This book had a lot of promise, but it fell flat for me. The story centers around two sisters Elise and Sophie, and their mother Gilda. At the beginning of the story Gilda goes missing and they find out she is deported. Then the book goes on to follow their lives after that. This book could have shed light on immigration issues, sister bonds, duty to family, parent and child relationships, but it just missed the mark on all of those. The characters weren’t likable, and the storyline had very little to no drive to it. I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

I don’t usually give bad reviews, but sadly I didn’t like this book. It was anti-climactic and boring for me. I wish someone had helped Burnham add more interesting aspects to the story because it felt very lacking. Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy

Oh dear, this book is just not it. I don't always hate books where not much happens, but in this case, it was a bit painful. It starts with a Mom who misses her daughter's college graduation so we think it's a mystery. Instead, we sadly find out it's because she has been deported to Brazil and her daughter Elise must go back to her home town in Nantucket to watch over her younger sister Sophie who just graduated from high school.

It's a strong start, but falls apart pretty soon after that because the action is truly lacking and I couldn't connect with the characters either. Loose ends aren't tied up, the ending is confusing and falls flat (I was hoping it would make it up for it) and themes aren't fully explored. I hate to give a bad review to a book like this, but I simply can't recommend.

The word I would use to describe this story is moody. The two sisters have to learn how to navigate life after their mother is suddenly deported. As young ladies in their teens and very early twenties, they are driven by strong emotions. The plot explores class and financial differences and how it can change a life. It is a worthwhile novel to read.

First of all, thank you NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my unfortunately honest review.

Elise and Sophie are sisters and are used to their mom not returning home for a few days, but when it’s been a couple of weeks, Elise returns home from college realizing her mom has been deported back to Brazil. The girls are used to fending for themselves and that’s what they do, hoping Mom will return.

And that’s it. The rest of the book just follows the two girls through their days at work, home, and staying with a friend. I don’t know y’all. I hate saying this, but this might actually be the worst book I’ve ever read. I can’t believe I made it through the whole thing. I’m hardly ever this blunt, but I just don’t understand how a book like this can make it this far in publication - with multiple people proofreading and editing. I mean, the stakes are low 90% of the time, the characters are undeveloped, writing flows as if improvised from scene to scene, no real adventure, no suspense, no developed romance, little attention to the through line, ending is random, and there are STRANGE insertions of sexual language with no purpose or follow through. I mean, I could admit to “it’s just not my thing”, but there are many books that aren’t my thing where I honor good solid writing. This ain’t it. So I have to be honest in my review. I hope I am proved wrong when I say I can’t see this book doing well. I’m not even sure I know of an audience to which I could recommend this. Ugh. I don’t want to give a bad review. It’s just not worth reading.

The synopsis of this book sounded interesting. Sisters coming of age in Nantucket after their mother is deported. In reality, I felt it was a waste of my time. The sisters seemed detached from reality and so into themselves while they lived with a rich friend in luxury. I almost set the book aside but tried instead to find a real plot. It was missing. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I decided I was going to read this book and after I got into it I really loved it the story was very good. These are things that happen in the world today. Eliise and Sara did well for caring for themselves when their Mom was sent back to Brazil. It was sad too, especially the ending . I wonder if Sara will ever see her Mom again. What a story.

On the day that she is to graduate from college in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Elise receives a phone call from her sister Sophie saying that their mother is missing. When Elise arrives home in Nantucket, she finds that their mother has been sent back to Brazil. After twenty years of living and working in the United States, their mother is deported for missing a hearing with the immigration board.

The book tells a story of the relationship of sisters and of the friendship of college coeds, with a deeper thread that focuses on the failures in the immigration and naturalization system. The book presents a timely message.

A mesmerizing coming of age story..The writing is beautiful and character driven with elements of class, and immigration..
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wait is a coming of age story set on Nantucket. Very entertaining book, but I wanted more in-depth descriptions of some of the characters and their situations. That said, Wait would be great book for discussion as there are several important topics central to the novel.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the ARC

#comingofage #sisters #bookclub

Elise seems to be trying to find herself throughout this work. Having just graduated from college she returns to Nantucket Island where she finds herself in charge of Sophie, her eighteen year old sister; their mother has been deported to Brazil. They are soon evicted from their home, and, homeless, they come to rely on the charity of Elise’s college friend Sheba. This friend is wealthy and seems enamored with the two sisters. Elise’s summer job is recording native birds. Sophie works long hours in a coffee shop, pestered by summer tourists’ demands. Sheba is absolutely free. The three meet up with island friends and party. Meanwhile, Gilda, their mother, has re-discovered her homeland and has found work and her long lost father. The tempo of Gabriella Burnham’s novel is slow and nothing startling interrupts this. Elise is dissatisfied with life and her relationships. Her storyline is flat. Sophie and Gilda are more interesting. Elise is disappointed in what her island has become; we must wait till the final pages to see if she does something towards finding satisfaction.

I loved this author's previous novel, "It is Wood, It is Stone", but her upcoming book left me much to be desired. First off, it really bugs me when there is no quotation marks or punctuation when it comes to the dialogue. Why oh, why do authors do this? She didn't do this with her previous book so why start now? Also, this story was really boring. It felt like those silly beach reads that thinks its deep than it really is. I love reading stories about sisters, but I just didn't care for their relationship. Their sisterhood felt wooden and stiff. Definitely not what I was expecting. I recommend her debut novel instead.

Elise has been away at college in Chapel Hill, NC for four years when her mom is deported back to Brazil. She heads home to Nantucket where she and her sister grew up. She has to take care of her younger sister, Sophie, until she graduates from high school. She is reunited with lots of high school friends while there. She also has a wealthy college friend who has a large house on the island. When Elise and Sophie are evicted from their house they stay with her. What will Elise do as her sister prepares to go off to college and she learns her mom will not be returning to the states? This was a short and easy read. Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I enjoyed it!

