After Elise graduates from college and returns home to Nantucket, she's in for unexpected changes in plans in Wait by Gabriella Burnham. She discovers that her mother Gilda has been deported to Brazil, and she and her younger sister are all alone to figure out how to get their mom back home. A lot of weight rests on both of their shoulders, and things get worse before they get better. They end up shacking up with Elise's best friend in college whose parents own a lavish summer home.

When I read the summary for this book, I found the premise interesting and wondered how the girls, Elise and Sophie, would be able to get their mom back to the states. Unfortunately, that plot isn't given much time in the book and isn't explored in the depth that I expected. At first, it appears to be a main focus of the book, then it's pretty much shelved to cover the teen and post-college exploits of the girls. While that would have been fine, it's disturbing about how easy they slip into those other roles as they go to parties and work in dead-end jobs.

Elise's friend Sheba eventually brings them into the guest house at her moms' summer home, which they inherited from Sheba's grandparent. They occupy both the guest house and then start living with Sheba. Sheba seems like a spoiled brat and sexual vulture--she's after everyone, and she seems to have no depth at all. I couldn't empathize with any poor little rich girl act. She didn't seem like a good friend. I get it--she gave them a place to stay. But I didn't like her and could not see any evidence of her being a good friend from the past or the present.

Another issue I had was that I didn't sense the closeness between Elise, her sister, and her mom. I didn't feel any of the deep bonds that she and her sister had. So, I didn't feel much empathy for any of them. I didn't feel the desperation of a mom separated from her daughters. She seamlessly blended back into life in Brazil with her long-extended family and another plot comes out of the woodwork while she's there. The daughters seemed angry yet not that desperate either. What would they have done if they didn't have the rich friend to help them out? And could they really survive on two minimum wage jobs?

The ending was very rushed, and I didn't feel like anything was truly resolved. Some of the ends, especially for the younger sister who didn't seem that resourceful, were so carefully wrapped up to the point that it seemed far-fetched. Other plot points received no real resolution, and I was left hanging. The last chapter or so hurried up all the stories without really answering any questions. I was disappointed and felt like this book really didn't go anywhere. I did give this a three because I found some of the passages flowed so well and had enough description to tide me over. Otherwise, I may have dipped lower on the scale.

Gabriella Burnham’s Wait is a beautifully quiet, emotionally rich novel that lingers in the small, in-between moments of life—the ones that usually pass unnoticed but carry so much weight. It’s a story about time, change, and the emotional tension of waiting—whether for clarity, connection, or the courage to move forward.

The writing is graceful and introspective, with a tone that feels honest and intimate. Burnham doesn’t rush; she lets her characters sit in their uncertainty, giving space to all the messy, complicated feelings that come with it. It’s reflective in a way that invites you to pause and think about your own life while reading.

Wait is one of those books that sneaks up on you. It’s not flashy or loud, but it’s deeply felt. If you like thoughtful, character-driven stories that explore emotion with care and quiet power, this one’s worth your time.

I tried quite a few times to pick this novel up, but really labored through it each time. Unfortunately it never held my interest long enough to finish it.

I am so grateful for the opportunity and hope that it continues to find the right readers!

This is one of those books that I feel would have been better if an editor and edit it. At times the story was very captivating, but it other times it seemed to have gotten lost in itself. The ending could have been better.

I read this book so quickly. It pulled on my heartstrings. It was so well done and I’m looking forward to another by this writer.

Unfortunately I was unable to download this book before the archive date, so I'm not able to leave a review. I look forward to reading and reviewing books by this author in the future.

A coming-of-age story that focuses on two sisters, but from the POV of one, Elise. My heart broke reading about Elise's mother and how hard she worked to provide for herself and her children. The themes of family and belonging were strong, but it fell a little flat for me in the end. I wish we could have seen beyond the single summer covered in the book.

As someone who spent summers on the islands, I was looking forward to this for its local feel. But it wasn't what I thought, and I felt like it wasn't sure what book it wanted to be.

Even though this book covers a very important topic right now, how are country is treating its immigrants, dreamers and their families -- I wish I could say I enjoyed this book more. The scenarios that Burnham developed just did not seem believable so it was hard to feel empathetic for her characters.

