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Kate in Waiting
Contrary to popular belief, best friends Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker are not codependent. Carpooling to and from theater 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.
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.
387 pages, Hardcover
First published April 20, 2021
About the author
Becky Albertalli
24 books20.2k followersBecky Albertalli is the author of the acclaimed novels Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (film: Love, Simon), The Upside of Unrequited, and Leah on the Offbeat. She is also the co-author of What If It's Us with Adam Silvera. A former clinical psychologist who specialized in working with children and teens, Becky lives with her family in Atlanta. You can visit her online at www.beckyalbertalli.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,439 reviews
April 26, 2021
a straight girl and gay guy crushing on the same person? and they're friends? let me get my popcorn because honey, we've got a big storm comin'
May 27, 2022
3.25 STARS✨
It was good but honestly I was expecting more.
It was good but honestly I was expecting more.
April 22, 2021
3.5 stars
Kate in Waiting is Becky’s first solo book since Leah on the Offbeat and her first solo book away from the Simon verse world. I was eagerly awaiting to see what Becky had up her sleeve and was excited to read her new work. Although I may not have loved it as much as the Simon verse, Kate in Waiting still has lots to offer and is a fun/quick read!
The main things I enjoyed about this book, was that the primary focus is on platonic relationships rather than romantic relationships. We see Kate’s friendship with her best friend Anderson and also within her friend group. We see how important having that friendship in your life is and having that support group of people who are always there for you. Along with friendship, we also see sibling relationships. I loved seeing how Kate and her brother, Ryan, interacted and how he was a protective brother who wanted what was best for Kate. It was so heartwarming to see and made me smile anytime they interacted together. I also loved all the representation in this book. Kate herself is Jewish, her best friend is black and gay, another friend is trans, there’s a character in a wheelchair and also discussions with a character who has social anxiety. Becky herself is also Jewish so it’s own voices for that representation. The romance that we get near the end of the book was also something I really enjoyed and I loved the two characters together. Finally, I also loved the musical theatre aspects to this book and my inner musical theatre heart was thriving!
There were some things I didn’t love, such as the overuse of the words “fuckboy” and “f-boy”. The first couple of times, I didn’t mind and found it to be very fitting for how teens speak today. However, it is used pretty much every other page and after the first few times it got very tiresome to see being used and very repetitive. Also I struggled to connect to Kate as a character and felt myself enjoying the side characters more: such as Anderson or Noah. It also took me a little bit to get into the book, I definitely preferred the second half more.
Overall, I enjoyed and cannot wait to see what books Becky has in store for us in the future! Also I got to conduct an interview with Becky discussing this book and you can check that out here: https://youtu.be/tM9IpZNdT_8
Kate in Waiting is Becky’s first solo book since Leah on the Offbeat and her first solo book away from the Simon verse world. I was eagerly awaiting to see what Becky had up her sleeve and was excited to read her new work. Although I may not have loved it as much as the Simon verse, Kate in Waiting still has lots to offer and is a fun/quick read!
The main things I enjoyed about this book, was that the primary focus is on platonic relationships rather than romantic relationships. We see Kate’s friendship with her best friend Anderson and also within her friend group. We see how important having that friendship in your life is and having that support group of people who are always there for you. Along with friendship, we also see sibling relationships. I loved seeing how Kate and her brother, Ryan, interacted and how he was a protective brother who wanted what was best for Kate. It was so heartwarming to see and made me smile anytime they interacted together. I also loved all the representation in this book. Kate herself is Jewish, her best friend is black and gay, another friend is trans, there’s a character in a wheelchair and also discussions with a character who has social anxiety. Becky herself is also Jewish so it’s own voices for that representation. The romance that we get near the end of the book was also something I really enjoyed and I loved the two characters together. Finally, I also loved the musical theatre aspects to this book and my inner musical theatre heart was thriving!
There were some things I didn’t love, such as the overuse of the words “fuckboy” and “f-boy”. The first couple of times, I didn’t mind and found it to be very fitting for how teens speak today. However, it is used pretty much every other page and after the first few times it got very tiresome to see being used and very repetitive. Also I struggled to connect to Kate as a character and felt myself enjoying the side characters more: such as Anderson or Noah. It also took me a little bit to get into the book, I definitely preferred the second half more.
