Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Apr 2024
320 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Perfect for fans of the tearjerker You've Reached Sam, this emotional will-they-won't-they romance follows Natalie and Leander, two teens who navigate love, loss, and everything in between during a fateful summer internship.
Natalie and Imogen are inseparable, and wildly different—Imogen is infuriatingly humble and incredibly intelligent, while Natalie is brave, jumping into danger and new adventures. Still, one thing ties them together: their love of the supernatural. Every summer, they vacation with their parents at the famously haunted Harlow Hotel. Imogen is a true believer, while Natalie sees ghost stories as nothing but pure fun.
Then, Imogen suddenly passes away from an undiagnosed heart condition that no one saw coming, and Natalie is left to take on the summer before senior year alone.
Without Imogen, Natalie throws herself into her senior project. Her passion is still horror, so she plans to spend her summer back at The Harlow Hotel recording fun fake footage that will get her on the teen ghost hunting show of her dreams. And her plans would be a lot less complicated if Leander, her irritatingly attractive arch rival from school, wasn't working on his senior project at the very same hotel.
The longer Natalie stays at the Harlow Hotel, the more she realizes that Leander might be helpful for her project. After all, she could use an extra hand to help record her fake footage.
But, when strange things start happening at the Harlow, Natalie wonders, could there really be something to these ghosts after all?
Readers of Emily X.R. Pan, Nina LaCour, and Dustin Thao will fall for this story that explores what it means to believe—in ghosts, in the people you love, and in yourself.
"By turns funny, heartbreaking, and beautiful, Turk's sophomore novel deftly handles the complexities of grief, the possibilities of the universe, and the power of belief." ―Booklist (starred review)
"Told via Natalie's witty and organic first-person voice, this exhilarating novel is many things: an homage to a lost friend, a spine-tingling ghost tale, and a sweet, budding love story." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Turk explores friendship, self-esteem, grief, and memory in a deftly paced narrative...Heartfelt and moving, with enjoyable paranormal elements." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Dreamy, atmospheric, and exquisitely tender." ―Katie Cotugno, New York Times bestselling author of 99 Days
"A poignant exploration of the transformative nature of grief, I'll Be Waiting for You beautifully blends humor, heart, and pathos. A perfect gem of a book." ―Emma Mills, author of Foolish Hearts and Something Close to Magic
"This tearjerker will make you ugly cry. Be sure to have tissues and ice cream on standby." ―Ronni Davis, author of When the Stars Lead to You and This Night is Ours
"A poignant story that'll have you clinging to the memory of a loved one and healing from loss. Turk masterfully weaves memories of a rich friendship and a winding journey of grief with gorgeously spooky undertones. You'll have goosebumps as you return with Natalie to a vivid haunted hotel where she relives the memories of her best friend." ―Ream Shukairy, author of The Next New Syrian Girl
This information about I'll Be Waiting for You was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Mariko Turk received her PhD in English from the University of Florida, with a concentration in children's literature. She lives in Colorado with her husband and daughter. She is the author of The Other Side of Perfect and I'll Be Waiting for You.
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
Life is the garment we continually alter, but which never seems to fit.
Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!
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