Marisa Moreno's parents came to The United States to make a better life for themselves. So, why won't they let her do the same? Sure, they want her to graduate from high school, but only if it doesn't interfere with cooking meals for her gruff Papi, babysitting her niece, or working enough hours at Kroger to help pay the family's bills. Marisa knows her duties to la familia come first, but she also knows she's smart enough to really make something of herself. Marisa's parents want her to stay in the barrio, marry a neighborhood boy, have babies, and work at some dead-end job like a good little Mexican girl. Marisa wants more. So much more.

When Marisa's favorite teacher urges her to apply to a competitve engineering program at the University of Texas, Marisa longs to do it. But just the thought of fleeing Houston fills her with paralyzing guilt. How will her Mami and Papi afford rent without Marisa's paycheck? Who will cook Papi's meals? If Tia Marisa isn't around, who will watch little Anita, soothe her when her parents fight, keep her safe from her drug-dealing father's vicious temper? And what of sweet, gorgeous Alan Peralta, who's finally showing some interest in her? Can she leave all of it behind? Just for some fancy science program? As much as Marisa wants to follow her own dreams, she knows it's impossible.

As things at home become more and more impossible, Marisa faces the most difficult choice of her life: Does she give up on her own future to make everyone else happy, like she's always done in the past? Or does she fight for her dreams, no matter what the cost? Trapped by all that's expected of her, Marisa will be forced to choose between tradition and progress, cultural expectations and personal ambition, familial obligations and her own fulfillment. Can she find a way to make her dreams come true without losing everything in the process? Or is she doomed to eke out a hard scrabble life in a cockroach-infested tenement building, just like her parents?

What Can't Wait, a debut novel by Texas native Ashley Hope Perez, is an immigrant story with bite. It's familiar, touching on all the usual conflicts, but surprising in its unflinching honesty. I found the novel both compelling and affecting, even though I would have liked a whole lot more originality from it. Still, it's refreshing to see modern Mexican-American culture being explored in teen lit, especially when it comes from a writer like Perez, who uses her own experience to make her story realistic, relevant and, most of all, relatable to readers of every background. While What Can't Wait didn't blow me away, it has placed Perez firmly on my radar. You better believe I'll be keeping my eye on this intriguing literary lady.

(Readalikes: I guess I don't read many stories about Mexican-American teenagers. Any ideas here?)

Grade: B-

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of What Can't Wait from the generous folks at Carolrhoda LAB. Thank you!

So, I tried, I really tried to enjoy A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer. Its topic (the development of penicilin during WWII) is fascinating and if the book had been non-fiction, I think I would have connected more with it. As it was, I found the omniscient viewpoint distancing, the characters off-putting, and the whole thing just too long and dull for me. I gave up around Page 150.

I seem to be in the minority, however, as most reviewers liked the book. You can see readers' comments on Amazon here and Barnes & Noble here. Also, please click here to see all the blogs that have reviewed/will be reviewing the book on its tour with TLC Book Tours.

If you've read the book, what do you think? Should I have been more patient? Given the plot more time to develop? What are your thoughts?

Oh, and here's the book's synopsis. I copied and pasted it from Goodreads:

From the New York Times bestselling author of City of Light comes a compelling, richly detailed tale of passion and intrigue set in New York City during the tumultuous early days of World War II.

Claire Shipley is a single mother haunted by the death of her young daughter and by her divorce years ago. She is also an ambitious photojournalist, and in the anxious days after Pearl Harbor, the talented Life magazine reporter finds herself on top of one of the nation's most important stories. In the bustling labs of New York City's renowned Rockefeller Institute, some of the country's brightest doctors and researchers are racing to find a cure that will save the lives of thousands of wounded American soldiers and countless others—a miraculous new drug they call penicillin. Little does Claire suspect how much the story will change her own life when the work leads to an intriguing romance.

Though Claire has always managed to keep herself separate from the subjects she covers, this story touches her deeply, stirring memories of her daughter's sudden illness and death—a loss that might have been prevented by this new "miracle drug." And there is James Stanton, the shy and brilliant physician who coordinates the institute's top secret research for the military. Drawn to this dedicated, attractive man and his work, Claire unexpectedly finds herself falling in love. But Claire isn't the only one interested in the secret development of this medicine. Her long-estranged father, Edward Rutherford, a self-made millionaire, understands just how profitable a new drug like penicillin could be. When a researcher at the institute dies under suspicious circumstances, the stakes become starkly clear: a murder has been committed to obtain these lucrative new drugs. With lives and a new love hanging in the balance, Claire will put herself at the center of danger to find a killer—no matter what price she may have to pay.

Lauren Belfer dazzled readers with her debut novel, City of Light, a New York Times notable book of the year. In this highly anticipated follow-up, she deftly captures the uncertainty and spirit, the dreams and hopes, of a nation at war. A sweeping tale of love and betrayal, intrigue and idealism, A Fierce Radiance is an ambitious and deeply engaging novel from an author of immense talent.