Overall, I enjoyed and cannot wait to see what books Becky has in store for us in the future! Also I got to conduct an interview with Becky discussing this book and you can check that out here: https://youtu.be/tM9IpZNdT_8
April 26, 2021
This was messy in all the best ways and I REALLY liked it. My heart!!!!
September 27, 2021
“I am so platonically in love with Anderson Walker, it makes my brain hurt.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 stars
This book. IT IS SOO CUTE
I loved reading this book soo much. I finished this book in one sitting.
Plot
Kate and Andy have been friends for a long time. They love each other more than anything and would do anything for each other.
Enter a new hot boy.
Now both Katy and Andy are obsessed. They thought nothing and no one can come between them But is that about to change?
------------------------------------------------
The plot of this book is solid and will keep you entertained. though it has a lot of cliche tropes that are common in queer books, its still enjoyable!
Its written by the same author as Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, so the fans of Simon will love this book!
Writing
“Once, Andy looked at Noah, apropos of nothing, and asked, “Are straight boys okay? Do they need help?” The age-old question.”
“Gay people have to love Oreos now,” explains Anderson.”
“I know exactly what you mean.- It’s the most underrated sentence on earth.
Translation: no, you’re not weird. Even your weird stuff isn’t weird. You make sense.”
The reason for the -1 star is bcz of the writing. It's fun and cute but there is ONE MAJOR problem
Ill put it in spoiler tags. Its not a spoiler but if you're gng to read it, you should look into it
Characters
Kate
I really liked Kate's character. I felt she was a LOT like me. She loves her friends and will always help them. 💖
Shee to like me overanalyses everything. When someone doesn't leave her text on read, she reads back their previous conversation and worries a LOT.
Yeah not like me👀
I loved reading from her POV🥺💖
Andy
Andy is the friend everyone wished to have. He is smart and kind and very sweet. I wish I had a friend like him😭
He loves Katy and would do anything for her. Though some of the things he did made me a bit sad, i still love him<3
Noah
NOAH is my fav character. He's sweet and charming and super weird. At first I thought he was a jerk. but then at the ned only did I realize that I was in love with Noah.
yep I love NOAHHH MORE THAN ANYTHING
He's so innocent and must be protected at ALL costs💖💖🥺
Matt
I honestly don't care about him. Yeah, he's nice and sweet but I don't LOVE him the way I do for the other 3 :)
Relationships
Andy and Kate
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE TO BE AS CUTE AS THESE 2
I absolutely adore their friendship. they love each other soo much and would always be there for each other.
When they fought I was soo sad that I almost started crying😭
I really hope they live happily ever after. I stan their friendship
The other relationships are spoilers...
Final thoughts
I loved it! except for the part with the writing, this was perfection
Fans of Simon and the Homo sapiens agenda, this will be perfect for you!
|Blog|Pintrest|
My rating system:
5⭐ - I loved it soo much! New favorite
4⭐ - It was really good! But something was missing
3⭐ - It was nice..but had more potential
2⭐ - I did not like it at all!... It could have been soo much better
1⭐ - Nope. Just No. I hate it
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 stars
This book. IT IS SOO CUTE
I loved reading this book soo much. I finished this book in one sitting.
Plot
Kate and Andy have been friends for a long time. They love each other more than anything and would do anything for each other.
Enter a new hot boy.
Now both Katy and Andy are obsessed. They thought nothing and no one can come between them But is that about to change?
------------------------------------------------
The plot of this book is solid and will keep you entertained. though it has a lot of cliche tropes that are common in queer books, its still enjoyable!
Its written by the same author as Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, so the fans of Simon will love this book!
Writing
“Once, Andy looked at Noah, apropos of nothing, and asked, “Are straight boys okay? Do they need help?” The age-old question.”
“Gay people have to love Oreos now,” explains Anderson.”
“I know exactly what you mean.- It’s the most underrated sentence on earth.
Translation: no, you’re not weird. Even your weird stuff isn’t weird. You make sense.”
The reason for the -1 star is bcz of the writing. It's fun and cute but there is ONE MAJOR problem
Ill put it in spoiler tags. Its not a spoiler but if you're gng to read it, you should look into it
Characters
Kate
I really liked Kate's character. I felt she was a LOT like me. She loves her friends and will always help them. 💖
Shee to like me overanalyses everything. When someone doesn't leave her text on read, she reads back their previous conversation and worries a LOT.
