The Waiting Sky [Hardcover]

Lara Zielin (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 2, 2012

One summer chasing tornadoes could finally change Jane's life for the better

Seventeen-year-old Jane McAllister can't quite admit her mother's alcoholism is spiraling dangerously out of control until she drives drunk, nearly killing them and Jane's best friend.

Jane has only one place to turn: her older brother Ethan, who left the problems at home years ago for college. A summer with him and his tornado-chasing buddies may just provide the time and space Jane needs to figure out her life and whether it still includes her mother. But she struggles with her anger at Ethan for leaving home and feels guilty--is she also abandoning her mom just when she needs Jane most? The carefree trip turned journey of self-discovery quickly becomes more than Jane bargained for, especially when the devilishly handsome Max steps into the picture.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-After her mother's alcoholism places her best friend's life in jeopardy, anger and confusion spur 17-year-old Jane to take a summer job away from Minnesota, photographing tornadoes for her brother Ethan's chase team. This is the first time she has left her mother, and she is consumed by guilt and struggling with repressed resentment toward Ethan, who she feels abandoned their family years before. She discovers that her mother's claim to have entered a rehab facility is a lie; things come to a head when her mother texts her that she has come to Oklahoma to see her and is waiting at a nearby hotel. Ethan warns Jane not to go, but she winds up stealing the chase team's van in order to get there. The argument that ensues between them results in Jane's finally realizing that she is actually enabling her mother's addiction. Zielin does an excellent job of describing the reversal of roles between a daughter and her parent, and her portrayal of the mother's ability to manipulate her daughter is spot-on. However, the story falls short when, in a brief ending chapter, Jane has come to a swift resolution of her own issues. While the wild weather provides a telling backdrop to Jane's tumultuous emotions, an attempted parallel between her dilemma and that of a chase-team member who is trying to hide a major tornado phobia, and a budding romance between Jane and a rival chase team member add little to the story.-Cary Frostick, Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, VA.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Compared to the turmoil in her personal life, chasing tornadoes doesn’t seem so crazy to Jane McAllister. After a terrifying traffic accident, caused by her mother’s drunkenness, Jane is sent to spend the summer working with her brother’s storm-chasing team. Away from the burdens at home, Jane struggles to balance her relief and happiness over a blossoming romantic relationship with guilt and worry over leaving her mother. Over the summer, she also works to establish a closer relationship with her brother, whom she blames for abandoning the family when he left for college. Distance doesn’t stop her mother’s emotional manipulation, though, and Jane must decide if she should remove herself from her mother’s vortex. In this powerful read, Zielin deftly pairs the emotional destruction of addiction with the physical destruction of tornadoes, followed by the hope that emerges after the storm has passed. With its strong focus on family and friend relationships, this should find an appreciative audience. Grades 8-11. --Eve Gaus

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (August 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399256865
• ISBN-13: 978-0399256868
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #545,209 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write contemporary young-adult novels including THE WAITING SKY and DONUT DAYS and THE IMPLOSION OF AGGIE WINCHESTER. By day, I keep the zombie apocalypse at bay. By night, I bedazzle stuff I probably shouldn't. Okay, only one of those things is true.

I'd love it if you stopped by my website, larawrites.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Ah, the storms we weather. January 25, 2013

By Alexa (Alexa Loves Books)

Format:Hardcover

People who chase storms have always managed to intrigue me. I'm in awe of their bravery in the face of this crazy chaos that Mother Nature can cook up, but I'm also thinking that they're being reckless and risking their lives. It's a fine line they manage to walk, and I'm certain I'm not the only one who finds the idea of storm chasing absolutely intriguing.

Reading The Waiting Sky actually reminded me of playing Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister last year with one of my best friends. I had barely any idea of what storm chasing entailed, but the game gave me a pretty good idea of what was involved. The book did the same, though there weren't too many storms being chased (which made me all kinds of sad). I got an even better look about what it meant to be involved in chasing storms with a team, including how competitive and scary things could get.

Jane, our main character, has very deep-rooted issues. This comes as no surprise because she's the child of an alcoholic mother. I thought it was very interesting to look at what happens to the people who love and live with alcoholics, as I've never actually read a book about that before. It kind of broke my heart a little to see that Jane felt like she had to be the responsible adult and take care of her mom, who was almost like a child.

Even though it made me mad, I could understand why Jane had such difficulty extricating herself from the situation - she loved her mom and could practically live off the moments where her mom was in control of herself. I really wanted her to let go, for her mom's sake, but it really tore at my heartstrings to imagine trying to distance yourself from someone you love and the reality that you've always known. I was as conflicted as Jane was while I read the book, and the fact I could empathize with her definitely made this book even more winning.

