Waiting Won’t Work: Musings of a Mutinous Teen is the debut collection from Athena Evangelia , a 14-year-old writer from New Jersey whose voice is as fearless as it is wise . Athena discovered her love of poetry at age eleven, inspired by her beloved Pappou, her grandfather: a gifted storyteller, World War II survivor, and self-taught historian. When Athena read her first poem at his funeral, she realized writing could be both an outlet and a source of strength. She later turned to essays with purpose, encouraged by her guidance counselor and ELA teachers, and began using words to navigate paralyzing moments. In this collection of poems and essays, Athena explores the messy, magical journey of tweenhood and early adolescence. Her writing grapples with big emotions, sharp insights, and the search for belonging, while also offering comfort to anyone who has felt misunderstood or in-between. Beyond the page, Athena’s creativity shines through musical theater, songwriting, and lyric-writing. She also plays soccer and softball, and studies French and Greek, carrying forward her family’s tradition of storytelling in her own authentic voice. But at the heart of this book is its title: Waiting Won’t Work . For Athena, rebellion doesn’t mean chaos. It means making good trouble. It means calling out bullying for what it is, speaking up for change, and refusing to stay silent in the face of injustice or misinformation. It means pushing past procrastination, perfectionism, and fear to take small, brave steps toward lofty dreams, even when the path is uncertain. For Athena, that dream is clear: to publish her own book (done!) and one day attend Princeton. Her message is simple but powerful: don’t wait for life to hand you permission. Act, speak, create, and become. Because waiting won’t work.