Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti

At the beginning of her sophomore year, Marisa is ready for a fresh start and, more importantly, a boyfriend. So when the handsome and popular Derek asks her out, Marisa thinks her long wait for happiness is over. But several bumps in the road - including her parents' unexpected separation, a fight with her best friend, and a shocking disappointment in her relationship with Derek - test Marisa's ability to maintain her new outlook. Only the anonymous DJ, whose underground podcasts have the school's ear, seems to understand what Marisa is going through. But she has no idea who he is - or does she?

In this third romantic novel from Susane Colasanti, Marisa learns how to "be in the Now" and realizes that the love she's been waiting for has been right in front of her all along. (Goodreads)

 Plot: I used to hardly ever read realistic fiction and a queen named Sarah Dessen snapped me out of my craziness. A few months later I came across another queen named Susane Colasanti and her book, When It Happens. I cannot tell a lie. There were life-changing moments between me and that book and with Waiting For you, it was the same if not more life-altering.
    Marissa is just your average teenage girl waiting for true love with her internet-love seeking best friend. The difference? Marisa has an anxiety disorder and has already found her true love and his name is Derek. Derek is a Surfer- California boy stuck in dank Connecticut and the star of Marisa's imagination. Also, there is another big problem, Derek has a girlfriend.
    Marisa's life has subtle changes right from the start when Derek smiles at her and she remeets Nash in chemistry. At home there are some strange changes with her parents and she is surprised when they separate doesn't really know how to handle it. Her journey in this book split between two boys and divorcing parents is surprisingly told in a way that is understandable and not at all confusing. It was a big part of my love for the book.

Characters: Marisa is my favorite character in the book. I love her voice. It is flowing and clear like real speech and made reading the book an awesome experience. I love her relativity and her retelling of how she felt during one her anxiety instances is so understandable that I could easily put myself in her place.
    The only thing I didn't like about Marisa was that she was so shallow when it came to Nash, like the idea of even being with him is disgusting. Unoriginally she has her heart set on the typical boy, who eventually breaks her heart, typically.
    Nash, the boy I was rooting for from the beginning, was just sweet. I love that Susane made him book smart and street smart. He was able to hold a conversation that was not only intelligent, but fun and interesting. He was the boy she wanted, but not necessarily the package. In the end, I realized that it was essential for them to part and come together again.

Overview: I loved this book. As I said, realistic fiction is usually not my thing, but it is wonderful books like this that are steadily increasing my interest. I would recommend this book to anybody. One of my most favorite quotes says that books are the most patient teachers and this book is a perfect example. I can't really explain what I learned, but I will remember it forever.