Yeah not like me👀
I loved reading from her POV🥺💖
Andy
Andy is the friend everyone wished to have. He is smart and kind and very sweet. I wish I had a friend like him😭
He loves Katy and would do anything for her. Though some of the things he did made me a bit sad, i still love him<3
Noah
NOAH is my fav character. He's sweet and charming and super weird. At first I thought he was a jerk. but then at the ned only did I realize that I was in love with Noah.
yep I love NOAHHH MORE THAN ANYTHING
He's so innocent and must be protected at ALL costs💖💖🥺
Matt
I honestly don't care about him. Yeah, he's nice and sweet but I don't LOVE him the way I do for the other 3 :)
Relationships
Andy and Kate
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR SOMEONE TO BE AS CUTE AS THESE 2
I absolutely adore their friendship. they love each other soo much and would always be there for each other.
When they fought I was soo sad that I almost started crying😭
I really hope they live happily ever after. I stan their friendship
The other relationships are spoilers...
Final thoughts
I loved it! except for the part with the writing, this was perfection
Fans of Simon and the Homo sapiens agenda, this will be perfect for you!
|Blog|Pintrest|
My rating system:
5⭐ - I loved it soo much! New favorite
4⭐ - It was really good! But something was missing
3⭐ - It was nice..but had more potential
2⭐ - I did not like it at all!... It could have been soo much better
1⭐ - Nope. Just No. I hate it
August 5, 2022
5 stars!
I seem to be the outlier here, because I loved this book!
Kate in Waiting is about high school junior Kate Garfield, active theater nerd and codependent with her gay best friend Anderson. She and Anderson have an unusual habit of sharing crushes, which soon becomes more problematic when they both fall for the new kid in their theatre program, Matt.
Going into this book, I saw a lot of 3 star reviews so my expectations were very low going in. I think that worked to my advantage because I absolutely loved this book. Kate is a character that I would have identified with as a teen. As was in drama, and while we didn’t do musicals, we did plays (big difference! Lol) this book reminded me of how fun it was to be involved in a high school production and all the feels and drama that comes with it.
There’s something about Albertelli’s books and writing, I can ease into them without struggle. I often find myself having a hard time reading different books and wonder if it’s just me, but then I read a book like this one which is so smooth and effortless, I’m reminded that these books do exist. I’m not sure if any of what I just said makes sense to anyone. Basically, I’ve never had trouble reading a book by this author and it’s a blessing. It’s why I run to buy her books every single time they come out.
My favorite part of this book?
If you’re on the fence about this book, I say you should read it. Just don’t go into it with sky high expectations, enjoy the ride instead.
I seem to be the outlier here, because I loved this book!
Kate in Waiting is about high school junior Kate Garfield, active theater nerd and codependent with her gay best friend Anderson. She and Anderson have an unusual habit of sharing crushes, which soon becomes more problematic when they both fall for the new kid in their theatre program, Matt.
Going into this book, I saw a lot of 3 star reviews so my expectations were very low going in. I think that worked to my advantage because I absolutely loved this book. Kate is a character that I would have identified with as a teen. As was in drama, and while we didn’t do musicals, we did plays (big difference! Lol) this book reminded me of how fun it was to be involved in a high school production and all the feels and drama that comes with it.
There’s something about Albertelli’s books and writing, I can ease into them without struggle. I often find myself having a hard time reading different books and wonder if it’s just me, but then I read a book like this one which is so smooth and effortless, I’m reminded that these books do exist. I’m not sure if any of what I just said makes sense to anyone. Basically, I’ve never had trouble reading a book by this author and it’s a blessing. It’s why I run to buy her books every single time they come out.
My favorite part of this book?
If you’re on the fence about this book, I say you should read it. Just don’t go into it with sky high expectations, enjoy the ride instead.
November 20, 2023
"It makes me wish you could film a whole entire moment. Not just the visuals and vocals. I want to hold every piece of this. I want to save the details for later: the breeze ruffling my hair through the open car windows, the soft warmth of my flannel. The feeling of being sixteen on a Friday night in September." pg. 238
Kate in Waiting is a YA romance following Kate and her best friend Andy who are notorious for pining over the same guy, which they call their ‘communal crushes’, but it is always from a far. That is until their summer crush from theatre camp, Matt Olssen, shows up at their school on the first day of Junior year. Both of them end up developing real feelings for Matt, but neither of them don’t want to hurt one another or lose their friendship.
