Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams

London is devastated by the death of her brother Zach. It has been months and she is still living a daily nightmare. Her missionary father hardly speaks, her mother ignores her and blames her for his death, and she is cut off from other students at school. This novel in free verse explores how to find healing in the midst of so much grief. London begins to recover due to the support of her ex-boyfriend Taylor and two newcomers to her town who reach out to her and accept her without knowing much of her back story. The details of Zach's death unfold slowly which makes this introspective story more compelling. It's a sad but not depressing story that takes a hopeful turn at the end.

Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

This book will appeal to anyone who has ever had a totally one-sided crush on someone. Sadie has been in love with her best friend Garrett for two years. They watch art movies, write poetry, and spend much of their time together. Unfortunately, she's the best friend who's always there to sympathize as he talks about his problems and successes with other girlfriends. When Garrett goes off to a summer writing program and Sadie is left behind for the summer she decides it's time for a Garrett detox. No more thinking about him, dreaming about him, and hearing about his new girlfriends. With the help of Sadie's new friends at the coffee shop where she works and her old friend Kayla she puts the twelve step plan into action. This was a humorous book with good writing and it kept me interested till the end. It would be good for teens who like chick lit and realistic fiction.