Book Review: Wishing for Someday Soon by Tiffany King

Wishing For Someday Soon by Tiffany King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Where do I begin? I now realize I have been reading way too many drama-filled, waiting-for-the-stuff-to-hit-the-fan books. Every time I turned the page, I waited for the bottom to fall out (which literally happened in their mother's car).

While the story lacked major drama on every page, what I did find was a heart-wrenching, anger-inducing story of a young girl doing everything she can to take care of her little brother, surviving her mother's wrath just to get them to their "someday soon" fantasy. How any parent can treat their children like personal slaves, beating them when the mood hits is beyond me, but I know this is the reality for some children and quite possibly some students in my own school.

Katelyn has mastered the art of laying low, keeping the "system" at bay for fear of being separated from her little brother. Having attended more schools than actual years going to school, this hasn't been hard. When she hits the tiny town of Four Corners, she finds she can no longer hide in a school that hasn't seen a new student in six years AND only has one small class per grade level.

Why 5 stars? I have a feeling this is going to be one of those stories that sticks with me. I also think this is a story my teens will love. Katelyn's perseverance and self sacrifice along with Max's determination to love and protect her combine with the majority of the characters refusing to let stereotypes define. I believe this will win over many readers wanting to see the good in this world. But....don't be fooled...things aren't all sunshine and lollipops.

Personal Connection: I had a student my very first year of teaching that started late, clearly tested well behind second grade peers (easily understood after seeing the number of schools already attended), and left after only a few weeks. Ten years later I became a librarian at a high school in a different town. I kid you not, I recognized the student the moment I saw her. I hadn't and still do not have any suspicions of abuse like Katelyn experiences in the story, but I wonder how many schools she has been to and whether she has discovered her "someday soon".

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