chapters and nice flow. It is part a teen drama, part a sweet romantic comedy, and even though the plot is a little bit predictable, it’s nonetheless entertaining and enjoyable.

2) Realistic downside of being famous.
Although I am sure that quite a few girls would dream of being in Audrey’s shoes, Benway depicts (and does so very believably, I should add) how stressful, frustrating and exhausting it might be, especially if all the fame comes undeserved and unwanted.

3) Audrey’s parents are great!
Quite often parents in similar teenage-oriented novels are either lame and oblivious, or are being made fun of, or both, and I am sick and tired of that. For a change, Audrey’s parents are understanding, caring, supportive and kind of cool, and although Audrey doesn’t tell EVERYTHING to her parents and sometimes thinks they are unreasonable and weird, she loves and respects them, which, in my opinion, is way more realistic.

4) For music fans.
Chapter titles in “Audrey, Wait!” are song lyrics, but since I never heard most of these songs and didn’t even recognize most of the bands, this feature didn’t have any effect on me. However, I imagine that someone who is way more into music than I am would appreciate this detail as well as many music-related conversations and references throughout the book, and would also relate to Audrey’s love for music.

COULD BE BETTER:

1) Underdeveloped characters.
Most of the characters in “Audrey, Wait!” are likable but flawed as they make mistakes and occasionally do stupid things, which in general is a sign of multidimensionality. However, I had difficulties understanding and relating to them (for example, halfway through the story I got fed up with Victoria, Audrey’s best friend, who seemed shallow and kind of sucked at being the best friend). Even though I wouldn’t call the characters in this book one-dimensional, all of them, except maybe for Audrey, could use some development. Also, the characters are funny and sarcastic (especially Audrey), but sometimes the jokes feel a little bit forced, as if the personages are trying too hard to seem cool and witty.

2) Lack of depth.
Although the story was wrapped up really nicely, I wish it had more depth or some unique message. Also, solutions to certain problems throughout the book sometimes seemed a little bit too convenient and too quick, but it actually didn’t bother me that much.

VERDICT: 3.5 out of 5

“Audrey, Wait!” by Robin Benway is a light, quick, entertaining and very enjoyable read that realistically portrays the downside of being famous. It has both teen drama and sweet romance, but lacks character development and bigger message.

[Keertana · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Audrey breaks up with her wanna be rock star boyfriend, little does she realise that later on that night, at a performance in front of an A&R gut, he hits the big time with a song about her.  Not about how nice she is, or what an awesome girlfriend she was, no, he sings about their break up and how she broke his heart.  The song rockets to number one in the charts and soon Audrey's life is turned upside down.  Her outfits are scrutinised and copied, her love life hits the headlines, but all she wants to be is a normal teenage girl.  A girl who can go out on a date without being photographed, a girl who can listen to music so loud and dance so hard without worrying about it being caught on film.

Obviously, this causes problems for Audrey.  How does she deal with her new found crush on James, the quirky music minded guy who works with her at the Scooper-Dooper, or her celebrity obsessed best friend Victoria? As a nation who is obsessed with the lives of the rich and famous, gossip magazines fly off our shelves with total abandon.  So, it goes without saying that when rumors spread about Audrey, her crush James, and her ex Evan…….things go off with a bang.

First off, Robin Benway has amazing taste in music, and her passion and zest for it shines out of the pages.  You can tell just how much she loves music by the way it's expressed by Audrey.  She really shows you how much music can influence peoples lives, and how important music actually is to some people.  Being a massive music fan myself, I really connected to Audrey.  She was witty and one step ahead of everyone in the cool stakes.   Her voice really stood out and thought to myself not once, I would love to have this girl as my friend.  She made me laugh out loud, giggle like a teenager and become so engrossed in her tale.

It really tells the tale of what being an unwanted celebrity must feel like; one minute your a normal girl with boy problems, the next your "that" girl who broke someones heart, your while life on display for all to see.  I think this was a really unique tale because in todays society people would do literally anything to get famous, and get famous fast.  You see what becoming a reluctant star can do to you and how it can affect your mundane lives.

