Perfect for fans of the tearjerker You've Reached Sam, this emotional will-they-won't-they enemies-to-lovers romance follows Natalie and Leander, two teens who navigate love, loss, and everything in between during a fateful summer internship.
Readers of Emily X.R. Pan, Nina LaCour, and Dustin Thao will fall for this story that explores what it means to believe - in ghosts, in the people you love, and in yourself.
Natalie and Imogen are inseparable, and wildly different - Imogen is infuriatingly humble and incredibly intelligent, while Natalie is brave, jumping into danger and new adventures. Still, one thing ties them together: their love of the supernatural. Every summer, they vacation with their parents at the famously haunted Harlow Hotel. Imogen is a true believer, while Natalie sees ghost stories as nothing but pure fun.
Then, Imogen suddenly passes away from an undiagnosed heart condition that no one saw coming, and Natalie is left to take on the summer before senior year alone.
Without Imogen, Natalie throws herself into her senior project. Her passion is still horror, so she plans to spend her summer back at the Harlow Hotel recording fun fake footage that will get her on the teen ghost hunting show of her dreams. And her plans would be a lot less complicated if Leander, her irritatingly attractive arch rival from school, wasn't working on his senior project at the very same hotel.
The longer Natalie stays at the Harlow Hotel, the more she realizes that Leander might be helpful for her project. After all, she could use an extra hand to help record her fake footage.
But, when strange things start happening at the Harlow, Natalie wonders, could there really be something to these ghosts after all?
'Dreamy, atmospheric, and exquisitely tender.' Katie Cotugno, New York Times bestselling author of 99 Days
'Warm, full of heart, and even gave me goosebumps. Gorgeous.' Tobias Madden, author of Anything But Fine and Take a Bow, Noah Mitchell
About the Author
Mariko Turk grew up in Pennsylvania and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA in creative writing. She received her PhD in English from the University of Florida, with a concentration in children's literature. She lives in Colorado with her husband and daughter, where she enjoys tea, walks, and stories of all kinds.
Her debut novel, The Other Side of Perfect, was a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2022 pick and a Bank Street Best Children's Books of the year selection and has been published to acclaim around the world including the US, Germany and Spain.
Industry Reviews
'Turk (The Other Side of Perfect) explores grief, friendship, and spiritualism in this stunning summertime genre-bender. . . Told via Natalie's witty and organic first-person voice, this exhilarating novel is many things: an homage to a lost friend, a spine-tingling ghost tale, and a sweet, budding love story.' Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
'By turns funny, heartbreaking, and beautiful, Turk's sophomore novel deftly handles the complexities of grief, the possibilities of the universe, and the power of belief.' Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
'Turk explores friendship, self-esteem, grief, and memory in a deftly paced narrative... Heartfelt and moving.' Kirkus Reviews
'A compelling story about ghosts, belief, and the ways in which we grieve. Mariko Turk's writing is warm and full of heart, with just the right amount of humour. I'll Be Waiting for You made me smile, shed a few tears, and even gave me goosebumps. Gorgeous.' Tobias Madden, author of Anything But Fine and Wrong Answers Only
'Dreamy, atmospheric, and exquisitely tender.' Katie Cotugno, New York Times bestselling author of 99 Days
'A poignant exploration of the transformative nature of grief, I'll Be Waiting for You beautifully blends humor, heart, and pathos. A perfect gem of a book.' Emma Mills, author of Foolish Hearts and Something Close to Magic
'A non-horror novel for horror fans, I'll Be Waiting For You is a tender exploration of grief, deftly balanced with moments of humor and a well-matched romance.' Miel Moreland, author of It Goes Like This and Something Like Possible
Praise for The Other Side of Perfect
YALSA's 2022 Best Fiction For Young Adults
'Debut novelist Turk writes with a great deal of nuance.... A well-choreographed story of hope, resilience, and personal growth.'-Booklist
'The writing is compelling, sentimental moments with please romance lovers, and the hopeful, yet realistic, ending is satisfying. A love story with a refreshing focus on confronting systemic racism.'-Kirkus
'A strong portrayal of musical theater, ballet, the arts, and culture all merged into a coming-of-age story that will resonate.' -School Library Journal
