Book Review :: Kate in Waiting, by Becky Albertalli

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
ISBN: 0241512352
Published by Penguin Books
on 2021-04-22
Genres: LGBTQ+, Young Adult
Pages: 387
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Goodreads

Contrary to popular belief, best friends Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker are not codependent. Carpooling to and from theatre rehearsals? Environmentally sound and efficient. Consulting each other on every single life decision? Basic good judgment. Pining for the same guys from afar? Shared crushes are more fun anyway.

But when Kate and Andy's latest long-distance crush shows up at their school, everything goes off-script. Matt Olsson is talented and sweet, and Kate likes him. She really likes him. The only problem? So does Anderson.

Turns out, communal crushes aren't so fun when real feelings are involved. This one might even bring the curtains down on Kate and Anderson's friendship.

Last updated on 13 February 2023

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My thoughts on Kate in Waiting

Another Becky Albertalli book is always a good thing. I really enjoy her stories, and Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda was an adorable read (and the movie was pretty decent as well, I thought!). Kate in Waiting is Albertalli’s first book in a while that isn’t either in a co-author role or in the Creekwood series (books include: Leah on the Offbeat, The Upside of Unrequited, and Love, Creekwood) and while it was a bit sad not going back to Creekwood, Kate in Waiting was a fun book.

As the description from Goodreads above tells us, Kate and Anderson have been besties forever, often crushing on the same guy at the same time. But Matt is different; they both REALLY like him. As the story follows Kate, the two friends need to decide what’s more important: ‘yet another crush’ or their friendship. And what if it’s not ‘just another crush’? What if it’s something real?

“I am so platonically in love with Anderson Walker, it makes my brain hurt.”

What I really liked about this book was the focus on platonic friendships. While they have their ups and downs (like any relationship) Kate and Anderson’s friendship is one of the most important aspects of the story, and their relationships with their other friends play a key role in their lives, too. Having a support network around you is invaluable, and this really plays out in Kate in Waiting. 

The story revolves around the musical theatre, which is spectacular! I love the theatre and worked at a small theatre in my hometown for a few years. Heading to the theatre is one of my favourite things to do, so to have that in a story was a lot of fun.

“Maybe some songs are just unruinable.”

While I did really enjoy the story, on the whole, I didn’t love the language at times (something which comes up a few times in Albertalli’s books), and I didn’t really relate to many of the characters. I definitely liked reading about some of the side characters more than Kate, but that’s pretty standard for me and my reads.

Like any Albertalli book, it had some great one-liners, funny characters, great friendships, and covered some really important themes throughout the story.

It’s not a favourite for me but it was still really enjoyable.

Have you read Kate in Waiting? What did you think?