As for the other characters, I have brief thoughts about a few of them. Cat, for instance, is actually a good friend, who does try her best to convince Jane to take steps to remedy the home situation she lives with. Ethan, on the other hand, is a good big brother, though I don't think the initial course of action he took with regards to his mom and Jane was very smart or well-planned. And Max sounds cute, but I wasn't too big a fan of the fact that the romance just felt very instant to me. Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Tornado Brothers crew, and how I adored the family vibe they shared!

I think the best part of this entire novel is how a thoughtful comparison is implied between actual storms and the "storms" in Jane's own life. The imagery was beautifully woven together, and it was very fitting for telling this particular story.

Though there was a distinct lack of actual storms being chased, there was enough going on in Jane's world to make this book quite the read. I thoroughly enjoyed dipping into the world of storm chasers, but it was the story of Jane and the storms she weathered in life that really made it a stand out novel to me.

4.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous writing and impressive character development December 26, 2012

By Hannah @ Paperback Treasures

Format:Hardcover

I've been in a huge reading slump lately. Ever since starting college, I just haven't felt like reading - it's been hard to force myself to be anti-social and just read when my friends are right outside my door. But somehow, The Waiting Sky managed to defy my reading-slumpy ways! There was just something about it that made me want to keep reading forever - I locked myself in my room one night and just read. The Waiting Sky reminded me of why I love reading so much, and it made me enthusiastic about bookish stuff again - for that alone, I want to declare my love for Lara Zielin.

Jane is a great main character - I connected with her so easily. With stories like these, it's easy for me to get frustrated with a character that just won't stand up for herself. But with Jane, it works. Her blindness concerning the seriousness of her mom's issues is understandable - I could have easily gotten annoyed by her insistence on trying to save her mom again and again, but Lara Zielin's writing made it work. The portrayal of Jane's journey towards finally understanding that she cannot solve her mom's problems and that she has to take care of herself more than of her mom is realistic and compelling.

We also have a great supporting cast that adds a lot to the story. I loved reading about the brother/sister relationship between Jane and Ethan. Victor is an ass, but his story is interesting to read about, and I loved the parallels between his situation and Jane's. And Cat, Jane's best friend from back home, is the definition of a kickass best friend - that's the kind of friendship I'd like to see more of in YA!

When I first heard about The Waiting Sky, I was wary of the whole tornado storyline. I thought the TorBros just chased tornadoes for fun and for the thrill of it, which would've bugged me. But they chase them for research; they're collecting data on how and why tornadoes develop, in order to better protect people from them. And that's much more understandable. The tornado sotryline is fascinating, and it adds a lot to the emotional side of things.

And then there's the romance, which is just adorable. We have just the right amount of cute romance - it's always there, but it's subtle, and it never tries to take the main focus from the family story. It stays innocent and sweet, which was really refreshing to read about.

The ending is perfect - bittersweet, hopeful without being unrealistically happy, just the way I like it.

I loved everything about this book! The cover is gorgeous, and the actual book doesn't disappoint. I'm really impressed with Lara Zielin's storytelling and character development - I'll have to check out some of her other books! And of course I'm hoping The Waiting Sky helped me get out of this reading slump. Either way, I definitely recommend it!

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Action Packed, Coming of Age Read! November 13, 2012

By For Love and Books

Format:Hardcover

The Waiting Sky is one of those books that you grab just for the gorgeous cover, and then you are pleasantly surprised when the content is just as amazing as the cover art.

I grew up in Nebraska, tornadoes were a regular thing there - and to be honest, it's one of the things I miss the most (behind my family) now that I live in Colorado. When I was younger, I wanted to be a storm chaser, so this book immediately appealed to me. But once I got to know the characters, I was hooked and couldn't put this one down.

I related to Jane, the main character, on so many levels. Her mother was an alcoholic (mine is not, but another person in my life is) and she was in heavy denial. Sure, she had a problem - but it wasn't THAT bad, was it? And if she isn't there to protect her, then surely it will get worse. Right? So resisting all outside help and advice, she reluctantly spends the summer with her brother in Tornado Alley chasing storms where she is confronted by many of the characters to face the problems in her life.

The romance in this one seemed a bit forced, but I think when you have a book that is so packed with action, family drama and romantic relationships that it's easy to let something slip. And while I think the romance was supposed to be a huge focus, I have to admit I found it slipping from my view a bit as I was more concerned about Jane's relationship with her mother and her brother.

The secondary characters in this book were just as fabulous as Jane herself. Some of them flawed, some of them there to lend a helping hand, all of them well fleshed out and vividly written. (Even the ones you love to hate, like rival chaser Alex.)

The Waiting Sky is a wonderful coming of age tale, with a bit of action thrown in! I would recommend this one to fans of Jennifer Echols Such a Rush, or the movie Twister!