Becky Albertalli is one of my favourite YA authors, but Kate in Waiting was my least favourite of the books of hers so far. One of my favourite things is her ability to write friend groups that feel really authentic and who you can’t help falling in love with. There was a lot of focus on platonic friendships, and diverse representation across the cast of characters, which was great! I loved all of the scenes where they were rehearsing for the musical, this was honestly the ultimate theatre kid book! Within her internal dialogue, Kate did give slight pick-me energy but didn’t we all at 15? I really enjoyed how both Kate and Andy’s romances played out, they felt really sweet and giddy, which in my experience is exactly how it feels to fall in love for the first time/in high school.
My issue with this book ultimately came down to a mediocre concept and the fact that it felt really repetitive. Kate and Andy kept having conversations about not wanting to hurt one another by having a crush on the same guy, but then one of them would get annoyed about something the other one did, and then they would apologize to one another and be best friends again. It was very cyclical, and a few of the “problems” that took place were unrealistic and juvenile (even for a YA book). As an older sister, Kate and her brother Ryan’s relationship really tugged at my heartstrings, I just wish Kate would have given him more credit as the novel progressed when it came to him moving to college and wanting to spend more time with her.
I did read this in one evening, which has become a theme for me and Albertalli’s books, which I love. I would recommend Kate in Waiting to anyone who was/is a theatre kid in high school, and to fans of the show High School Musical: The Musical: The Series!
Read my reviews for Becky Albertalli's books here:
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda - 5 stars (read in 2015)
Imogen, Obviously - 5 stars
Kate in Waiting - 3.5 stars
The Upside of Unrequited - 4 stars (read in 2017)
December 3, 2022
Reading this story felt like being wrapped in a cloud of joy and sparkles, all giggling and smiling and screaming in your pillow.
Exactly between the moment when you realize you have a crush on someone and the moment you see that person for the first time since you’ve realized that: walking three feet above the sky like anything is real but just so damn perfect.
There are phases when you have a crush. You realize it. You stalk. You change your world life revolving around that person. You stalk a lot. And then there are only two things left: you wait until it'll go away (they always do, in the end) or you go for it.
At least this is the point of view of someone who has romanticized every single moment of her life just to be rejected even before thinking of doing something. But without crushes the world would be so boring, am I right?
So this is Becky Albertalli: smooth and captivating narration, short chapters and not a single dislikable character. A warm story about love and friendship in any shape and kind.
And a musical, obviously.
↠ 4 stars
Exactly between the moment when you realize you have a crush on someone and the moment you see that person for the first time since you’ve realized that: walking three feet above the sky like anything is real but just so damn perfect.
There are phases when you have a crush. You realize it. You stalk. You change your world life revolving around that person. You stalk a lot. And then there are only two things left: you wait until it'll go away (they always do, in the end) or you go for it.
At least this is the point of view of someone who has romanticized every single moment of her life just to be rejected even before thinking of doing something. But without crushes the world would be so boring, am I right?
So this is Becky Albertalli: smooth and captivating narration, short chapters and not a single dislikable character. A warm story about love and friendship in any shape and kind.
And a musical, obviously.
↠ 4 stars
January 13, 2022
There lived a girl, not in a tower, but in houses surrounded by the ones she loved
She never felt lonely because she had best friends who loved her
She never fell in love with a thief, but someone did steal her heart
She wasn't born a princess, but her life wasn't less than a fairytale
Her favorite Disney movie was Tangled, but her life was the most untangled one so far
Read the journey of this girl to see how life throws the most unexpected things in your path
You wanna know the exact moment when I fell in love with this book? Well it was the first line : "Five minutes into junior year, and I’m done. No, seriously. Let’s burn this whole year to the ground". I swear to god that this is one of the most relatable line I have ever read. I hated my junior year of high school not because I was surrounded by the f-girls, but because the fucking pandemic didn't let me go and see my friends for a single day.
Look if you haven't read a single Becky Albertalli book then you are living a very regrettable life. If you don't like her work then just give it a try. It's worth it. I don't know if anyone knows this but I'm a big musical theatre nerd. This book being based on characters who themselves are musical nerd is something which made me so excited to read.
