When I added Kate in Waiting to my TBR I was somehow under the impression that Kate was bi. So first things first: Kate is not bi. Which I wish I would have known because it set up a certain expectation for me and there’s always this niggling disappointment when you go into a book expecting it to be queer and it isn’t. Truth be told I don’t know where I got this idea, but I just wanted to clarify in case other folks were under this same impression.

Kate in Waiting follows sixteen-year-old Jewish (own voices rep!) theatre kid Kate as she and her best friend fall for the same guy. Again. Because that’s their thing: mutual crushes. I for one never had a mutual crush when I was in high school and after reading Kate in Waiting I can say that I’m happy I didn’t. Because while it may seem all fun and games for a while it’s actually a pretty toxic situation. Especially when you’re basing your feelings for a person on whether or not your friend thinks they’re crush worthy or not. Which Kate did on multiple occasions.

In all honesty I felt like Kate in Waiting was a bit much. There is only so much quirkiness I can take before I feel exhausted by it. The last 35% of the book was the most enjoyable for me because the quirkiness was interspersed with some sincerity and I really need that to thrive. I almost DNFd the book because I just couldn’t get past how quirky Kate and everyone around her was and I’m going to leave it at that because if I write the word quirky one more time I’m-

I’ve read quite a few books recently with divorced parents and I’m loving it. I don’t remember reading many (or any) contemporary YA books with divorced parents when I was in high school, and yet most of the teens I knew at the time had divorced parents. So it’s great now that this situation is represented more in books for teenagers. The books aren’t glazing over it as if it’s easy and doesn’t have impacts on your mental health, which is so important. In Kate in Waiting, Kate’s parents have been divorced for quite a while so Kate has a new routine but one of her friends is in a fresh situation and he hasn’t even begun the healing process yet.

There’s a lot of high school drama in Kate in Waiting, probably a little more so than your general YA contemporary and that was an area I struggled to connect with. I can handle a certain amount but just like the you-know-what aspect mentioned above there was just a bit much. By the end I felt if I had to read the word fuckboy one more time I was going to hurl my kindle across the room. Besides its overuse I felt like it was an incredibly judgemental way of referring to a number of students, and there wasn’t really any addressing of the fact which left something to be desired.

In the end I liked Kate in Waiting a bit. Not a lot, but a bit. I wish the whole book had been a bit more like the last third or so because I enjoyed that a lot more than the first 65%. I know there are some readers out there will fall head over heels in love with Kate and all her friends but unfortunately I’m not one of them.

© 2021, Chiara @ Books for a Delicate Eternity . All rights reserved.

trigger warning: reference to past bullying, divorced parents, character with social anxiety, Harry Potter references

Kate and her best friend Anderson have communal crushes that work well when they are from afar but not so well when the crush comes to school and joins the school musical.

Matt Olsen was the cute guy to crush on from camp who now had the potential to come between Andy and Kate. Will their friendship be able to withstand heart ache and will Kate be able to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight?

Becky Albertalli captures the angst of high-school and heartache with perfection.

Becky Albertalli just knows how to write good books! I have loved all of her books, and Kate in Waiting is no different! Kate and Anderson have a really tight friendship--some may even call it codependent. But they see it more as being emotionally, fiscally, and environmentally sound and doing their part to save the planet. But then, a guy they both like comes to their school. And Kate really, REALLY likes him. But so does Anderson. This could be the end of their friendship, because everyone knows that when two people have a crush on the same person, someone is going to end up with their heart broken. Loved this book!

This book was super cute and relatable. It really made me miss my old drama club. I love the way the friendship seemed so genuine and real. Perfect book for teens struggling with crushes, or high school in general.

Kate in Waiting cringingly has every cliche of a young adult novel, shoot, it has every cliche of a Becky Albertalli novel (I’m surprised she had the will power not to write about a prom). And at times it feels way too familiar. At times it feels like a word-for-word rewrite of ‘Simon.’ But there’s also something so irresistible about Kate in Waiting that it reads like juicy gossip you greedily need every detail of. The characters are delightfully relatable, and it’s hard not to mirror every emotion they’re feeling, because the the story is so immersive you’ll feel like you’re standing there watching it unfold in person.
Kate in Waiting is a perfect addition to the young adult genre, full of rib-hurting humor, painfully teeth-grinding predicaments, and cutesy moments in their full glory that had me squealing and gushing out loud.
Albertalli proves she’s still the ultimate master of writing in the genre of contemporary Young Adult fiction.

