Wait

I just finished the novel Wait. Unfortunately I couldn't wait to finish it. The premise of a recent college grad returning to her home on Nantucket just as her mother gets deported to Brazil was enticing. And author Gabriella Burnham is clearly a gifted writer. But the storyline and lack of character development left me wanting for more.

The plot follows a few Gen Z girls over the course of a summer. The protagonist Elise is trying to make ends meet and get by without her mother, who is dealing with her own forced homecoming in Sao Paulo. The characters lack dimension or nuance. The rich best friend and caretaking neighbors are supposed to be "bad," so their generosity goes unacknowledged. Elise is "good" but is lacking in virtuous qualities outside of caring for birds. There wasn't enough depth or personality to really endear any character to me.

The richness of a novel lies in the details, the small moments that connect us. This book was painted in broad strokes and did a fair amount of virtue signaling. I was hoping for juicy, layered people, or at least a more captivating storyline.

For now I'll just settle with making my own Nantucket moments IRL. 

AES