I loved reading about Audrey's problems, the hilarious moments where I just could see miles away what was happening, but Audrey had her head in the clouds, or her ears jammed with earphones.  I am so glad that the UK rights for this book sold, and I hope more people pick this up off the self, I haven't laughed so much when reading a book in such a long time.  This is easily one of the best YA books I have read in a long time.

[Lyn *Nomadic Worlds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my third re-read of this book over the years and it still made me fall all over for it. Audrey’s a high school girl whose boyfriend wrote a song about their breakup. He titled it Audrey, Wait!, and to her misfortune the song turned out to be so good, it became famous. Suddenly, she’s popular at school, everyone wants to be around her and the paparazzi are hounding her. And all she did was break up with him.

First of all, kudos to the author for the excellent, witty writing that made every part of this book a pleasure to read. Second, oh my god, the characters were so much fun, especially Audrey’s best friend, Victoria. Audrey’s internal voice, her description of her best friend, her outlook on the world – had this undertone of snark and dry wit that I highly enjoyed. Best, of all, the music references – the emotions music invokes in you – the author was spot on.

There are some stories that are so much fun, they push you out of any maudlin mood and leave you smiling. That’s how good Audrey, Wait! was. A witty, fun-filled, laugh-out-loud book that makes you laugh to the point of bellyaches.

Posted on Blog

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Christina (A Reader of Fictions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

With Audrey, Wait!, I’ve now read all of Robin Benway’s books. It’s been ups and downs for me for the most part. She definitely has major contemporary talent, but some of them were not my favorites tbh. Audrey, Wait! was Benway’s first book, and there’s a lot to recommend it but she’s also come a long way since then.

Audrey’s not really what I might have expected. In general, Benway’s heroines have been very likable, but Audrey’s a bit harder to take. She’s a teenager, I guess, with all that can come with that. She makes some seriously questionable choices and she’s the kind of selfish where she has no idea she’s selfish. It’s a character arc thing, but not one that I think gets totally nailed in the story. Audrey goes from zero to sixty emotionally, from not remotely self-aware to aware and changed in no time. While the scene itself was satisfying, the reconciliations were overly simplified.

After breaking up with her boyfriend, Evan, he writes a song about her dumping him that becomes a huge success. This thrusts Audrey into the spotlight. The concept is fairly solid, though obviously not the most realistic in the world, because I don’t think Audrey would get THAT famous because of the song tbh. However, as a fictional idea, I’m down.

Her fame begins to cause problems with her relationships. Her best friend, Victoria, keeps urging her to milk it, to take all the free shit being offered to her, to be on a reality show, to get endorsements, despite Audrey’s not wanting the limelight. I think that’s a good conflict to be set up, but I’m disappointed that, in the end, Audrey takes all the blame. Apparently she’s the selfish one for not wanting her friend to have fun with her pain, when in fact I think Victoria’s recommendations were fucked up and terrible. I really wish that had been addressed, but it wasn’t.

The romance is adorable, though, again, it would have been better if, after the fight towards the end, they had a real reconciliation. Instead, Audrey apologizes and everything’s fine. Still, I think this is a nice high school love sort of relationship. They’re not going to last past graduation, but they’ll have a good experience while it does last. Also, cute nerdy gawky ginger = adorbs.

While not up to the standard of Emmy & Oliver, my personal Benway favorite, Audrey, Wait! was a good read, and I’m glad I took the time to venture into her backlist.

[Princess Bookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 long to read this. It stayed on my wishlist for a while, than once I got it it went on the bookshelf until a few weeks ago, I needed a new book for a paperbackswap game and it had to be young adult so I choose to put this one in! This book had it all. Humor, belonging, and a sense of excitement. Have you ever dated a boy in a band? I have and I've been there before! I totally understood Audrey!!! Go out and rend this book, like now! Are you at the bookstore yet?

Overall: GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT, thats really all there is too it!

Cover: I really this this cover is cute! It totally fits. I had the softcover so this was the cover. I looked and the hardcover image is different. I definitely prefer this one over the hardcover. (Reviewed by Princessbookie.com)

What I'd Give It:
5/5 cupcakes

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 characters were adorable and well crafted; the dialogue was very Gilmore Girls-esque: snappy and witty. Overall it was a quick and entertaining read.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 bit is slowly getting old and Audrey knew that she had to break up with him. After much support and list-making with her best friend Victoria, she finally breaks up with Evan in the most gentle way she knows how, and plans on moving on quietly. Nothing spectacular about that, right?