I don’t think I’m ever going to read a Becky Albertalli book that I don’t like. Her books are just so… Amazing. Incredible. Insanely good. Like. I could go on. And Kate in Waiting was no exception. I devoured this book. I read it in three days. I just couldn’t put it down! It had a diverse cast of LGBTQ+ characters, a little bit of mental health rep, and some great Jewish rep. Not to mention a great plot. Basically, it had everything I love!

I don’t know how she does it, but Becky always manages to write such relatable characters. I always feel like I’m standing right there with them. Kate was great. I related to her on so many levels, even just with small things, like hating the rain and being a zombie demon after taking Xanax and not getting enough sleep. Anderson was amazing and so, so sassy. I felt so bad for him after that one scene (not gonna spoil it), but I understood why everyone involved behaved/acted/responded the way they did. Noah had my heart from the very beginning. He was just so adorably dorkish. I predicted what would happen with him and ____ (Sorry, no spoilers, hehe) less than a quarter of the way into the book and I definitely had a !!!!!!! moment when I found out I was right.

I need to shout-out Kate’s relationship with her brother, Ryan. I love the way Becky handles sibling relationships in her books. Media always makes siblings hate each other; they either fight all the time or they just ignore each other. And, yeah, that’s relatable for some people. But some people do get along with their siblings, and it’s a breath of fresh air to see that.

Sending a shout-out to Matt, Raina and Brandie and basically everyone in this book. Seriously, how does Becky Albetalli always write such amazing characters???

Also, shout-out to the Dear Evan Hansen reference and what I think was a Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda reference.

So.. Yeah. I loved this book. More than words can say. I loved everything about it. The only negative thing I can say is that I want more of these characters and this world, but I’m pretty sure it’s just a stand-alone. So that’s disappointing, haha.

But yeah. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves books about friendship, first love, and high school or musical theater. Also for anyone who likes LGBTQ+, mental health and Jewish rep. If you’re new to Becky Albertalli, this is a great book to pick up. And if you’ve read and loved her other books, then I can promise this one won’t disappoint!

“Maybe some songs are just unruinable.”

The Gist: Best friends Kate and Andy have always had crushes on the same boy, but when said boy is cast as Kate’s love interest in the school musical, things get a little more personal.

My Thoughts: What a delight this was!! I was never a theater kid, but I was friends with enough of them to understand their whole vibe. And I was in marching band, which had similar rituals. (Side thought - has there ever been a YA novel about a girl in marching band??)

Becky Albertalli has a great voice for capturing those feelings you had as a teen. I have no idea if the pop culture references and slang hold up with today’s youths, but she definitely captured those adolescent feelings of having a major crush, of how important your friendships are, what it feels like when your siblings are going off to college, the overall MOST you can feel of every emotion.

Also, protect Noah Kaplan at all costs. He is my favorite kind of YA love interest - the kinda dumb jock whose main goal in life is to make the girl he loves laugh and smile more.

I had a few minor quibbles - such as the sheer number of times “fuckboy” was used, and the abrupt ending of some chapters, but overall I really loved this. If you’re a fan of musical theater or Albertalli’s other books, definitely pick this one up!

Kate in Waiting personifies high school. The anguish and the joy compete for supremacy. Cliques, secrets, crushes and more are the realm this story is played out in.

I loved the theater aspect of the novel. It made for a unique setting and I enjoyed it immensely. Kate and Anderson are the cutest non-couple ever. Best friends who share crushes is a fun idea.

While I believe the book is written to entertain the reader, it also touches on introverts, gay issues, and so many more subjects relevant to today’s teens and young adults.

The final chapters wrapped the story up in a satisfying manner. I would recommend this book to most young adults, as it shows the messes we can get into through misunderstandings, yet also conveys the joy of youth.

I truly did enjoy the characters and the story. I think many, many readers will fall in love with Kate and Anderson, as well as the supporting cast. I look for the book to make a deep run on the best-seller list of its genre.

