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Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High-find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration. Mia's drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it's no time for a crush. She needs to find out what they know about her brother, while the agents fight to save the world from viral contamination. But when Regulus reveals that he knows Mia's secrets, she begins to wonder if there's more going on than she thought...and if she was wrong to trust him...
This book had me from beginning to end with an intriguing plot and characters you cared about. Especially protagonist Mia Taylor who searches for answers in her brother’s disappearance. Throw in a little romance on the way and you’ve got yourself a story that’s difficult to put down.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The Waiting Booth by Brinda Berry is the first in a young adult fantasy series called the Whisper Woods. series. This was an exciting read filled with portals, a secret agency sworn to protect, a missing brother and a little forbidden romance. The Waiting Booth was a quick, delightful read and I look forward to reading book two. In the Waiting Booth we meet protagonist Mia Taylor, a high school student working on a science project. She is contemplating schools for college and lives with her Dad on several acres in Whispering Woods. She loves it here, but there is also sadness. Her mother left years ago, and last year her brother went missing. The police think he is a runaway, but Mia and her Dad believe otherwise. Mia has been capturing the eating habits of nocturnal creatures at night using a digital camera. She is studying the effects of the moon on these creatures for her science project. When she retrieves a disk, she is surprised to see she has captured the image of two handsome boys, well college boys and wonders what they were doing out in the middle of nowhere. She learns they are from a secret agency that wants to recruit Mia. Her brother Peter was supposed to join them because of a special genetic disorder they both carry. She and Peter have synesthesia, a neurological condition, where their sensory perception overlaps and they sees colors within sounds, smells, and written words. Convinced they may be the key to finding Peter, she agrees to help them. They are here to stop a threat against Earth. The tale that unfolds was delightful, with romance, danger and twists, as Mia tries to figure out who the good guys are and what happen to her brother. Berry brings us colorful and unique characters. I loved the brave and caring Mia. She has been through a lot, but she is strong and fiercely protective of those she cares about. Jason her BFF, wants to be more then friends, and his attempts at protecting her, were cute. Mia isn't ready to address his feelings and tries to ignore the elephant in the room. Her other BFF, Em is amazing on the computer and loyal to the end. Agents Regulus and Arizona are from another dimension. Blessed with swoon worthy good looks they are sworn to protect life. They are posing as college students. Arizona was recruited and so he grew up outside of the agency. He is witty and an all around good guy. We don’t know much about Regulus, except that he follows regulations; that is until Mia. He doesn't understand slang, which at times is humorous. The tale Berry delivers is fast paced and the world-building is unique. The more she shared the more I wanted to know. I am anxious to see these characters and the storyline develop.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.A story that I'm sure teens and beyond will enjoy.
Rating 3.5
Mia Taylor is your average 17 year old high school senior. She's working on a science project to test whether moon phases influence feeding patterns of wildlife and her and her friends are really into online gaming. But there is something special about Mia very few people know about ... she has a condition called synesthesia. The same condition her missing brother Pete was diagnosed with.
Cameras set up throughout the woods around her house to capture pictures for her science project, reveals more to Mia than she expected. She is intrigued by the picture of the two guys in her woods but thinks nothing of it, until she meets them unexpectedly. And when one of them informs her that her brother is still alive, she's determined to learn everything she can about what happened to him, who these two guys are, and why they seem to know so much about her and her brother.
The Waiting Booth is Brinda Berry's debut Young Adult novel and I found it rather interesting. I liked the fact that Mia has synesthesia, a neurological condition, where her sensory perception overlaps and she sees colors within sounds, smells, and written words. Austin and Em are Mia's best friends, though Austin has developed deeper feelings for her that she's not ready to deal with. And, of course, she meets Regulus and Arizona, the two guys she photographed in the woods.
I enjoyed the story and the characters. Mia comes to a point where she doesn't know who she can trust but she never would have suspected the one that betrays her, putting her in danger. That's where a very surprising twist to the story comes into play. As for the characters, my favorite is Arizona because he seemed like such a playful, flirtatious, fun guy. And he's honest with Mia even when he probably shouldn't be all the time. Mia and Regulus develop feelings for each other, though it's against the rules for Regulus to have a relationship with her. And then there is Austin, who seems determined to not only keep Mia safe but to fight for her affections.
Though I did enjoy The Waiting Booth, it did have some errors in it that at times had me backtracking a bit to re-read some things but overall didn't hinder my enjoyment of the story too much. I'm actually looking forward to finding out what happens in the next book, Whisper of Memory.
** I received a copy of The Waiting Booth for review as part of the Knights of the Round Table group on Goodreads.**
suziereaderCA
Posted March 20, 2012
For lovers of YA paranormal fiction. Not to reveal too much of the plot--you 'll have to read the book for that--Mia finds that her odd disability, synesthesia, allows her to sense interdimensional portals. Many are interested in her ability--some are nice and more are nasty. What I liked about this book is that it avoids the cliches of the genre. Mia isn't an orphan. She's not a witch, a vampire or a shapeshifter. She's not an alienated loner. She's just a teen with issues that include a missing brother, an alien boyfriend and a homicidal mom. The action moves along nicely, with engaging characters and oddly realistic situations--considering that this is paranormal fiction. Highly recommended.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The Waiting Booth is a great start to a new YA paranormal series. It has an interesting plot that hasn't been overdone in the genre before, which gives it a fresh voice. The characters are all intriguing, especially the main heroine Mia and her mysterious visitors Regulus and Arizona. A really cool aspect of this story deals with synesthesia, a medical condition where senses overlap. This gives the book a real edge with realistic but uncommon situations. The narrative is good and the book flows well and is easy to read. Berry blends common teen problems with paranormal twists - which keeps the readers on their toes. The ending is pretty open, which leaves the reader wanting answers in the next installment. I did think that the characters could be developed a little more, but I'm hoping that the writing style and characters will mature in the next book.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Cat_Cavendish
Posted March 16, 2012
Thoroughly enjoyed this new novel by Brinda Berry. The main character, Mia, is on a quest to find her missing brother and finds herself in all sorts of trouble when she discovers a portal to an alternate reality. This is a pacy, multi-layered novel and Mia is just the sort of girl you would want as a friend - feisty, fun and, at the same time, sensitive. The story is told through her eyes and her voice carries you through the twists and turns and suspense. I'm saying no more about the plot as I don't want to give anything away. This is the first in a new series called 'Whispering Woods' and I am looking forward to the next instalment. Aimed at the YA market, this is a winner. Highly recommended
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.CiaraKnight
Posted January 22, 2012
The Waiting Booth was a fantastic and quick read. Brinda Berry has a strong young adult voice and blends normal teen angst with ‘out of this world’ problems. Take brother-like friendships morphing into unwanted crushes, balancing homework and friends, and then add inter-dimensional portals, a missing brother, and hot strange guys to the mix for an engrossing page turner. I look forward to the next installment of this series and more work from Brinda Berry.
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Overview
Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High-find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration. Mia's drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it's no time for a crush. She needs to find ...