All We Can Do Is Wait

Starred review from November 27, 2017
Lawson’s empathetic, wrenching debut zeroes in on five teenagers from various demographics and family situations, who meet in the waiting room at Boston General Hospital, seeking news about whether their loved ones survived a bridge collapse. Chapters shift among Lawson’s complex and carefully drawn characters, offering distinct points of view and providing aching insight into the personal pain that colors their perspectives. For Alexa, a wealthy high achiever, the accident triggers guilt and rekindles an old grief; her brother, Jason—stoned, closeted, and miserable—suffers with guilt and grief of his own. Skyler, of Cambodian heritage, fears facing the world without her strong, dependable sister, and working-class Scott waits for information about the girl he loves. Meanwhile, Morgan deals with a private tragedy while the world focuses on the public catastrophe. Debut novelist Lawson, formerly of Gawker and current film critic at Vanity Fair, builds suspense as readers learn information the characters don’t know, while twists and revelations about the teenagers’ motivations for coming to the hospital result in a gripping and emotionally invigorating story. Ages 12–up. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House.

December 1, 2017
A lot can happen in the hospital waiting room in the wake of a tragedy.When Boston's Tobin Bridge collapses into the Mystic River, it takes nearly 200 drivers and passengers with it. A third-person omniscient narrator alternates through the perspectives of five teen characters--strangers who are connected to the victims--as they wait with hundreds of others at the hospital for news about the incident. Siblings Jason and Alexa are "well-to-do New England WASPs" from Back Bay whose lives have already been transformed after the death of a close friend--closeted Jason's secret boyfriend. Cambodian-American Skyler, who is raised by her grandparents, is mixed up in an abusive relationship with an upperclassman. Scott and Morgan, who are both white, have their own secret back stories. Vanity Fair film critic Lawson's teen fiction debut is a careful exploration of the rippling effects of tragedy. Alternating viewpoints give multiple sides of the same story, while flashbacks give the important contexts of the characters' lives before the accident. Boston-savvy readers will know and appreciate all the local references. But the promising premise doesn't quite deliver and is spoiled by a too-tidy conclusion. Patient readers will fall for the characters; others will wonder if it's worth the wait--even with lives on the line. (Fiction. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2017) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2018

POPGr 9 Up-Relationships built out of a common tragedy are not uncommon, and this is the boat that teens Jason, and Alexa, Scott, and Skyler are in. They meet in the waiting room at Boston General Hospital after a terrible disaster, and are anxiously awaiting any news about their loved ones. After a storybook summer on the Cape, siblings Jason and Alexa are now more distant than ever. Scott is waiting to hear about his on-and-off girlfriend Aimee, because while their relationship is tumultuous, he is sure they have a future. The last thing Skyler needs in her life is for her sister, Kate, to be in trouble. Kate is Skyler's support system, especially lately. Skyler needs Kate's strength, but Skyler might have more strength than she realizes. Together along with another teen, Morgan, they meet and learn more about one another in a few hours than some people share in a lifetime. Hospitals are great equalizers, and in this novel, the waiting room is an ideal setting for flashbacks and world-building. The teens' individual stories are written well, and the city of Boston is almost another character. The protagonists are realistic, their actions are sympathetic and believable. The ending lacks closure but accurately represents the nature of relationships based on circumstance. VERDICT A solid debut, purchase and recommend to teens wanting a fast and enjoyable reading experience.-Morgan Brickey, Arlington Public Library, TX

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 28, 2018
Reader Linneman’s emotional, empathetic narration draws readers into Lawson’s YA novel about a tragic bridge collapse that brings together several teenagers who meet in the waiting room of Boston General Hospital. When the Tobin Bridge collapses into Boston’s Mystic River, the initial death toll is over 200. As Skylar, Morgan, and siblings Alexa and Jason wait to hear whether their loved ones survived the collapse, they form connections with each other. Rather than a straightforward reading, actor Linneman captures the emotional toil of each character over the course of that one harrowing evening, as well as in flashbacks revealing their relationships to the victims. Her voice trembles tearful, joyful, loving, or scared––depending on what the moment requires. This brings an immediacy and vibrancy to such lines as, “The first time he kissed Kyle, Jason had felt like he was both lifting off the earth and sinking into it.” Linneman also creates distinctive voices for the characters, most memorably the strong Boston accent of Morgan. Linneman’s impressive narration elevates this excellent novel. Ages 12–up. A Razorbill hardcover.

December 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 In the wake of a bridge collapse, several Boston-area teens find themselves at a hospital to hopeand mostly waitfor word on their loved ones. Alexa and her brother, Jason, consider life without their parents. Scott regrets the way things ended with his girlfriend. Skyler tries to summon the strength of her older sister, Kate. And Morgan, already touched by death, reaches out to bring them all together. What results is a remarkable story that explores growing up through the lens of mortality, told through multiple points of view and featuring flashbacks that allow readers to gain insights into each character. Lawson is adept at gripping the reader while eschewing typical tropes of YA literature (e.g., romantic entanglements and social drama). Rather, the spotlight is on the relationships the teens have with loved ones, the relationships they begin with each other, and the insights gleaned from a harrowing experience. Young readers looking for a change of pace will be rewarded by this quiet yet powerful meditation on life and death.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)