Audrey, Wait! is definitely a fun book that made me laugh, shake my head, and sometimes even roll my eyes at the antics of the characters in this book. The book isn’t perfect, but I will give the story props for being original and engaging. Even though Audrey is not a character I think I would be friends with in real life, she is kind of a breath of fresh air in YA. She breaks free of so many of the YA protagonist stereotypes. She’s not really insecure, has good relationships with her parents, and has a pretty healthy self-identity without veering into too extreme territory, even though she can be dramatic at times.The characters in this book act & talk like real high school students(at least in my experience), even if they’re possibly a little more witty. But the fact alone is just REFRESHING. I can believe Audrey is a real person. Her love interest, James, is cute and charming without being the overboard best-guy-ever character. They get into fights. They say stupid things. Overall, they’re teenagers, and they act like it without seeming too mature or too young. Robin Benway does an excellent job of striking that balance.A love of music also permeates this book, making it just so FUN. I’m not like Audrey at all in my music taste (I prefer acoustic whereas she likes her music rock-your-socks-off loud), I really like all the ties to music this book had. Between the concerts and CDs and Evan’s band, this book does a really great job about remind you why you like music, even if your taste differs from the character’s.Is the plot a bit far-fetched? Yes. But that’s what makes it so entertaining. It may not be believable, but it does happen. With one song, Audrey becomes one of those people who’s famous for. . . being famous? She does nothing to earn her popularity besides walking out on her boyfriend, and the result is a quirky teenager girl who has to deal with the tricky world of paparazzi and being in the limelight all the time. It’s the kind of book that shows fame and attention definitely can be much harder than it looks.(I wouldn’t want to be in Audrey’s shoes!)Even though I really enjoyed this book, I did feel a little let down by the ending, which is why it ends up being a 3 star read. I know this is a light and fun book and doesn’t need to be filled with angst and more drama(nor would I want it to be), but the resolution happens a little too quickly. I think it could have gone a little deeper and let the tied-up loose ends be tied up just a little slower. This book also breaks the fourth wall, as the story is basically Audrey telling her side of what happened after all the events have already past. Normally, I am all for breaking the fourth wall(I love this trope so much, actually), but in this case I can’t help but to wonder if I would have enjoyed it more if the action started while the story was still unfolding.Final Impression: Even though the ending resolved a little too quickly for my liking, Audrey, Wait! was an insanely fun book that still managed to deal with some pressing issues. I flew threw it and was so refreshed by the realness of the characters, and definitely laughed out loud in some places. I highly recommend Audrey, Wait! when you’re in the mood for a light contemporary. A (strong) 3/5 stars.Review to be posted on my blog at Book.Blog.Bake.
