Audrey, Wait!

by Robin Benway

{ 2008 | Razorbill | 320 pgs }

So you remember Taylor Swift’s song “Teardrops on my Guitar”? And how it really is about her friend from school, Drew? And how he didn’t know then that she liked him, but he sure does now? Ok, now imagine that you’re a writer and this all sounds like a good idea for a book.

Benway reverses the roles (the boy writes a song about the girl) and adds a lot of drama, sex, and swearing. I’ve decided to never have teenage daughters. Audrey is the narrator; she breaks up with her boyfriend Evan at the beginning of the book, and as she’s walking away she hears him say, “Audrey, wait!” Later that night his band plays a song with that title, and before long it’s become a hit, propelling the band – and Audrey – into the national spotlight.

I don’t know much about Taylor Swift’s subject, but in the book, Audrey is hated by the thousands of girls who love Evan’s band and the song. She suffers endless torment, etc., etc. You can probably guess a lot of what happens just based on the fact that it’s a book about a teenage girl. It was a kind of fun story, but there was way too much swearing – and too many “Things I Hope My Daughter Never Does.” You’ll be ok skipping this one.