Review: The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin

Title: The Waiting Sky
Author: Lara Zielin
Published August 2nd 2012 by Putnam Juvenile
Goodreads | The Book Depository | Amazon
________________________________________

What can I tell you about this one? Even though it was interesting and fast paced enough to hold my attention, it still did nothing to stand out from the crowd of amazing YA contemporaries in the past. But anyway, I don’t regret reading it or anything as I enjoyed the story and the characters aswell.

Now this isn’t a romance (although it definitely has its moments), the book focuses in family issues instead. In Jane’s journey of letting go of all the dead-weight she’s been carrying for years. Jane’s mom is an alcoholic, and her brother Ethan left them both when he graduated High School to try and pursue a better life away from all the negativity in his home, Jane was crushed but also secretly envious of his brother’s ability to just walk away from all the problems, but now years later, and about to start her senior year, she’s wondering if maybe she should try what Ethan did, but how can she do it when she has experienced first-hand how awful it feels to be left behind?

But Ethan, who is a meteorologist, has invited Jane to spent the summer with him and his tornado chasing buddies; and after a horrible accident involving her best friend and her drunk mother, Jane is almost forced into taking the chance.

I liked to see Jane struggle, I wouldn’t have bought it if she would have just taken her suitcase and leave, but she didn’t. Jane weighted all of her options and sometimes it was hard to watch how involved and seemingly too absorbed in trying to fix her mom’s life she was, I would feel like shaking her at times, it was exasperating but also it ringed true.

Everyone in the tornado-chasing squad was awesome and all the chasing parts were pretty much my favorite, lots of action and cool descriptions. And everything you could ask for when you're reading about tornado-chasing.

I recommend it to people that like stories about family and moving on, with a touch of dangerous storms!

 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Waiting Sky and Struck

"Waiting on wednesday is a weekly meme created by Jill at Breaking the Spine, in which we share our most anticipated reads of the future"

You know what? I finally discovered why I *always* chose Contemporaries for my WoW picks. It was because I haven't find a non-contemp that was really, really good. Good enough to make my toes curl at the thought of finally have these in my hands.

 The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin

Seventeen-year-old Jane can’t quite face her mother’s alcoholism even though it sucks to spend all her time and energy keeping them afloat—making sure her mom gets to work, that the bills are paid when there’s money to pay them, and that no one knows her mom is so messed up. But when Jane’s mom drives drunk almost killing both them and Jane’s best friend, Jane can no longer deny her mom is spiraling out of control. Jane has only one place to turn: her older brother Ethan, who left years ago to go to college. A summer away with him and his tornado chasing buddies may just provide the time and space she needs to figure out whether her life still includes her mother.

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities, populated by millions of homeless. Downtown is a wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the attendees drawn to the destruction by a magnetic force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power in the wake of the disaster, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing prophecies. They know she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the worse storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but he’s hiding a more sinister truth. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must unleash the full horror of her strength to save them all.

_________________________________________________________

•  The Waiting Sky. Although it is technically a contemporary, it sounds like it is not, thanks to all the extreme elements, like tornado chasing. I ask you people, WHAT IS NOT TO LIKE ABOUT TORNADO CHASING?!. God, I know I am going to LOVE this. Because in addition to the awesomeness of tornado chasing, there's personal growing, emotional relationships and sibling reconciliation, all those things I love in a book. And did I mention tornado chasing? No? Well, this book contains tornado chasers inside. Beware. *dies of excitement*.
  Oh wait, forgot to mention that this book has one of the most intriguing covers I've ever seen, I love it! and Lara is my last name, so I already feel like I love Lara Zielin :) and she will give me tornado chasing, she's the best!

•  Struck. Now Struck is definitely not a contemporary. It's about a girl, with an addiction, to lightning. How amazing is that idea? I don't even know how is that possible, but I don't care, I also have a thing for lightning. And when I say "a thing" I mean a slight obsession, and a weird fantasy of getting struck by lightning and getting super powers. So yep, I'm buying this. Oh and btw, it has Los Angeles' hobos in it. People who live on the street amaze me so much, you have no idea how much I admire their braveness.