Becky Albertalli is a writer I can always count on for a book that is cute while also substantive. In this, Kate in Waiting is the story of Kate Garfield, who has a pretty concerningly co-dependent relationship with her best friend Anderson. They have a strange tradition of sharing crushes - they're both into guys, and they usually fall for the same ones. It's not a big deal until it is - they both fall for Matt, a local who works at the same theater camp they did over the summer, and who suddenly shows up as a new student the first day of school. This time, they both develop stronger feelings than their usual crushes, and it puts a new and complicated strain on their relationship. Meanwhile, Kate is finally cast in a more significant role in the school musical than she ever has been before, and as she's coming into her own there, she's also rekindling an old friendship with a guy she and her friends have dismissed as a fuckboy but who may actually have some hidden depths (basically they call all jocks fuckboys and fuckgirls, or f-boys and f-girls when they want to class it up), and she's navigating her relationship with her older brother who is a senior heading toward college. Albertalli just does a great job capturing the teen experience (at least as I remember it) - the intensity of best friendships and crushes and first loves. I loved this from start to finish.

Becky Albertalli can do no wrong in my book. This is her first solo novel out of the simon universe in quite sometime and I was so pleased with this book! I loved the focus on friendship. All the musical theatre aspects of this book made my inner musical theater nerd was very happy! All in all a great YA contemporary book that I know so many of my patrons will love!

This book definitely gave me "Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List" vibes. There's even a shout out to that book in this one. (Which made me feel old!) . I guess it was harder for me to relate because I'm not a teenager anymore and my friends (straight or gay) and I never had the same taste in people, so I never had that issue come up.

"Kate in Waiting" is about Kate and her best friend Anderson, and how they navigate the fact that they both like the same boy. It was an easy read, and I was invested in the story. I definitely see this one being a hit with the YA readers.

This was a delight. I loved how it was ultimately about the friendship between Anderson and Kate. Just really great.

I'm typically not a Becky Albertalli fan, her writing is just a bit too millenial-eque to me, but this book surprised me! The writing style was a bit more to my liking than Albertalli's previous books, although there were still some pop culture references that were a bit unbearable to me. I loved the love triangle, and I thought the whole concept behind the book was super fun, interesting, unique and delicious to play out. This is definitely an Albertalli standout!

I loved this sweet high school story, centered around theater. The authors humor shines through and her characters have so much life. Really enjoyed this one and would recommend to all YA contemporary romance fans!

The theatre geek in me was thrilled when I read the synopsis of this novel. Why more could a gay boy ask for...?

This book was really great. However, the one thing that was unfortunate while reading this was just how easy it was to predict the plot. I enjoy Becky Albertalli’s writing style, so it was still enjoyable to read even though the formula of the story has been used time and time again.

My other complaint (which isn’t really a complaint because I’m just being picky) is that I wanted more theatre!!! I know...this story revolves around theatre but there was this big lead-up to the school play (ahem....musical), and it was over in less than a chapter.

Overall, I absolutely love reading Becky’s books. The characters are developed so well and I feel like I have created a bond with them by the end of the story. I am eagerly anticipating her next novel!

Kate in Waiting is a fun read! I really enjoyed the way the secondary characters developed and all the musical theatre references.

What happens when you and your bestie like the same guy, and it’s more than just a casual crush? How would you handle it? Could you each move past it or would you both pursue it and let the best man (or woman) win? That is the conundrum that Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker find themselves in when Matt Olssen comes to town.

Kate and Anderson are both in their junior year of high school, both love theater, and then Matt moves to the area and joins their school after having worked on a play with Kate and Anderson over the summer. This communal crush proves to be a true test to their friendship, which has always been rock solid.

I absolutely ADORED this book. Kate and Anderson have the best friendship, and it was interesting to see how they navigated their feelings about Matt throughout the book. This had a lot of my favorite things - theater, fantastic chemistry between bff’s, a great friend group, and just enough high school drama that it wasn’t distracting. I was rooting for Kate and Anderson both, and to complicate things a bit further, Kate’s brother’s bff also joins the theater, and has inserted himself into the friend group. What will each of them do?

This was such a delightful read, I enjoyed it so much. I recommend you add it to your list if it is not there already. It was just released this Tuesday, so it is available now! Thank you to @netgalley and @booksparks for the #gifted copy!