In this book we have Kate-who is the main character (which is kind of obvious) and Anderson, an openly gay guy. Kate and Anderson aren't just your typical bestfriends. But infact they do like everything together. Also they crush on boys on together. So when Matt Olson, the guy they have been crushing on for a long time transfers to their school, a lot of drama is surely gonna take place.
I am so platonically in love with Anderson Walker, it makes my brain hurt.
Becky did it again. If you have read any other book by her then you'll find that the friendship in her books is something I'll die for. I really want friends like Anderson Brandie and Raina. And a brother like Ryan. I'll happily disown my siblings for him. I abso-f-lutely adore Anderson. About Matt- I really like him. He was a very sweet character. But tbh I guessed who he was gonna end up with.
Ahhh the first kiss between the characters in Becky's books are sooo good. Remember Simon and Blue's kiss? I melted seeing Kate and *beep beep's* first kiss.
“Second of all, maybe you should go practice your lines. Right now.” Noah shuts one eye thoughtfully. “But my character’s mute.” “Exactly,” I say,
No-ahhhhh. That's all you need to know. I love him.
Now the only thing I disliked about this book was the somewhat unrealistic and plot. Like the drama teacher literally allowed her students to practice kissing. Who does that? And they practiced kissing for 20 minutes? What? Also I knew what was gonna happen after reading 20% of this book. So it was pretty predictable.
But if you ignore the above part, then this book is amazing. I'll highly recommend it to everyone.
4.5 stars 🌟
She never felt lonely because she had best friends who loved her
She never fell in love with a thief, but someone did steal her heart
She wasn't born a princess, but her life wasn't less than a fairytale
Her favorite Disney movie was Tangled, but her life was the most untangled one so far
Read the journey of this girl to see how life throws the most unexpected things in your path
You wanna know the exact moment when I fell in love with this book? Well it was the first line : "Five minutes into junior year, and I’m done. No, seriously. Let’s burn this whole year to the ground". I swear to god that this is one of the most relatable line I have ever read. I hated my junior year of high school not because I was surrounded by the f-girls, but because the fucking pandemic didn't let me go and see my friends for a single day.
Look if you haven't read a single Becky Albertalli book then you are living a very regrettable life. If you don't like her work then just give it a try. It's worth it. I don't know if anyone knows this but I'm a big musical theatre nerd. This book being based on characters who themselves are musical nerd is something which made me so excited to read.
In this book we have Kate-who is the main character (which is kind of obvious) and Anderson, an openly gay guy. Kate and Anderson aren't just your typical bestfriends. But infact they do like everything together. Also they crush on boys on together. So when Matt Olson, the guy they have been crushing on for a long time transfers to their school, a lot of drama is surely gonna take place.
I am so platonically in love with Anderson Walker, it makes my brain hurt.
Becky did it again. If you have read any other book by her then you'll find that the friendship in her books is something I'll die for. I really want friends like Anderson Brandie and Raina. And a brother like Ryan. I'll happily disown my siblings for him. I abso-f-lutely adore Anderson. About Matt- I really like him. He was a very sweet character. But tbh I guessed who he was gonna end up with.
Ahhh the first kiss between the characters in Becky's books are sooo good. Remember Simon and Blue's kiss? I melted seeing Kate and *beep beep's* first kiss.
“Second of all, maybe you should go practice your lines. Right now.” Noah shuts one eye thoughtfully. “But my character’s mute.” “Exactly,” I say,
No-ahhhhh. That's all you need to know. I love him.
Now the only thing I disliked about this book was the somewhat unrealistic and plot. Like the drama teacher literally allowed her students to practice kissing. Who does that? And they practiced kissing for 20 minutes? What? Also I knew what was gonna happen after reading 20% of this book. So it was pretty predictable.
But if you ignore the above part, then this book is amazing. I'll highly recommend it to everyone.
4.5 stars 🌟
June 18, 2021
As Becky Albertalli shows us in her latest book,
Kate in Waiting
, sometimes you wish you didn’t have EVERYTHING in common with your best friend.
Kate and Anderson are almost-inseparable best friends who do everything together. They drive to school together (well, Andy drives), audition for the school musicals, even crush on the same guys. But they’d never let anything get between them.
