I do not know what's wrong with me but I feel like becky albertalli books are not for me and I just keep trying to like them but god

I wanted to like this so badly! Codependent theater besties? A long-distance crush? Sounds delightful! Unfortunately, I found the characters all a bit flat, and the pacing strangely off, which is usually one of the tightest aspects of Albertalli's writing. While I don't think it's a total wash, it's overall a bit meh. If you're looking for a YA read with a theater/performing arts plotline I'd try Eva Ibbotson's A Company of Swans or maybe Echo After Echo by Amy Rose Capetta.

Kate in Waiting is a fun YA read about discovering who you are, what you're capable of, and creating healthy relationships with your closest friends.

This was a really good book. I enjoyed Kate's story and the romance was really cute. I especially enjoyed the theatre setting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy of Kate in Waiting for me to preview.

This was a very cute read! I think I wanted a little more from the story and the characters, but overall it was fun and easy to enjoy.

Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me. I made it about 35% through, but I'm just not super interested in finishing it. I"m finding the plot to be rather repetitive, and I'm a bit frustrated about the characters focus on "f-boys." I think if I was more into theater, I would like this book more.

I enjoyed this book but it was a bit forgettable. I love Becky Albertalli and her previous works, Simon vs. the Homosapian Agenda is one of my all time favorite books, but this one left something to desire.

I have to keep reminding myself that I'm a 30+ year old person and teenagers in real life irritate me. So why I keep picking up YA books is beyond me. I think that for the right audience this would be a good book. But that audience would have to be Becky fans, theater kids and high schoolers. I am none of those. I found the writing repetitive, it didn't go as deep as I thought it would and some of the issues felt very surface level. Just not for me I guess

I did not enjoy this book as much as I was hoping to. I usually love Becky Albertalli's writing and narrative, but this book fell short for me. I think readers will enjoy the theater aspect, the love triangle, the LGBTQ focus, and more. But for me, this wasn't it.

For people who were obsessed with Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda, Kate in Waiting might not grab them as fully, but it will still be a great read! Albertalli’s voice shines through as it always does in her work, and the friendships are in the spotlight, which is truly charming. I’ll definitely recommend this to my students!

Becky Albertalli is a must-read in our library system, and Kate in Waiting was no exception! Albertalli captures the thrill and confusion of first love so well, and as a former theatre kid myself, the depictions of drama drama felt pitch perfect. A must-read book from a must-read author — I purchased two copies for my branch!

This adorable ode to theatre kids captures so much of the magic and heartbreak of that teenage limbo period, just on the precipice of life beginning.

I don't read all that many YA books anymore, but Becky Albertalli is an author I'll always pick up. I loved reading Becky diving into a world outside of Simon, and this was a really fun, quick, heartwarming read.

Albertalli has written another inclusive, diverse teen romance/friendship comedy. One of Albertalli's strengths is highlighting non-romantic relationships and friendship, arguably the most important teen relationship, takes center stage here, with Anderson and Kate. They are best friends that share everything-- even crushes-- but their closeness is put to the test when their mutual crush moves to their school. Each character gets a satisfying romance and their relationship grows. Bonus: this book also has high school theatre! A worthy addition to any high school collection.

Hmmm. I know this felt super young because it’s a young adult book. But it also felt really weird to have Kate and Anderson have the codependent crushes on all the same guys. I just… don’t know how they had a healthy relationship knowing they had crushes on the same people. While the ending was nice and neat and tied up with a bow, I didn’t particularly love it. Maybe it’s just because I didn’t feel like I really connected with any of the characters, or maybe I just couldn’t get past the weird codependent relationship between our two best friends, but I just didn’t really care for this book. Still sort of cute… but not my favorite Becky book by a long shot.

Update after reading another review that reminded me: I HATED how much the term “fboy” was used. I get it, it’s how a lot of teens speak who don’t like to curse. But the actual “f word” was used once, so I don’t think Kate has an issue with saying it normally. It was just annoying.

Becky Albertalli makes a dazzling addition to her library in an infrequent, solo effort for KATE IN WAITING. You can't help but root for Kate and Becky throughout.

I love Becky Albertalli, but this one just did not do it for me. I like the idea and concept, but I may need to read this one a second time because it really was just okay. I'm not sure if it was the character development, the predictability of it, or just the fact that it really was as straightforward as I thought it was.e I wanted to love it, but I just couldn't.

I am disappointed with this book. I was expecting one thing and received another. It had potential but it was not well written.

Nothing makes me happier than reading books with Jewish main characters (friendly reminder that representation is important). And can we talk about challah balls?! It's the only right way and I feel so seen.

I loved Kate and Anderson. Their friendship was so intricate and beautiful and it made me long for something like what they shared. And they're based on real people!!!! This fact makes me love the book ten times more. You're a genius, Becky. A GENIUS. The way she writes teenage characters is so relatable and I connect with them so well. Most young adult books that attempt to incorporate teenage lingo and interest generally fall short, and there is a clear disconnect between the adult age of the author and the young age of the intended audience. However, Albertalli always manages to hit the nail on the head when writing about teens for teens.

I really enjoyed how this book puts a large focus on friendship. There is a romance, and I thought it was well done, but I think the friendship aspect really helped make the book more well-rounded.