What Can't Wait - Ashley Hope Perez

What Can't Wait by Ashley Hope Perez
Marisa, a high school is trying to make plans for the future. She's torn between family obligations and going after what she really wants. Marisa works at a local supermarket giving more then half are pay check to family expenses. She has even more responsibilities when her not so great or smart brother in law is in an accident. Marisa must babysit her niece Anita, leaving her even less time to study. Marisa has always been a straight A student and her parents have never acknowledged this.

I fell into this one from the very beginning thanks to Marisa's voice. Marisa does are best to do what's right for her family and herself. Perez makes it easy for readers to grasp Marisa's dilemma. Author has created a very realistic and likeable main character. Marisa could easily carry a stilted story though thankfully that was never an issue. Perez's writing is solid and smooth.

One of the great things about this story is its realness, everything that happens has the ring of possibility from the dialogue to the the fallout Marisa's has with her father when she finally had enough.

What Can't Wait is simply a great book all around and a wonderful debut. I didn't do this book justice so please go read the excerpt via the author's site.

Perez will be signing at Boxcar Books in Bloomington, IN on Sat. March 26. I will go a step further and say this is a debut signed first edition you want in your election. Trust me, its that good. I am looking forward to reading many more books from Ashley Hope Perez in the future.