Contemporary Authors

• All We Can Do Is Wait ( young adult novel) Razorbill (New York, NY), 2018

1. All we can do is wait LCCN 2017055571 Type of material Book Personal name Lawson, Richard (Film critic), author. Main title All we can do is wait / Richard Lawson. Published/Produced New York : Razorbill, 2018. Projected pub date 1802 Description pages cm ISBN 9780448494111 (hardback) Links Cover image 9780448494111.jpg Library of Congress Holdings Information not available.

• Booklist - https://www.booklistonline.com/An-Interview-with-Richard-Lawson-Briana-Shemroske/pid=9371635

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  All We Can Do Is Wait
  An Interview with Richard Lawson.
  Shemroske, Briana (author).
  FEATURE.
  First published January 18, 2018 (Booklist Online).

  Richard Lawson.jpgA Vanity Fair film critic, entertainment-news writer, and podcast cohost, Richard Lawson now enters the world of YA lit with his insightful debut, All We Can Do Is Wait, a tale of five Boston teens in the aftermath of a large-scale bridge collapse. We caught up with Lawson via email.

  SHEMROSKE:
  You’ve been writing as a film critic and columnist for a while now. What inspired you to add novel writing into the mix?

  LAWSON: It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I started writing seriously, in college. But it always seemed so daunting, to build this big thing from scratch. I used to primarily write plays, and some bad poetry, and those seemed much more manageable in terms of scale. But the wish to write a novel—or, rather, to be done writing a novel—was always there, persistently lingering. So when Marissa Grossman at Razorbill approached me about writing a book, it seemed like an opportunity I had to seize. The stars kind of aligned, and now here we are! The book-writing process has been demystified a bit, and I feel excited about staying in this world while still doing the criticism stuff, which I love, too.

  All We Can Do Is Wait.jpgSHEMROSKE:
  Your characters in All We Can Do Is Wait—Jason, Alexa, Scott, Skyler, and Morgan—are both distinct and diverse. What was your approach for developing these voices? What drew you to these perspectives in particular?

  LAWSON: I just wanted to be as true as possible to the people who I knew growing up in Boston. I had a sort of peripatetic school experience, going from a public grammar school in the city to a private school in Cambridge, then to a Catholic school for two years, and then to a big public high school. I also grew up in a part of Boston that was near some wealthier suburbs, like Newton and Brookline, so I got to know those demographics, too. And I spent summers in a coastal town 90 minutes south of the city. I met a lot of different types of people, who were all bound by the same Boston-area spirit. I wanted to make versions of all those lives I encountered when I was younger. It was an act of nostalgia, in a way. Most of the characters are composites of old friends, former crushes, people I worked with, people who were mean to me in school. I hope I did them all justice. Even the mean ones.

  SHEMROSKE:
  Your novel’s setting, present-day Boston
  in the aftermath of a crisis, lends the book an all-too-real, pervasive sense of dread. Can you talk about why you chose it?

  LAWSON: I liked the bridge-collapse idea because it’s a big, boggling thing, but it’s not such a catastrophe that the whole city would completely shut down. I also think that it’s entirely plausible, given the nation’s crumbling infrastructure. So it kept the story within the bounds of the real, which was important to me.

  The tone is maybe accidentally timely, now that we’re living in a moment when it feels like something disastrous happens every day, or at least could. That probably lends the book a bit more familiarity. These are really stressful times, really scary times, really sad times. How we react to that, and find ways to continue on with our lives, is similar to the kids’ experiences in the book. They’re just figuring out how to process trauma, how to put things in perspective, how to accept that the world is often frightening, that life can endure some cruel twists. Those are vital life skills to have. I liked writing about young people figuring that out. I think it helped me figure out some stuff for myself, too.

  SHEMROSKE:
  What do you hope teens—or any reader—take away from your story?

  LAWSON: Well, I just got done talking about how the work is dark and cataclysmic, but I do think the book is ultimately hopeful. It’s about carrying on while also letting grief and sadness be a part of your life, because they are important things to feel. My sincere wish would be that a young reader who’s maybe about to graduate from high school or something—any big, scary change in their life—reads the book and feels optimistic and curious about the future while also recognizing that finality is scary, and that change isn’t always comfortable or welcome. I’d love it if the book could help a younger person, or anyone, feel a little better-armored as they step out into the world. That would be nice.