In this tough-as-steel world, the only thing that matters is what you can contribute to the enclave. Deuce's goal has always been to become a Huntress, to take her place among the strongest, most fearsome members of her world. After receiving her ceremonial scars, she's finally made it, finally transformed from a nameless rat into a lean, powerful hunter, one of the best the enclave's ever seen. She still has to prove herself, though, which is why she's paired with the mysterious Fade, a Hunter who claims to have come from the ruined lands above. Everyone knows that's impossible, since humans don't live Topside. Not anymore. Still, the success of Deuce's hunting expeditions, not to mention her survival in the dangerous underground tunnels, depend on trusting her partner. It's only as she gets to know him that she begins to wonder if Fade could possibly be telling the truth - about where he came from, about what he's doing in the enclave, and about the secrets he swears their community's leaders are hiding.

When said leadership ignores Deuce's warning about an alarming massacre in a neighboring enclave, Deuce knows something's terribly wrong in her underground community. Questioning her superiors gets her nothing but exile. Now, Deuce and Fade are on the run, clawing their way Topside, trying to make it in a harsh, new world where humanity barely exists. If they can outrun violent gangs, outfight rabid Freaks, and outlast their own hunger, then maybe, maybe they can find the safe place Fade's father always talked about. If such a place is real, which is seeming less likely with every passing second ...

Enclave, the first book in a new YA dystopian series by Ann Aguirre, is a raw, riveting story about one girl's fight for survival in a hostile new world. Combining classic dystopian elements with a dash of horror gives the tale plenty of conflict, while complex, cunning characters make it more than just a fast-paced adventure tale. While Enclave's not terribly original, it's still gripping in all its gritty, grimy glory. It's not my favorite dystopian story, but I'm definitely interested to see where it's heading. I might even be holding my breath - just a little - for the sequel. Fall 2012, come quick, wouldja?

(Readalikes: Reminded me of Incarceron and Sapphique by Catherine Fisher, a little of The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan and a bit of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for violence and brief references to rape

To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Enclave from the generous folks at Feiwel and Friends (an imprint of Macmillan). Thank you!

Nothing about 33-year-old Autumn Rain is typical - not her looks (her eyes are different colors), not her upbringing (her adoptive parents were hippies), not her views on life (microwaves, shoes, and unorganic food = evil). So, she's not all that surprised when she discovers she can read "imprints," or the memories and strong emotions humans leave behind on treasured objects. Happy imprints, like the ones Autumn feels on the book of poetry her parents wrote for each other, bring her joy. Others are so full of hate, violence and rage that they can bring Autumn to her knees. This ability isn't something she wants, but she knows it can be used for good, if only she can steel herself against its sometimes frightening power.
When a grieving couple comes to Autumn, desperate to find their missing daughter, she feels obligated to help. The images she gets off the girl's necklace are confusing, but they seem to point to a commune in the Oregon wilderness. Although it seems the girl went willingly, something about her imprints makes Autumn uneasy. When a third person comes asking about a missing girl, whose disappearance also seems to be linked to Harmony Farm, Autumn gets imprints so troubling she can't get them out of her mind. She's not one to judge people based on their looks or lifestyles, but she's also not one to let innocent people suffer. Knowing she can't go to the police with only what she sees in her head, Autumn vows to check out the commune herself. Is it the peaceful, idyllic community it claims to be or something much more sinister? Using her special ability, plus her more down-to-Earth detective skills, she's determined to find out.
Of course, not everyone's thrilled about Autumn's interest in what could be a dangerous cult. Her twin sister's terrified, especially since she's "seeing" some weird images herself. And Detective Shannon Martin would, of course, prefer that Autumn keep her nose out of his case. Then there's Jake Ryan, Autumn's best friend, who wants to protect her the way he would a little sister - only sisterly feelings are not at all what she wants from him. Add in a crazy Harmony Farmer, a mesmerizing spiritual leader, and a very alluring math-teacher-turned-private-investigator and Autumn Rain's got more problems than she can handle. Oh, and the three-day fast required of new Harmony Farm recruits means she'll be doing it all on an empty stomach - a very dangerous prospect indeed.
Although I didn't like Imprints by Rachel Ann Nunes as much as I wanted to, I did like it a lot more than I expected to. While mediums are plentiful in fiction and the whole cult investigation plot has been done before, Nunes does a few things that sets Imprints apart. First of all, I found the idea of imprints themselves interesting. The concept's not anything new, but I don't remember ever reading about a heroine who purposely surrounds herself with items that exude happy, positive impressions as a way of blocking out negative ones. I also like the twin aspect of the book - the idea of identical sisters having the same type of talents fascinates me. Also, the fact that Autumn's love interest (well, one of them) happens to be a bi-racial man with a learning disability also intrigues me. He doesn't have a lot of personality other than that, but I at least appreciate that he's different from other leading men. On the flip side, Autumn's so purposely different, she becomes a cliche. She behaves exactly as you would expect a Hippie Chick to behave. And while I don't mind me a flower child character, I detest Autumn, who's an insufferable blend of self-righteous and whiny. My disconnect with the main character, plus the existence of some plot points that were unexplained, unrealistic and unfulfilling, explains why I gave Imprints only an average grade. Still, the novel has enough going on to be interesting, enjoyable and even sequel-worthy. I won't be holding my breath for the next Autumn Rain novel, but you better believe I will be checking it out. Eventually.
(Readalikes: Reminded me a little bit of The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting and The Sight by Judy Blundell)
Grade: C
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for violence/frightening situations
To the FTC, with love: I bought Imprints from Deseret Book with some of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.