Until Matt, their mutual crush from theater camp, moves to Georgia and goes to their school. The more time she spends with Matt, the more she realizes how much she likes him. But the thing is, Andy does, too. When Matt and Andy share a class that Kate isn't in, they grew closer. And suddenly the competition for his affections may be the wedge that destroys Kate and Andy's friendship.
Time for an unpopular opinion: I am a huge fan of Becky Albertalli and I was eagerly awaiting this book. However, this one did not work for me at all . Usually being able to predict what happens within the first few pages doesn’t bother me, but this time it did.
But the real reason I disliked this book is the use of the words “fuckboy” and “f-boy.” I get using authentic terms but literally Albertalli used the word “fuckboy” in many cases 2 or 3 times per page, and used it interchangeably with “f-boy.” (Why one sometimes and not the other?) I seriously couldn’t believe it. It’s like talking to someone who uses a particular word or phrase over and over and over again. It just isn’t fun. (For the record, I've no objection to the word or the language, just the overuse.)
I love the diversity of Albertalli’s characters, particularly since her books take place in Georgia, and this has a theater-kid component I always enjoy. But I’ll just gloss over this experience and hope her sequel to What If It’s Us (which she again wrote with Adam Silvera) is more to my liking!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
Kate and Anderson are almost-inseparable best friends who do everything together. They drive to school together (well, Andy drives), audition for the school musicals, even crush on the same guys. But they’d never let anything get between them.
Until Matt, their mutual crush from theater camp, moves to Georgia and goes to their school. The more time she spends with Matt, the more she realizes how much she likes him. But the thing is, Andy does, too. When Matt and Andy share a class that Kate isn't in, they grew closer. And suddenly the competition for his affections may be the wedge that destroys Kate and Andy's friendship.
Time for an unpopular opinion: I am a huge fan of Becky Albertalli and I was eagerly awaiting this book. However, this one did not work for me at all . Usually being able to predict what happens within the first few pages doesn’t bother me, but this time it did.
But the real reason I disliked this book is the use of the words “fuckboy” and “f-boy.” I get using authentic terms but literally Albertalli used the word “fuckboy” in many cases 2 or 3 times per page, and used it interchangeably with “f-boy.” (Why one sometimes and not the other?) I seriously couldn’t believe it. It’s like talking to someone who uses a particular word or phrase over and over and over again. It just isn’t fun. (For the record, I've no objection to the word or the language, just the overuse.)
I love the diversity of Albertalli’s characters, particularly since her books take place in Georgia, and this has a theater-kid component I always enjoy. But I’ll just gloss over this experience and hope her sequel to What If It’s Us (which she again wrote with Adam Silvera) is more to my liking!
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2020 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2021/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2020.html.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
January 23, 2023
I’m on BookTube now! =)
”If I could stop this crush, I would. I’d slam that brake so hard, with the full force of my brain. It’s just that I know it won’t work. I don’t think my brain’s in the driver’s seat.”
The first thing I have to admit before I go into this review is that I have a difficult relationship with Becky Albertalli’s books. I absolutely loved “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” and I really enjoyed “What If It’s Us”, but I was no huge fan of “Leah on the Offbeat” and the other books I read of her were just mostly okay, I think. So yeah, difficult relationship. I never know if I’ll love her books or if they are just going to be an okay read for me. With “Kate in Waiting” it seems to be even more complicated, because I enjoyed it enough to page through it, but there were some things that I think weren’t handled that well?!
And this gets me in a difficult spot, because how to keep this review spoiler free without going into the things that - in my personal opinion – didn’t sit well with me? >_< I guess at the end of the day all I can do is try to explain why the book got the rating it got and to hope that I manage to convey my feelings. I’m going to try to do exactly that, so please bear with me. I think it’s always easier to start with the good things first and because of that I’ll talk about the friendship between Kate and Andy.
”It kind of bugs me, though, the way people get weird about our closeness. If we were a couple, no one would even blink. But people are always saying that if they didn’t know Andy was gay, they’d never believe we were just friends.
It’s such bullshit. First of all, we’re best friends.
Second of all, there’s no just. Friendship isn’t a just. Yes, Andy’s gay. No, we’re not a couple. But Anderson Walker is the most important person in my life, hands down.”