Except for two things. Evan finally found the inspiration to write a song about Audrey after she broke up with him, and they played it on their gig the next night where this bigwig producer was watching. And the song was good. Very good.

Wait, that was three things. Or four.

Audrey's normal life gets turned upside down as The Song becomes a hit. Pretty soon Audrey gets mobbed by fans, chased by papparazzi, kissed by wannabe rockstars hoping for inspiration, and basically loses every bit of privacy she knows. All the while Audrey can't wait for everything to die down -- the question is, will it ever?

Audrey, Wait! is such a fun book. I love contemporary YA, but I do get sick of having to deal with characters who have dysfunctional relationships with their families, or have body image issues, or friendship issues or any other kind of issues. Sure, no one is perfectly adjusted even in books, but it's nice to read about someone who has a good life who just happened to make the right decision at the wrong time. That's Audrey. She's probably the most normal character I have read in contemporary YA ever. She has good friends, good grades and even a friendly relationship with her parents. It's comforting to read something like this because it shows that you don't need to be a messed up protagonist to have a story -- sometimes normal in extraordinary situations would work just as fine. Audrey's voice was clear and distinct, and she often breaks the fourth wall in the story since she's basically re-telling it to us (Example, on page 241: "He, Victoria and my parents were the only one who had my cell number, because someone -- and if you're reading this, I will find you, oh yes, I will -- hacked into my phone and got the number..."). She's snarky most of the time, but she's also lovable and I can't help but sympathize with her as the story went on.

Audrey is the type of person I want to be, but if I can't be her, I want to have a best friend like Victoria. She's one of the smart and memorable best friend characters I have ever read. More often than not, best friend characters are always watered down in order for the main character to shine. In Audrey, Wait!, Victoria has her own character without stealing the spotlight from Audrey. Her personality shone just as bright as Audrey did, and even if she seemed a bit selfish at times through out the story, I understood her well when she and Audrey finally fought (oh that is not a spoiler -- you know best friends often fight in contemporary YA novels). Favorite Victoria moment: when she brought coffee and a hammer to Audrey after being caught on video with the lead singer of the Lolitas. Coffee for the bad morning and hammer to smash the CDs to smithereens. If that is not a real best friend, then I don't know what is. :)

The love interests are also very fleshed out. Evan disappears to be on tour soon after they play the hit song, but his presence was never gone in the story. He is the so-called antagonist that redeemed himself in the end without glossing over his flaws and offenses. James, on the other hand, is a sweet and sensitive guy that took Audrey (and me) by surprise. He's one of those male YA characters that you can't help but like, and maybe even have a crush on? :P He isn't my type of guy, but I thought he was a cute and well-characterized male character.

Audrey, Wait! is peppered with so much fun dialogue that I can't help but giggle at a lot of parts (best example in my Teaser Tuesday post yesterday). Unlike other contemporary YA novels, this one takes stuff from real life and adds fictional elements to it so it's easier to relate to. It's a novel with music at its center so don't be surprised when you see artists such as Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy, Belle & Sebastian, REM and the like on chapter titles and within the story. References to Lindsay Lohan and other Hollywood celebrities are there, too, as well as other pop culture, like Harry Potter ("Get over here and talk to her. She's a reporter, not a Dementor." - p. 57). The author knows how to make scenes sentimental/poignant and funny at the same time -- another example:

"I just want you to know that, okay? I don't want you to be scared that I can't handle his. I mean, you know, whatever this is." He waved his hand to indicate the general insanity that had taken over my life.

His heart was beating even louder now, and I closed my eyes and tried to calm my pulse down to match his. "I'm not scared of that," I murmured, and I wasn't. "That doesn't scare me."

"What does scare you?"

I thought for a minute, tapping my index finger against my bottom lip. "Sock puppets."

"Excuse me?"

"They're horrifying."

See what I mean?