  SHEMROSKE:
  What is next for you?

  LAWSON: I’d like to travel the nation repairing old bridges. But if state and local governments won’t let me do that, I am going to start work on another book. I have an idea, one inspired by a fascinating, kinda depressing article I read a little while ago. It’s going to be sad and gay and have a lot to do with New York City, and I think there will be a section that takes place on the night of the 2008 election. That’s all I know right now!

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Print Marked Items
Lawson, Richard: ALL WE CAN DO IS
WAIT
Kirkus Reviews.
(Dec. 1, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Lawson, Richard ALL WE CAN DO IS WAIT Razorbill/Penguin (Children's Fiction) $17.99 2, 6 ISBN:
978-0-448-49411-1
A lot can happen in the hospital waiting room in the wake of a tragedy.
When Boston's Tobin Bridge collapses into the Mystic River, it takes nearly 200 drivers and passengers
with it. A third-person omniscient narrator alternates through the perspectives of five teen characters--
strangers who are connected to the victims--as they wait with hundreds of others at the hospital for news
about the incident. Siblings Jason and Alexa are "well-to-do New England WASPs" from Back Bay whose
lives have already been transformed after the death of a close friend--closeted Jason's secret boyfriend.
Cambodian-American Skyler, who is raised by her grandparents, is mixed up in an abusive relationship with
an upperclassman. Scott and Morgan, who are both white, have their own secret back stories. Vanity Fair
film critic Lawson's teen fiction debut is a careful exploration of the rippling effects of tragedy. Alternating
viewpoints give multiple sides of the same story, while flashbacks give the important contexts of the
characters' lives before the accident. Boston-savvy readers will know and appreciate all the local references.
But the promising premise doesn't quite deliver and is spoiled by a too-tidy conclusion.
Patient readers will fall for the characters; others will wonder if it's worth the wait--even with lives on the
line. (Fiction. 14-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Lawson, Richard: ALL WE CAN DO IS WAIT." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A516024551/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=7601234d.
Accessed 2 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A516024551
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All We Can Do Is Wait
Reinhardt Suarez
Booklist.
114.7 (Dec. 1, 2017): p53.
COPYRIGHT 2017 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Full Text:
All We Can Do Is Wait.
By Richard Lawson.
Feb. 2018. 288p. Razorbill, $ 17.99 (9780448494111). Gr. 9-12.
In the wake of a bridge collapse, several Boston-area teens find themselves at a hospital to hope--and
mostly wait--for word on their loved ones. Alexa and her brother, Jason, consider life without their parents.
Scott regrets the way things ended with his girlfriend. Skyler tries to summon the strength of her older
sister, Kate. And Morgan, already touched by death, reaches out to bring them all together. What results is a
remarkable story that explores growing up through the lens of mortality, told through multiple points of
view and featuring flashbacks that allow readers to gain insights into each character. Lawson is adept at
gripping the reader while eschewing typical tropes of YA literature (e.g., romantic entanglements and social
drama). Rather, the spotlight is on the relationships the teens have with loved ones, the relationships they
begin with each other, and the insights gleaned from a harrowing experience. Young readers looking for a
change of pace will be rewarded by this quiet yet powerful meditation on life and death.--Reinhardt Suarez
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Suarez, Reinhardt. "All We Can Do Is Wait." Booklist, 1 Dec. 2017, p. 53. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A519036295/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=48be31be.
Accessed 2 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A519036295
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All We Can Do Is Wait
Publishers Weekly.
264.48 (Nov. 27, 2017): p62.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* All We Can Do Is Wait
Richard Lawson. Razorbill, $17.99 (288p)
ISBN 978-0-448-49411-1
Lawson's empathetic, wrenching debut zeroes in on five teenagers from various demographics and family
situations, who meet in the waiting room at Boston General Hospital, seeking news about whether their
loved ones survived a bridge collapse. Chapters shift among Lawson's complex and carefully drawn
characters, offering distinct points of view and providing aching insight into the personal pain that colors
their perspectives. For Alexa, a wealthy high achiever, the accident triggers guilt and rekindles an old grief;
her brother, Jason--stoned, closeted, and miserable--suffers with guilt and grief of his own. Skyler, of
Cambodian heritage, fears facing the world without her strong, dependable sister, and working-class Scott
waits for information about the girl he loves. Meanwhile, Morgan deals with a private tragedy while the
world focuses on the public catastrophe. Debut novelist Lawson, formerly of Gawker and current film critic
at Vanity Fair, builds suspense as readers learn information the characters don't know, while twists and
revelations about the teenagers' motivations for coming to the hospital result in a gripping and emotionally
invigorating story. Ages 12-up. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (Feb.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"All We Can Do Is Wait." Publishers Weekly, 27 Nov. 2017, p. 62. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A517575739/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6d4a05f2.
Accessed 2 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A517575739

