Waiting To Rise

WAITING TO RISE is a voicey, humorous, and heartfelt YA coming-of-age novel that tackles family, friendship, culture, and class in a fresh and modern way.

IndieReader's 2023 Discovery Awards Finalist

Mike DeMarco is an Italian-American teen, about to start his senior year at his small North Jersey Catholic high school. But unlike his classmates, who all have their eyes on different colleges and plans after graduation, Mike has no idea what he wants to do with his life. And if he doesn't figure it out fast, he'll have to work at his family's small Italian bread bakery, just like his father and grandfather before him. That life has never interested him, though, and his parents' unspoken expectations have always weighed on him.

But when Mike learns that the bakery is not only struggling, but his dad is considering selling it to a wealthy real estate developer, suddenly the business he's never really cared about becomes all-too important to him. With the help of his charismatic best friend Ash, who always has a hilarious scheme up his sleeve, Mike hatches a plan to save the family bakery. Along the way, he rekindles an old flame, discovers a secret his best friend has been keeping from him, and most importantly, comes to appreciate his family legacy more than ever before.