I think the only "flaw" this novel may have is the sheer unbelievabilty of the story. Okay, not so much I guess, because what happened to Audrey is possible. I'm just not sure if it can happen in real life in the scale that happened to Audrey. But I guess us normal girls can pick up a few lessons from this story: if you value your privacy,* don’t date someone who will write a song about you when you break up and make it big after. Or at least, don't break up with them before a big gig. Or something to that effect. Audrey, Wait! shows us that normal non-rockstar guys are still the best. ;)

This is a novel with a happy ending, but not without any difficulties getting there, so expect a ride through fame, fights and a realistic resolution -- as realistic as Audrey's situation can be, that is. This is a fun and crazy read, and while it's not something I will profess my love for, it's a book that will definitely be on my favorites. :)

[Mafi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Já queria ler este livro desde 2012 mas só agora pequei nele. Não foi nada de especial e esperava um pouco mais. Já li outro livro da autora "Emmy and Oliver" e esse foi muito melhor.

---

Na semana passada, na minha viagem de avião para a Bélgica, abri este "Audrey,Wait!" no tablet e mergulhei de cabeça neste livrinho, tanto que li mais de 70% do mesmo só no voo. O livro tem uma premissa engraçada. Audrey é uma adolescente que acaba com o seu namorado Evan, vocalista de uma banda. E ele acaba por escrever uma canção sobre ela e o término do namoro. A canção torna-se viral e ela fica famosa por isso. A premissa é isto mas o livro acaba por ter uma mensagem importante. Hoje em dia, há modas tão virais e tão passageiras que passado uns meses ninguém se lembra delas. Diria que este livro, lançado em 2008, é bastante actual. A Audrey consegue manter-se sempre fiel ao que é e não se deixa deslumbrar por todo o aparato à sua volta. (ou tenta vá). Para toda a gente ela é a Audrey da canção famosa, mas como ela diz, ela é simplesmente uma rapariga normal com um part-time numa gelataria e doida por música.
É um livro leve com um romance fofinho e que mostra bem que de um momento para o outro a nossa vida pode mudar, tanto para melhor como para pior


Opinião Completa: http://algodaodoceparaocerebro.blogsp...

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I thought it would be a lighter, silly read - and I thought it'd suffer from not aging well in the land of technology in constant flux.

But really, it was good.

And I don't say that lightly. The character was a bit flawed but she was believable. I can't even imagine the horror of someone writing a break up song about you leaving them and suddenly becoming famous from it all. I loved her best friend, who brought over a hammer at the perfect time, and James was pretty great too. The parents were a bit silly but were good parents, at least. All in all, I thought it was a good story that does suffer from not being up about the latest tech stuff (I mean, barely anyone has CD's anymore....) but I enjoyed the story.

[Maru · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 while.

There are many similarities with Audrey, Wait! and All-American Girl by Meg Cabot. Not only in the fact that the main character is suddenly faced with unwanted fame, but also the way everything is resolved is very, very similar. However, it's original enough to stand out on its own, and it does this with funny dialogue and very likeable characters. So if you liked that one, I recommend you read this one as well.

This is about Audrey, a girl who broke up with his musician boyfriend, Evan, because it just wasn't working out. Unfortunately, Evan in turn wrote a song about the break-up, a song that became a huge, nation-wide hit, and in the process threw Audrey, the protagonist of the song, in the Hollywood spotlight.

It's a simple plot, but the writing is quirky, it's funny, it's fast-paced. The characters are well developed, they have depth, they have motives, and they are relatable. Audrey's relationships with everyone is especially fun to read and totally realistic, it's what made the book great:

- Her relationship with her parents: this is a very nice one, and it depicts realistic child-parent relationships these days. At least I know I felt very connected to it. The parents were properly concerned about Audrey, had rules, and were an important presence in her life, but they trusted her enough to make decisions and took time to hear her point of view and consider it. Props for depicting a healthy relationship, one that you see often nowadays, with a good balance of limits and proper amounts of freedom.

- Her relationship with her best friend: It's also very accurate, very realistic. Both Audrey and Victoria make mistakes, fight, assume their mistakes, and try to be better because of them. They have a healthy relationship where they want what's best for each other but will speak up if they think the other person is making a mistake. You can tell they really love each other and support each other above all.

