A review by nerfherder86
All We Can Do Is Wait by Richard Lawson

4.0

Good but sad realistic novel about four teens who are brought together in the waiting room of a hospital emergency room, uncertain as to the fates of their family members who were all driving on a highway bridge when it suddenly collapsed into the river. Jason and Alexa, siblings, wait to hear about their parents; Skyler worries about her college-age older sister; Scott is hoping for good news about his girlfriend. But as the night goes on, with little word yet on who was injured in this massive accident, who survived, and who died, these main characters' backstories (told in flashbacks) begin to intertwine. The reader learns how these seeming strangers have connections to one another, and secrets are revealed that affect more than one person. I enjoyed the build up of tension, the diversity of the characters, and how there are unexpected twists to the story. The point of view is 3rd person omniscient, switching between each character chapter by chapter and between present time and the recent past, but done very smoothly, and the "handoff" between characters is well done: as one character, for example, leaves the room at the end of a chapter, the next chapter opens with two other characters watching that first guy go out the door. There's a lot of drama in these teens' lives, ranging from a closeted gay relationship to parental divorces and illnesses to heterosexual dating drama and breakups, but it's introduced naturally and makes you want to know more about their lives. Good choice for fans of realistic teen fiction full of emotion.