"Lawson, Richard: ALL WE CAN DO IS WAIT." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A516024551/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 2 Mar. 2018. Suarez, Reinhardt. "All We Can Do Is Wait." Booklist, 1 Dec. 2017, p. 53. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A519036295/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 2 Mar. 2018. "All We Can Do Is Wait." Publishers Weekly, 27 Nov. 2017, p. 62. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A517575739/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF. Accessed 2 Mar. 2018.

• Blackbird Review
  http://blackbirdreview.org/2017/11/all-we-can-do-is-wait-book-review/
  Word count: 1506

  All We Can Do is Wait- Book Review
  BOOK REVIEW BY ALLIE KELLEY
  November 9, 2017 Allie Kelley Reviews 0

  As part of our ongoing collaboration with the Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, our writers have accepted the challenge of reading and reviewing pre-publication review copies of highly anticipated young adult literature. The reviews are posted here for our readers, but also will be sent to the Book House where they will hopefully be used to inform customers about the books they may want to purchase.We will try to publish one review a week for the spring.

  The reviews contain spoilers, so be forewarned!

  All We Can Do is Wait

  by Richard Lawson

  Published February 2018

  288 pages, Razorbill

  All We Can Do Is Wait, by Richard Lawson, is told through the eyes of five teenagers who wait to hear the fates of their loved ones. Lawson focuses on the effect the collapse of the Tobin Bridge had on these individuals, rather than the event itself. We learn about their life stories even though the book only covers about a few hours in time. Their lives will never be the same after this day, but they will learn valuable lessons and come to terms with their pasts.

  After the Tobin bridge collapsed, the Boston General Hospital was packed with people all trying to hear the latest news concerning their family and friends who were in the accident. When each character is presented, the author gives us very little information about them, making the reader puzzle together their life stories. Each chapter, Lawson gives us new information about a character’s past and present situation, so by the end of the novel, we feel familiar with them.
  Two of the characters, Jason and Alexa, are siblings who have a rocky relationship. The previous summer they lost Kyle, a valuable friend, maybe something even more than a friend, and since Kyle’s death, have grown apart. However, during this scary time, when they are unsure of their parents fate, they do their best to overcome their differences and open up to one another.

  Skyler is in the hospital waiting to hear about her older sister Kate, who is everything to her. Skyler has struggled with an abusive boyfriend in the past. She lives with her grandparents, who are currently in Cambodia, but looks to Kate for advice and admires Kate’s ability to solve problems. She feels like she owes Kate for all she has done for her. She is the first to find out information on her sister’s wellbeing. Once she does, she thinks “of the others in the waiting room. Alexa and her brother, Scott and Morgan. She had promised them that she’d come back. That she’d wouldn’t go home until they all knew for sure about their loved ones. Skyler barely knew them, these scared and sad kids, but she didn’t want to go home, to be alone, just yet anyway” (201). She grows very close to the other four characters in the few hours she is with them, and feels responsible to stay with them and provide whatever help she can.

  These teenagers come into Boston General Hospital as strangers. All of them are alone except for Jason and Alexa who only have each other. They find one another, however, and do their best to provide comfort and support.

  Scott waits on his girlfriend Aimee. Scott loves her, but recently the two have had problems. Scott can only hope that she will be okay and that he can make it up to her when all of this is over.

  We are introduced to Morgan late in the novel. She is the only character who is in the hospital for a loved one that wasn’t in the accident. Even though she has already learned the fate of her father, she sticks around the hospital to support four kids she just met.

  Richard Lawson used many literary techniques to write the novel. He writes in a first person point of view, changing the narrator every chapter. This is a useful technique, because it allows the reader to better understand what each character is thinking and see the events from his/her perspective. By doing this, Lawson can use flashback to give a history of each character. Thus making it easier for the reader to understand why a character is feeling the way they are.

