Book Review: Audrey Wait! by Robin Benway

Book: Audrey, Wait!
Author: Robin Benway
Published: 2008

When Audrey broke up with Evan, she thought that was the end of it. But then he wrote a song about it. And then it got picked up by local radio stations. Then national. Then international. Then he's a bona fide celebrity, and to Audrey's dismay, so is she.

Audrey just wanted a normal life, hanging out with her best friend, going to awesome concerts, and building a new relationship with the adorkable James. But fame is hungry, and Audrey can only hide from it for so long before it devours her--if she lets it.

You're probably nodding along and going, "Yeah, yeah, everybody's talked about this book already. What can you tell me new about it?" Not much, admittedly. This was last year's Red Hot of the Red Hots. I can only tell you what I loved about it, which is what this blog is all about anyway.

This book is the furthest extension of the worst kind of breakup, where everyone's on your ex's side, and you just want to move on with your life but oh, my god, nobody will stop talking about it. Audrey is cast as the villainess and the slut by celebrity-culture America, when we know that it takes two to make or break a relationship.

Audrey and her friends are smart and sarcastic, but not brittle. They care about each other, even when they screw up--and in their own ways, everyone screws up at least once.

I loved Audrey, Wait!, and I'm sending Benway good vibes for her next one. Give this book to music lovers, breakup survivors, and anybody who likes a smart, funny story about kids who break up, mess up, and get up again.