3.75 🌟

Emotional coming of age book.

I enjoyed that this book touched on a lot of deep topics: immigration, wealth inequalities etc. I also loved the friendship between the two sisters. Where this book fell short for me is the friendship between the two characters - was it healthy? Was it because of the wealth inequality that Elise stayed friends with Sheba? Was Sheba also using Elise? Also, this book ended a bit too quickly for me with lots of open ended questions.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Elise is on the cusp of graduating from college and will be going back to her home in Nantucket. However, upon her return she learns that her mother has been deported to Brazil for being undocumented even though she has lived in the states for over twenty years. This leaves Elise and her sister, Sophie to learn to live on their own and deal with housing and social economic issues, among others. Because even though they live on beautiful Nantucket they are considered the “have nots” unlike Elise’s college friend, Sheba, that inherits her grandfather’s mansion on Nantucket. I found this book to be a sad representation of the disparity that the wealthy and the working class often experience. I admired the sense of caring Elise felt for her sister, especially as Sophie had a hard time dealing without her mother. I felt that Sheba was vapid and whether on purpose or not, did not or could not really understand the differences of her existence from Elise’s. Overall I felt sorry for Elise. This was not a feel good book for me but I appreciate the early copy from Netgalley and Random House One World. This review is my honest opinion. 3.5 Stars

The night before her college graduation, Elise's world is turned upside down by a single phone call. Her mother is missing, and her younger sister Sophie is back on Nantucket Island desperately trying to find her. Before long, Elise and Sophie learn the truth; Gilda has been deported back to São Paulo, Brazil, and in an instant, the sisters' world becomes picking up the pieces of their former one.

"Wait" is a simply gorgeous coming-of-age novel. Set against the backdrop of Nantucket, it follows Elise and Sophie as they struggle to form a life stateside without their mother while also desperately trying to find a way to bring her back. As the distance settles in and time carries on, various characters drift into the sisters' lives, and at center stage is Sheba, Elise's glamorous and equally-melodramatic college friend whose inherited seaside mansion is the sisters' only hope for lodging on Nantucket. With present-day POVs that drift back and forth from Gilda's life back in Brazil to Elise and Sophie in Nantucket, "Wait" spins seemingly mundane scenes of daily life that shimmer with a profound poignancy.

When life as you know it shatters, what does picking up the pieces look like?

While "Wait" may not satisfy readers looking for a lively, quick-paced novel, I loved its simplicity and its compelling commentary on sisterhood, in all its forms. With present-tense narration and no quotations throughout, it does require a bit of focus to settle into, but once you're there, it's a beautiful ride. Certainly one of my more memorable reads of the year thus far.

Many thanks to publishers and Netgalley for providing my review copy!

Wait is a story of two sisters finding their way after their mother is deported back to Brazil. I liked this one a lot. It took me a second to adjust to the lack of quotations for dialogue, but overall I was absorbed in their journey of survival.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House One World for the copy of Wait by Gabriella Burnham. I thought the premise was great, but I kept waiting for more about Gilda and her deportation. The writing style was not for me, and it took me some time to get used to the lack of quotation marks. If you’re looking for a standard coming of age story, this book is for you! 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

This is a story about coming of age, emigration, social and economic inequality. Two sisters, whose mother is deported back to her native Brazil have to find a way to navigate through life without her.
It was an interesting idea but it was missing something. I was expecting a deeper story highlighting sisters’ relationship and connection with their mother but it read more like a young adult novel about living and partying with a rich friend in Nantucket.
One thing that really bothered me was a lack of quotation marks. I am not sure if this was due to it being an ARC or if the author intended it to be that way but it was distracting and made it hard to follow the story.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House One World and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wait: A Poignant Reunion and a Search for Home

Acclaimed author Gabriella Burnham returns with a moving coming-of-age story in "Wait". This captivating novel explores themes of family, loss, and the complexities of identity against the backdrop of Nantucket Island.

A Sudden Disappearance:

Elise, a young woman on the cusp of graduating college, receives a life-altering call. Her younger sister, Sophie, informs her that their mother has vanished. This unexpected event compels Elise to return to Nantucket, a place she hasn't visited in nearly four years.

Secrets and Sisterhood:

As the sisters grapple with their mother's disappearance, a deeper truth comes to light. It turns out their mother, who they believed to be American, was undocumented. This revelation forces Elise and Sophie to confront their fractured family history and forge a stronger bond in the face of uncertainty.

Finding Solace in Familiar Places:

Seeking solace and a sense of purpose, Elise takes on the same job she held in high school – monitoring endangered birds. This connection to nature and her past provides a grounding force amidst the chaos.

Worlds Collide:

Elise's life takes a further unexpected turn when her wealthy college friend, Sheba, inherits a luxurious summer mansion on Nantucket. This throws Elise's own struggles with housing insecurity into stark contrast, highlighting the social and economic inequalities that exist even in idyllic island paradises.

More Than Just a Search:

"Wait" is more than just a story about finding a missing mother. It's a poignant exploration of sisterhood, self-discovery, and the complex realities of immigration. With "penetrating insight, humor, and unexpected tenderness," Burnham crafts a narrative that resonates with warmth and understanding.

A Must-Read for Fans of Coming-of-Age Stories:

If you're looking for a coming-of-age story that tackles family drama, societal issues, and the power of sisterly love, "Wait" is a must-read. Burnham's evocative writing paints a vivid picture of Nantucket and the emotional journey of these compelling characters. So, grab a copy and prepare to be swept away by a story that will stay with you long after the last page.