What Can't Wait
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5.0 • 4 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
“Another day finished,gracias a Dios.”
Seventeen-year-old Marisa’s mother has been saying this for as long as Marisa can remember. Her parents came to Houston from Mexico. They work hard, and they expect Marisa to help her familia. An ordinary life—marrying a neighborhood guy, working, having babies—ought to be good enough for her.
Marisa hears something else from her calc teacher. She should study harder, ace the AP test, and get into engineering school in Austin. Some days, it all seems possible. On others, she’s not even sure what she wants.
When her life at home becomes unbearable, Marisa seeks comfort elsewhere—and suddenly neither her best friend nor boyfriend can get through to her. Caught between the expectations of two different worlds, Marisa isn’t sure what she wants—other than a life where she doesn’t end each day thanking God it’s over.
But some things just can’t wait…
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Marisa's parents, immigrants from Mexico, don't understand her commitment to academic success, instead seeing only the ways she is letting down the family by not working tirelessly at her job or helping care for her five-year-old niece. But this is Marisa's senior year, and she is determined to excel so that she can apply to colleges and explore becoming an engineer, something her parents would vehemently oppose. Supporting her academic aspirations are her calculus teacher, her new boyfriend, Alan, and her best friend, Brenda, but Marisa is torn between her family's expectations and the life she hopes to lead. Per z's debut is a realistic portrayal of challenges faced by immigrant families and conflicting cultural norms, as well as a sensitive exploration of teen pregnancy . Strong-willed but emotionally vulnerable, Marisa is aware that pursuing a life that's fulfilling on her own terms comes with a price, and her bittersweet decision leads to an honest and satisfying ending. Ages 12 up.