Gabriella Burnham's novel Wait explores themes of homecoming, sisterhood, identity, and economic injustice through the story of Elise, a recent college grad who returns to Nantucket after her mother is deported. The narrative highlights the stark contrasts between the island's wealthy seasonal residents and the struggles of its year-round inhabitants.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Two sisters are at two totally different places in life. But when their mother is deported and sent back to Brazil, they find themselves back on Nantucket Island, awaiting to see how their mom will get back to the US. Elise has just graduated college and had different t plans for her degree but now that she is on the island she finds herself working her old job and living in her childhood home. Sheba her, wealthy, best friend is on island and has just inherited her grandfather’s home. The girls, financial status never came between them but now is her current situation Elise is unable to make sense of the disparity that separates them. This was a well written book but dry at points. It touches a lot of topics but none really well. Overall this was a three star read for me. It just was lacking something and I am not sure what it was. I want to thank Netgalley, Gabriella Burnham and Randowm House Publsihing Group for my copy of Wait for an honest review. I am glad I was able to read and review this story. It is always a pleasure to read books by new to me, authors.

I feel as though the title was a bit too on the nose, as I felt like I was constantly waiting for something to happen. I appreciated the truly gorgeous writing at some points, but it was just a bit too slow for my liking.

I like plot driven books and I like really well done character driven books, unfortunately this book didn't have either. I feel bad giving a lackluster review but I honestly didn't even finish the book.

I respect the vulnerability with which Gabriella Burnham writes--especially knowing that this is a personal story for her--but I felt like I was constantly waiting for something to happen (which, I suppose, is the point of the title). The ending also feels rushed and unfinished.

Elise returns home to Nantucket after years away when she gets a call from her sister that their mother is missing. When they learn that their mother has been deported to Brazil, the girls figure out how to move forward, fending for themselves and navigating the social complexities of the island.

The novel examines the contrast between Elise’s upbringing and the life she’s wedged herself into—the life of growing up in a household with an immigrant mother who had to work 70 hours each week and the life of the wealthy, Nantucket socialites that her best friend is part of. It’s a thoughtful reflection, but I wished for more depth and plot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of Wait by Gabriella Burnham. This story tackles a lot. Elise is just about to graduate from an elite southern college, when she finds out that her sister and mother are not going to come to the graduation because her mother has been deported. Elise grew up on Nantucket. Her best friend from college also has a house on Nantucket. But their lives could not be more different. Elise’s family barely got by, and Elise achieved and made it to a great college-the American dream. Sheba’s family has crazy inherited wealth, and lives a very luxurious life. In college, they were able to make the friendship work, but will they be able to on Nantucket? This is not a light hearted summer read, but tackles a lot of issues. It’s a coming of age story, and we see Elise and her sister be forced to grow up. #wait #gabriellaburnham #netgalley #bookstagram #takeapagefrommybook

Since this book really doesn’t have much of a plot or any character development (in my opinion), I can’t really describe what it’s about or whether there was a theme. The central character is definitely Elise, a new college graduate who has to skip her graduation ceremony and quickly return home to Nantucket Island to be with her sister, Sophie, who just graduated from high school. Elise and Sophie’s mother was deported back to Brazil and the girls must figure out where to live and how to support themselves. Fortunately, the third character, Sheba, who was Elise’s college roommate, is very wealthy and has a large family beach house on the island so offers the girls a place to stay. And that’s about it - Wait is an appropriate title because the reader is left waiting for something to happen with these girls. I won’t describe what little I learned about the girls because such descriptions would be spoilers since that’s all there is to this book. I’m probably rating it higher than I normally would just because I love Nantucket and the book was easy to read and short. That’s all I got.

Sophie - I knew she was going to go places. She deserved to be on her own, find her own personality instead of getting paid for work she did not do or bend the knee to some rich girl. I rooted for Sophie since the beginning of the book. She heard everyone including her mother, but she created her own path.

Elise - For an elder sister, she was not as helpful as I thought she would be. But also she was 22 years old, so I could not be too tough on her. On one hand, she was under her friend's influence forgetting the practicalities. On the other, she was trying to solve the immigration riddle of her mom. I'm glad that she could be glad for her sister and support her on her path to college.

Sheba - The fluke. The brat (not in a good way). I cannot deal with people who constantly do thing they should not do and start crying and apologizing when they are caught. Back bone is important to me and Sheba lacks one. I have to give it to Burnham though. She described her nonchalantness so perfectly that I have strong reaction to this girl.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House One World for an eARC of "Wait" by Gabriella Burnham" in exchange for an honest review. I recommend this to anyone who loves themselves a family centered contemporary litfic. It is very slice of life and discusses social inequality, but I found myself unable to relate to the characters, which made me struggle to continue to stay gripped with the story. However, there were heartwarming moments that lead me to believe that this is a book I would still recommend, even if it is not my cup of tea!