- Her relationship with James: This was basically the best thing ever. I'm serious. It's been a while since I read such a good developed romance. First of all, Robin Benway never spends any time talking about physical descriptions, about how "hot" the love interest is or not. This is written from Audrey's point of view, and all she mentions is ONCE that she thinks he's cute. But she never spends countless pages talking about him being hot, his smoking body, his good looks, like so many YA heroines these days. This is what made me LOVE Audrey. She likes James for who he is, for what they have in common, for the respectful and kind way he treats her, for how easy it is to talk to him and be around him. And there are NO superficial reasons there. HOW REFRESHING IS THAT!? They both make mistakes, they both apologize, and they both try their best to be good people.

On top of that, James is a fantastic character. He speaks his mind when he needs to but respects Audrey's opinions as well. He's kind and a little shy, but very endearing. His relationship with Audrey is well built, they understand each other and you find yourself really rooting for them. They just make sense together, and with that everything in the story falls into place.

Like I said, this isn't bursting with originality, and it might be a bit unrealistic that Audrey gets so much fame for a song (although these days people become fans of anything that stirs up a bit of drama so it's no that weird) but the characters in the book are some of them most realistic and lovable I've read in a while, and that makes it GREAT. I had fun with them, admired them, and loved seeing them mature. It was a great journey for Audrey to appreciate the people in her life, learn to embrace their flaws, learn to apologize for her own and take control of her life, or sorting out her priorities. It's very heartwarming on top of cute, funny, and enjoyable.

So if you are looking for a fun, light book to read in a couple of hours (because it won't take you more than that) and probably fall in love with, this is it. It's a shelf-worthy book to pick up and re-read again when in need for a laugh or two.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My friend Karen has been trying to get me to read AUDREY, WAIT! for the last few months and I was happy it popped up this time around. I really had meant to read it when it came out in 2008 and the host of favorable reviews spurred me on, but somehow it got lost in the shuffle. I knew just the very basic premise of the book and I knew it involved a lot of great rock music--always a plus--and something about the title just sort of grabs you, doesn't it? I'm also a fan of the original hardback cover. I think the swirling neon colors surrounding the girl with her head flung to the side combine to form a good representation of the sort of eye of the pop culture hurricane Audrey finds herself in in this story.

Audrey never thought that breaking up with her high school boyfriend Evan would land her in such hot water. Evan is the lead singer of a local band and Audrey has been his support system for too long. Every ounce of energy either of them have gets sucked into "the band" and Audrey's decided it's high time to cut the cord and let both of them move on. But Evan is floored by the news. He calls out to her to wait as she walks out the door, but Audrey feels it's best to make a clean break. She doesn't turn back. And, in that moment, everything changes. Evan writes a song that night entitled, "Audrey, Wait!" And the song goes viral. Before she realizes it, Audrey's song is being played on local stations, Evan and the band have an agent, they head out on tour, and everyone on the planet it seems knows her as that girl who inspired that hit song. Things only spiral further out of control from there. Audrey's parents struggle to keep her safe, while her best friend Victoria expresses her support by attempting to capitalize on all the free publicity and sponsorship tossed Audrey's way. Meanwhile Audrey would like to just hide from it all, keep her head down, and work at her after school job at the Scooper-Dooper with her socially challenged, co-worker James, who seems blissfully unaware she has become an international music icon. But the song's growing fandom (and their intense focus on Audrey) will have none of that. And the possibility of a "normal" life just keeps growing further and further away.

