Waiting On: The Chance You Won't Return by Annie Cardi

The Chance You Won't Return by Annie Cardi
To be published: April 22, 2014 by Candlewick Press

When your mom thinks she's Amelia Earhart, navigating high school, first love, and family secrets is like flying solo without a map.

Driver's ed and a first crush should be what Alex Winchester is stressed out about in high school - and she is. But what's really on her mind is her mother. Why is she dressing in Dad's baggy khaki pants with a silk scarf around her neck? What is she planning when she pores over maps in the middle of the night? When did she stop being Mom and start being Amelia Earhart? Alex tries to keep her budding love life apart from the growing disaster at home as her mother sinks further into her delusions. But there are those nights, when everyone else is asleep, when it's easier to confide in Amelia than it ever was to Mom. Now, as Amelia's flight plans become more intense, Alex is increasingly worried that Amelia is planning her final flight - the flight from which she never returns. What could possibly be driving Mom's delusions, and how far will they take her? [goodreads]

I feel that mental illness, when done right, can be a very compelling read for young adult literature.  I have high hopes this novel will deliver in that department.  Being a teenager is hard enough, so I can't fathom how difficult it must be for Alex to deal with her mother's illness, on top of everything else.  I am definitely intrigued to read this novel, while preparing myself for an emotional story.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.