Publishers Weekly
Though Marisa struggles with an anxiety disorder and depression, she starts the school year wanting "everyone at school to know I am not a freak anymore." Her life becomes more exciting when Derek, the popular boy she has a crush on, asks her out. But when Marisa begins suspecting Derek's relationship with his ex, her obsessive negative thinking returns. Colasanti (Take Me There) expertly handles the plot, keeping it ambiguous whether Derek is cheating on Marisa, or if he is being honest when he tells her, "You're accusing me of something I didn't do." The author also nicely contrasts Marisa's exciting but shallow relationship with Derek with her much deeper connection to nerdy Nash, to whom she opens up about her problems. There is no doubt who Marisa will eventually be with (and readers will easily ID the mysterious Dirty Dirk, a DJ who provides advice and hope to students via podcasts). Colasanti presents an authentic picture of how complicated it is to be a teenager, especially one in love. Ages 12-up. (May)
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The Philadelphia Inquirer
Author Colasanti has a knack of sustaining the heart-pounding suspense of young love for the length of a novel while managing to make it read, charmingly, like a conversation.
School Library Journal
Gr 7–10—Marisa is getting tired of waiting for life to happen and wonders if she will ever find "the boy." As she struggles to find love, she also must deal with the ups and downs of friendship and the major changes that have rocked her family and will change her life forever. Susane Colasanti's use of descriptive text as she describes Marisa's small town on the water gives listeners a very real sense of place. There are few surprises in this book (Viking, 2009), and listeners will quickly figure out which boy Marisa will end up with as well has who the mysterious underground DJ is whose podcasts are the talk of her school. Despite the predictability, narrator Kate Rudd is able to take Colasanti's already believable cast of characters and make them immensely empathetic. With poignancy and a dash of humor, she captures all the heartache Marisa goes through as she copes with her parents' impending divorce and her first real boyfriend. Give this contemporary problem novel with a light tone to listeners who have enjoyed Sarah Dessen, Elizabeth Scott, and Deb Caletti's stories.—Shari Fesko, Southfield Public Library, MI
Kirkus Reviews
Marisa spent freshman year grappling with anxiety disorder and depression. Now the amateur photographer is heading into sophomore year with some coping skills and waiting for love to find her. While her best friend is IMing older guys and her once-"normal" parents are separated, Marisa thinks she's finally found romance with popular Derek, her first boyfriend. Why, then, would she rather hang out and discuss her problems, especially her relapsing depression, with her "totally geeked out" chemistry partner, Nash? Maybe while Marisa's been waiting for love, it's been in front of her all along. The story isn't new, but Colasanti keeps it fresh by speaking to teens in their own language. Marisa's realistic, first-person narration ably captures the importance of typical adolescent problems. The author also offers a hint of mystery (although readers will soon figure it out) with a late-night radio show featuring Dirty Dirk, an anonymous student who reaches out to Marisa. Chick lit for girls who think. (Fiction. YA)