First off, Robin Benway's setup is just fantastic. Great title, great idea, great chapter titles, each of them a single line from a famous song and most of them ones that I know and love. Just try to wipe the grin off my face when I start a chapter headed by a line from Stars' "Your Ex-Lover is Dead" or anything by Belle & Sebastian or The Velvet Underground. I found myself giggling through many of the early pages and I liked Audrey just fine. She really did feel like a normal girl thrown into insanely unforeseen circumstances. I liked that Evan was never really the Bad Guy. He had his heart broken. Legitimately. And he's the lead singer of an indie band. What else is he supposed to do? Of course he writes a song about it. And, as the best songs are inspired by acute emotional pain, it was a hit. Audrey and Evan are separated by the whole fame thing almost instantly and when they finally do talk again, I enjoyed their conversations immensely. Another thing I enjoyed immensely was Scooper-Dooper perpetual employee of the month James. He was the cause of most of my giggles throughout the book and he is a great example of a good guy worth swooning over. It was very gratifying to watch Audrey realize this about him. Also, one particular scene set in a walk-in freezer was particularly enjoyable. The thing that was not the source of any giggling for me was her best friend Victoria. It turns out I am excessively tired of the perky, extroverted best friend who is solely there for comic relief and often doesn't seem to get the main character that well, certainly not the way I think a best friend should. Victoria kept pressuring Audrey to do things she didn't want to, to take advantage of the situation in ways that made her extremely uncomfortable, and, in the end, after the inevitable big fight occurs, Audrey (who I thought was in the right the entire time) ends up giving in, apologizing, and begging forgiveness and it just felt wrong to me. That said, AUDREY, WAIT! is a light and funny look at the way a single, seemingly inconsequential decision can balloon out to change your entire life and, as such, I enjoyed it.

[Chachic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted here.

When I asked for music-themed contemporary YA books, Audrey, Wait! was one of the titles that people kept recommending. I decided to borrow it when I saw that a copy was available at the library. I thought it would be a good idea to read this along with my good friend Heidi of Bunbury in the Stacks because she mentioned that she hasn't read this one either. I had so much fun reading this with Heidi - we divided the book into several sections and we'd email each other back and forth about our thoughts after we're done reading certain parts. We managed to talk about so many other things during the course of our discussion - ice cream, bands, laundry, college and work. Feel free to check out what she has to say about the book.

What I liked about this book is that it focuses on music but the main character isn't a musician. Audrey is a music lover but she doesn't play an instrument and she's not part of a band. Most of the other music-themed books that I've read have musicians as main characters instead of just being music fans. I kind of thought it's like being a book lover but not a writer. I felt like I could relate to Audrey more because of that. And I enjoy listening to music even if I don't love it as much as she does. This book reminded me of what it was like to attend various gigs and campus concerts back in college. Like Audrey, I had friends back then who were members of bands. Although there was never a song written about me.

One thing I noticed right off the bat is that the story isn't realistic in the sense that things got blown way out of proportion. I mean, how many songs out there are about girls who broke a guy's heart (or vice versa) and how many times does the public go after the subject of the song? I was fine with the whole thing as long as I recognized that reading it would involve a fair amount of suspension of disbelief. The breakup didn't even involve a lot of drama - Evan wasn't really a bad guy, Audrey just decided that things weren't that great between them. It was supposed to be a normal high school breakup until Evan wrote a song about Audrey that suddenly became popular.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, the banter between the characters was fun to read. I liked Audrey's friendship with her BFF, Victoria, and it was cool how reasonable her parents were. We rarely get to see great parents in YA novels so it's always a good thing when they appear. However, I wasn't such a fan of the second half. I really can't put my finger on why that is but I just didn't find it as engaging as the start of the novel. I guess it felt a bit rushed and I was waiting for a bigger, more complex climax to the story. Also probably because I felt like the romance could have been developed further. It really is a fun book to read but I think my expectations were pretty high because so many other blogger friends loved this. If you're into music-themed contemporary YA, then I think you'd really enjoy this one. I wanted to make a playlist of all the songs featured as chapter headings - I think it would have been great if I could have listened to that while reading the book. I'm curious still curious about Robin Benway's other books and will definitely check them out when I get the chance.

[Sophie Riggsby / allthingsequilateral · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Review published on Mundie Moms on 2/12/2012*

Do a search for "songs with girls names in the title" and you'll be surprised at the amount of songs that are listed. Whoa. There are a hundreds of them. In fact, each generation seems to have their fair share of these songs. Now imagine if you were THAT girl. Wouldn't you want the world to know your side of the story?

Robin presents us with just that plot. I have to admit I liked Audrey from these opening lines:

The day I broke up with my boyfriend Evan was the day he wrote the song. You know, the song. I'm sure you've heard it. Maybe you danced to it at prom or sang it in your car on a Friday night when you were driving and feeling like you must be inhuman to be this happy, the windows down and nothing but air around you. Your mom has probably hummed it while cleaning the dryer's lint trap, and your grandpa has most likely whistled a couple of bars if he's the whistling type.