  A major theme of this book is coming together after disaster strikes. These teenagers come into Boston General Hospital as strangers. All of them are alone except for Jason and Alexa who only have each other. They find one another, however, and do their best to provide comfort and support. Each have very different lives, filled with unique problems. Yet, they find ways to connect and do their best to take each other’s mind off the current situation. Alexa and Scott meet for the first time and in a depressing place, but find ways to make each other laugh. Alexa thinks, “there was enough else to talk about. Really anything would do” (73). While somewhat of a sad story, we can believe that even during the worst times, there will always be someone there for you.

  Regret and guilt are also ideas found throughout the book. Many of the characters think that the accidents were their fault and wish that they had done things differently. What’s done is done. Weighing on things that we have no control over will only make things worse. When Kyle dies, Jason shuts down after this, believing Kyle would still be alive had Jason just picked up when he called. Kyle was a very important person in both Jason and Alexa’s lives. Jason never told Alexa about his secret with Kyle or what happened the night he died. It is important to focus on the present and make the most of it. The time for making amends is now. Jason’s secret comes out after a little help from Morgan. His sister, unhappy with Jason, reminds him that he could just have easily been in the seat next to Kyle when he crashed his car. Although Alexa can see that Kyle’s accident wasn’t Jason’s fault, she still doesn’t want to tell Jason the reason that her parents were on the bridge was because she wanted to have a school meeting with them. Eventually she does, and after telling their secrets, the siblings can finally have trust in and rely on one another.

  You can tell this story was important to the author and that he grew up in Boston because he was very descriptive and included many details about the city, like names of streets and buildings. At the very end of the book Lawson writes, “When the Marathon bombing happened, Morgan had watched Boston become something she’d never seen, not even when the Red Sox won the world Series: It was communal, bonded, forged together. She thought the whole ‘Boston Strong’ thing was corny, but there was something true about it, too. She felt a deep affection for the city just then, even though there was maybe nothing left in it for her”(271). Morgan’s thoughts reflect Lawson’s in this quote. This idea of “Boston Strong” is most likely something the author experienced first hand and still believes in. Because of this, the theme of this book is uniting after tragedy, with the setting in a waiting room of a Boston hospital. We are strongest when we are together and can rely on our neighbors to help us through tough times. Alexa has had experience with these types of times. She says to Scott, “The longer we keep living, the more time passes. I think it has to get easier at some point. For now, I guess all we can do is wait” (259). It may not always be easy, but eventually, things will improve and we will learn to move on, while still holding on to the memory.

  Overall, I liked this book and would recommend others to buy it when it comes out in February. I think most readers will be able to relate to at least one of the characters. It is somewhat of a depressing and sad story, but I felt hopeful in the end. Richard Lawson did a good job of keeping the reader entertained, constantly throwing unexpected twists into the plot. It was an emotional journey, but it was one that will make readers think and not leave them disappointed. I would suggest this book to readers over the age of fourteen who are looking for a good, deep and meaningful book.

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  About Allie Kelley 221 Articles
  Allie Kelley is a junior at Clayton A.Bouton High School.

• RT Book Reviews
  https://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/all-we-can-do-wait
  Word count: 192

  ALL WE CAN DO IS WAIT
  Author(s): Richard Lawson
  In his riveting and heartfelt debut, popular online and magazine writer Lawson takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster while narrating a life-changing night. In All We Can Do Is Wait a group of strangers are forced to examine the reality of their pasts, all while contemplating the prospect of very different futures. The reader will be glued to their seat, hooked until the very last page of this gripping tale, despite a few clichés littered throughout. Lawson deftly deploys multiple points-of-view to great effect here. This would make a great movie.

  Immediately after a bridge collapse, a group of Boston teenagers meet in the waiting room of Massachusetts General Hospital. They are all waiting to hear back on a patient’s status. For siblings Jason and Alexa, it’s their parents. Meanwhile Scott is waiting to hear back about his girlfriend and Skyler worries for the sister who raised her. There is so much each wants to say — will they ever get the chance? (RAZORBILL, Feb., 288 pp., $17.99, 12 & Up)

  Reviewed by:
  Daphne Gold

Word Count