The Waiting List: An emotional rollercoaster, an agonising dilemma and a blistering book club debut

Thanks to Raven Books and The Reading Agency for my free copy.

The Waiting List is a compelling story about the strength of the bond between a parent, particularly a mother, and a baby, and the desperation which arises when that bond is threatened.

Olivia, the main character and narrator, is overjoyed to discover that she is pregnant after a gruelling period of IVF, but very soon afterwards is diagnosed with a potentially fatal heart condition. After the birth her health deteriorates and she is told she needs a heart transplant to survive, if and when a suitable donor heart becomes available.

Olivia creates and explores, a fantasy scenario, which she might or might not act upon, in order to ensure she lives to see her son grow up. Her examination of the moral dilemma it creates is thought provoking.

Meanwhile her husband Justin, an intensely ethical man, and pillar of society, silently follows his own agenda to save his family.

The descriptions of Olivia’s overwhelming love for Max and her powerful desire to stay with him and protect him, accurately and movingly express the universal experience of motherhood. It is contrasted with her own mother’s lack of care and eventual desertion, which have reinforced her determination to protect Max.

The friends who support Olivia paradoxically highlight how alone she is with the decision she has to make. Despite their closeness she can not disclose her thoughts until the dramatic and emotional closing stages of the drama.

Overall, The Waiting List is an immersive and emotional experience, well written and memorable.

Provided by Raven Books and The Reading Agency.

I really could read 'The Waiting List' and it is the first book I have finished in 3 months being unable to concentrate. I found it an easy read, fast moving which held my interest and thoroughly enjoyable. The plot was unusual but good and with many twists and turns so you could never predict what would happen next. Research had been done well as it was complex at times in the medical situation but the reader could understand it. There were a lot of emotional feelings which were transferred to the reader. At times you could relate to the main character, her husband, the baby son and Junie the other person waiting for a donor. There were a lot of people from Liv's past but explanations and where they stood in the plot were very identifiable. Not sure who I'd recommend it to apart from someone who wants a good 'quick' read without too much thought to follow it. I would give this book 8/10 and classify it as easy to read with a very good plot.

Provided by Raven Books in association with The Reading Agency.

This book is misnamed. It should be called “Could you do the unthinkable to those you love (and random others) to save yourself?”

Plot overview

The protagonist, Olivia, has no thought for anyone other than herself. She has a devoted husband, devoted ex/male-bestie, devoted father and three close female friends. How this could come about given her egocentric behaviour is not explained.

The majority of the book is about Olivia’s attempts to get a life-saving heart transplant, regardless of the harm she does to others – loved or not. She justifies this by believing that only she can raise her baby.

Themes and messages

If there is a message to this book, it is that total selfishness pays. The theme running through it is survival at any cost, that and getting what you want in life.

There are apparently strong female friendships, but only one-way. Olivia is secretive towards her friends and seems to offer nothing in return for their care of her. As the book progresses and Olivia becomes more ill, that is understandable, but at no point does she show care of them.

One might argue that the need to procreate is key for many women, but that theme is not explored. Also, the instinct to stay alive to protect one’s offspring is touched on, but not explored.

Pacing and structure

The book started well. I was intrigued and wondered how the characters would develop – but they didn’t. There were some hints that Olivia might not be a very savoury character from her childhood, then these disappeared, either by explanation or just not returned to. I had hoped that we were going to find out something about her that explained her bizarre self-centredness, but that all fizzled out.

The plot was rendered unbelievable, mostly due to the behaviour of the characters. However, there were coincidences and surprising luck for Olivia (not for others).

Characters and Writing Style

Characters

Olivia began as relatable but her psychopathy put me off.

Other characters were poorly developed and all seemed strangely willing to do anything for Olivia, moral or otherwise; not believable.

Writing style

This was an easy, quick read, despite being quite long.

Emotional impact

The book made me angry. I am not at all sure that this was the intention of the author. I got the impression we were supposed to side with Olivia (perhaps I am wrong)? She caused chaos and death to protect herself and seemed quite happy with the outcome. She reconciled with one person at the end, but I wonder why? Was this trying to set at least one thing right in her life? Or just another way of getting free childcare?

Who would you recommend the book to?

The book is based on an interesting idea: a mother who believes she must stay alive to raise her child and what she will do to ensure her own survival. The plot moves quickly and the pages turn easily. My impression is of a writer with potential.

However, and perhaps I am being oversensitive, the immorality of the protagonist was not explored. The novel seemed to have a Happy Ending for her. In a strange way, it is Survival of the Fittest, where the Fittest is not the most physically healthy, but the most ruthless. Whilst this is itself could be a very interesting theme, it seemed to be ignored by the author and all the characters. Olivia seemed very happy with her life following the devastation she had caused. Were we supposed to be happy for her? I was not.

Provided by Raven Books and The Reading Agency.

Twists and unexpected turns abound in Matilda Wilding's debut novel 'The Waiting List'. For entertainment value and suspense, she absolutely does not disappoint.

As might be anticipated, the protagonist is awaiting surgery, more specifically an urgent heart transplant. Such an onerous prospect is compounded for Liv as she is also new to motherhood. Much longed for baby boy, Max, had been conceived after an anxious, gruelling and costly round of IVF treatment. In the absence of a mother herself during much of her childhood and crucial formative years, Liv wishes to engineer avoidance of a similar plight for her son no what that may forebodingly entail. There are several strands to this story, some of which may shock and others which may appear far-fetched or somewhat convoluted.

Liv, who works part-time as a receptionist at her husband's GP practice, identifies from the results of an unlikely Bank Holiday blood donor session, a list of potential individuals whose blood group type is a compatible match with her own. Moreover, these candidates are primarily drawn from the social circles of Liv and her husband. To what extraordinary lengths would Liv be prepared to go to secure and expedite provision of a new heart? Would even a fellow sufferer from her external support group be exempt from harm?

Further complications arise by the reappearance in Liv's life of both Dan and Alistair, past friends with whom her relationship may or may not have been straightforward nor entirely platonic. What does this mean for her son and her marital stability? To make matters worse, it suddenly emerges that husband, Justin, may not have had an entirely squeaky clean history. Woes proliferate.

Nothing is what is seems at first glance in this fast paced and gripping story. It was very difficult for me to put this book down and not to speculate on what would happen next. I loved it and look forward to reading more in the future by this exciting and imaginative author.