According to the poll on the front page of USA Today, sixty-three percent of Americans blame me for the breakup, so let me clear the air right now.

You get an idea of her voice -- she's strong, no-nonsense (well as much as any junior in high school can be) and she is well grounded (with help from parents who care and a BFF who is fierce in her loyalty). What Audrey is not prepared for is the sheer volume of fame that such a song brings with it.


Huge props to Robin for writing one of my favorite plot types. You know the one where everything-that-can-go-wrong-will? Yeah, that's exactly what happens in Audrey, Wait! But this is far from a predictable plot, it's filled with a cast of characters that are so relatable I felt I knew them (much like I did Audrey) from the very first moment I read them. I found myself turning pages just to make sure things turn out all right for all of them.

I won't spoil it for you, I promise, but when you're faced with life-changing moments such as a ex's song shooting up every known music chart on the planet, things do change and you adapt to those changes. Robin also wrote in something that I love. And it's in the romantic subplot of the story. There is both kindness and pain in discovering who your true love really is and who your true friends really are. Robin does this beautifully.

Audrey, Wait! is available in both hardcover, paperback and ebook at most of your favorite book retailers. I encourage you to check it out. On a personal note, it's such a great feeling to discover a new author that I love. Robin has a second book out, The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June. Yes, I bought it and I'm looking forward to meeting more of her incredibly written characters.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

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?

"Audrey Waits" is a fun, fast paced novel that starts with a great hooks and never lets up until the final pages. It has a heart to it and you'll ride along as self-professed music fan Audrey at first loves the ride and then slowly comes to hate that fact that she can't have a normal life without every aspect of her personal life being up for debate. At one point, Audrey becomes so "famous" that she's not even allowed to attend classes in high school becuase of the disruption her presence causes.

I heard about this story from the popular "Unshelved" comic strip's Sunday recommendation strip. I had no idea it was a "young adult" novel and while it may come from that section of the bookstore or library, it has enough fun for adults and young adults to enjoy it. One warning to parents: the story does include some four letter words, so you may want to consider that when you decide if you want kids under 15 or so read this story.

That's really my only gripe in what is, otherwise, a fun novel and a hugely entertaining one. Robin Benway gives Audrey a life and a voice on the printed page that makes the pages fly by and you'll soon be cheering for Audrey as she tries to find a new boyfriend, tries to get along with her parents and just tries to have a normal life yet again.

[Agustina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.
I'm giving this book two stars and I'm already feeling bad about it. It seems a bit harsh. But two stars is "it was ok" and that's my opinion because I was kind of expecting more of this book. I don't really know why. Maybe because the premise to it was kind of original. A girl who becomes famous for breaking up with her boyfriend. Though she never wanted the fame, she now has to deal with it.
I don't know, maybe I'm growing out of this kind of books. The sixteen year-old girl who is kind of pretty but no one notices her, then something happens and everybody likes her and she gets a new boyfriend out of the blue.

I think my problem with this book was that I couldn't believe that a girl would become so internationally famous because a song was written about her. I mean, I don't think anyone knows or really cares who made Adele want to find someone like him. Maybe it's just me... and I also didn't find Audrey a likable character either. I couldn't feel for her. She was kind of funny from time to time but she didn't seem to have any interests besides music, and she didn't even know how to play an instrument. I couldn't see any ambition of becoming anything. Just boy-trouble. Seems a bit superficial to me. :/

I'm sorry I really wanted to like this book. I just couldn't look over the fact that Audrey's narration was a bit too immature to my taste. I don't know why but I just thinking "If Elizabeth Bennett were to read this she would hate it".

[Rainy Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laid back and funny. I love Audrey! And I love her parents too because they're like, so cool! I kinda laugh at first though. I mean a song titled "Audrey, Wait!"? Ohmigosh hahaha. But that song was the reason Audrey's life got turned upside down. I admire Audrey on how she handled all those sudden "fame" and like she said, we all make mistakes and do stupid things, but that's just who we are and we changed, every day.

[Celestine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tää on ihana. Höttöinen ja yllättvän hauska tarina. Lisäksi pidin hahmoista. Pahan mielen iskiessä suosittelen lämpöisesti.