Becky Albertalli and her books, hold a very special place in my heart. So, the minute I found out about Kate in Waiting, Becky’s new standalone novel, I knew I had to read it as soon as I got the chance. As always with Becky’s writing I felt so much joy and happiness whilst reading this book. I flew through it and I could be found reading it at every opportunity I had!

There are so many things that I love about this book. One of the main things being that the primary focus of this book is on platonic relationships rather than romantic relationships. I adored the platonic relationship between Kate and Andy and how supportive of each other they were. Also, how close to one another they are and have been from a young age. It was a lot of fun to watch them navigating having a crush on the same guy and dealing with the jealously that they are both feeling. They are always looking out for each other even when they think they aren’t and it is so wonderful to see in a YA book. It shows the reader how important having friends in your life is and also having a support group around you.

Alongside friendships, we get to see sibling relationships throughout Kate in Waiting. I adored this. I loved seeing how Kate and her brother, Ryan, interact and how protective of her he. It just brought a smile to my face and showed how lovely sibling relationships can be. I really wish we got more sibling relationships like this in YA.

There are so many notable characters in this book, my favourite being Noah. He is adorable, cheeky and just down-right hilarious. At first, I did not know how to take him as a character but by the end of the story, I wanted a book all about Noah! Matt is a gem too. Although we only really get to see him through the eyes of Kate, we get to know quite a lot about him and I certainly wanted to know more about him when the story was over. There is also the rest of Kate’s friendship group, this includes, Raina and Brandie who I loved seeing little glimpse of throughout the book and I’d love to see a spin-off with them both.

The representation in this book is excellent. Kate the main character is Jewish and Andy is black and gay. There is also a trans character, a character with social anxiety and a character in a wheelchair. Kate in Waiting has some excellent representation, all of which is done with research or using own voices experiences!

To make this book just that little bit more up my street, the characters are putting on a musical! I was never a theatre kid when I was in high school, so I felt like I was living the experience through these characters. More books about musical theatre and more books with a diverse representation like this please!

Kate in Waiting is an adorable, heart-warming and entertaining novel to read, which I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a contemporary YA! It left me with a smile on my face and feeling like I was part of a friendship group. Becky Albertalli has done it again with this novel and you need to give it a read!

I devoured this book all the way to the last page. I loved all the theater stuff– the auditions, the rehearsals, the swooning over musical playlists. Kate’s friend group was great, too. I kind of wish Brandie and Raina had been in the story more, but that’s really simply a testament to how much I liked them.

The story made me think about friendship and kind of my own evolution of values in friendship. There was absolutely a time when I thought that friendship required total and complete honesty and that anything less was not a real friendship. And there’s definitely some truth there– lying or keeping secrets can be really toxic. Sometimes it’s necessary to end a friendship when there isn’t honesty. But that’s not the same as allowing people the space to have their own secrets. There’s a balance there that I feel like it’s taken me a long time to make peace with. So it was interesting to read a story that explored that idea.

Only one thing in KATE IN WAITING bugged me, and I’m not sure how fair it is to feel bugged, but I’ll put it out there. So Kate was bullied in a pretty traumatic way by some of the kids at school. They posted some really hurtful things online that still haunt her. She carries a pretty big (understandable) grudge against not only those kids but that sort of splashes over onto anyone in their periphery. She and her friends label the group as “f-boys” or “f-girls”, short for a swear word.

Again, I feel like her hurt feelings are completely valid. I thought because of the way the story unfolded, that she might face the way that label could be hurtful. It’s like the story went almost that far and then just… didn’t. And maybe that makes it more realistic, because it leaves Kate with this flaw which we know has hurt some people. Maybe it’s more realistic because we don’t learn all of life’s lessons at the same time.

I guess I just struggled with it because Kate and her friends seemed almost proud of creating that label and using it to continually remind themselves that those kids are less than. I think I just wanted her to discover that it had been mean and want to be better than that.

Apart from that, though, I really enjoyed Kate’s voice and the rambling, quirky, funny way she related things that happened. I loved the way she and Anderson would gush together over things and the friendship rituals they celebrated together– from meeting places and text etiquette to songs they had to drop everything and sing. Watching the group navigate the shared crush and how to welcome a new person into their fold felt so real and so much like my own memories of high school.

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli is a young adult romance that sweeps you away to another place in time. A story full of love, romance, friendship, and lots of drama. A fun, fast-paced read.