I really loved their friendship and I think it was portrayed well. They both care about each other deeply and it’s obvious throughout the entire book. They are a found family of their own and I really loved how Kate thought about their friendship. That quote above nailed it because I have a male best friend too and nope he isn’t gay like Andy. He actually has a lovely wife now and a kid and we’re still in contact and close. I was at their wedding last summer. XD I think what I’m trying to say is that it’s possible to have a friendship like that and that it’s really one of the best things if you’re so close that gender and sexuality don’t even matter. So to see this on page was amazing and I could relate to a lot of the things Kate thought about Anderson. Still, to see them giving each other the cold shoulder and the fact they were jealous about the time the other spent with Matt made me really sad. I mean they are teens and they are both in love with the same guy. Their feelings get the better of them. I get it, but even when my bestie and I liked the same guy (talking about a different bestie than before) we would just agree that the guy decides in the end.
”Katypie, I’m so sorry. I’m done being an asshole.” He leans over the gearshift and wraps his arms around me tight. “I love you so much. None of this matters. the Matt stuff? Doesn’t matter. I love you.”
I lean into his hug, my eyes prickling with tears. “I love you, too.”
The mere fact they were competing about Matt’s attention and trying to get some alone time with him didn’t sit well with me. I mean it’s okay that they both wanted to spend some time with him, but I didn’t like that they just assumed that Matt would either choose Kate or Andy. Like I mean, come on! There were so many other students at the school, what if Matt decided he didn’t want to be with any of them and just went for someone completely different? Now that would have been a plot twist. *lol* I personally think there should have at least been the possibility of an outcome like that, because it would have been way more realistic than Matt actually being with one of them.
Plus considering the closeness of Kate and Andy I would have thought they would have been able to set their Matt-differences aside, because if life taught me anything, then it’s that teen romances come and go, but your true friends? Well, they are the ones that will always stick with you no matter what.
I guess what it comes down to is that I really liked their friendship but that their competition and jealousy didn’t fit with the close friendship they should have had. If that makes any sense? I honestly would never ever think about stabbing my bestie with a paint brush just because she was talking with my crush. And yes, not even in my teens! But maybe that’s just me. I dunno. I liked to read about Kate’s conflicting emotions, because they felt real, but I think her thoughts and actions sometimes were way too dramatic. But hey, at least Kate seemed to have some sort of conscience. We never got to see Andy’s POV but I honestly didn’t like a lot of the things he did. Kate at least tried to keep it civil but Andy? Wow. Never in a million years would I have treated my bestie like that. And I’m not just talking about his obvious jealousy whenever Kate spent time with Matt and the way he completely shut down and gave her the cold shoulder. I’m talking about
Another thing I would have liked to see more of isn’t just Kate’s relationship with her brother but also her relationships with her other friends. I mean Raina and Brandie were her friends too but they were such superficial side-characters that they had no character at all? There would have been a lot of potential to make them more three-dimensional, especially with Raina’s background. And Matt? Why exactly did they like him in the first place?! What made him so unique that they both were crazy about him? The only thing I gathered about Matt was that he was sweet, a good actor and gorgeous. Period. There is no more to the main love interest than those three words. We never find out about his hobbies, why he doesn’t get along with his dad, if he’s good at sports or what actually happened that weekend he spent with his dad. And I mean more than the short answer he gave about it being horrible and him not enjoying to spend time with his father. The best character of the entire book was actually Noah Kaplan and no one can persuade me otherwise.
Noah blinks. "Why are we talking about testicles?"
"You brought them up." I blush. "I mean, not up, physically -"
"This conversation needs to be, like, a hundred percent less literal," says Noah.
I loved that boy and he was the sweetest thing. His character was multi-layered and funny and I loved the trio dynamic between him, Ryan and Kate. Honestly, Noah Kaplan’s existence saved a huge part of the book for me and I’m very thankful he was a solid part of it even though I think he deserved better than he got.
Conclusion:
After getting this all off my chest the only question is: Did I like “Kate in Waiting” or not?! Well, I mostly did. It was a fast and enjoyable read, the chapters are short and the writing style is easy to get into. I liked some parts of the friendship representation and I adored Noah Kaplan. The musical aspect was done nicely as well and I liked to read about how they got their show together. As with most of Becky Albertalli’s books there were some things that bugged me though and I just couldn’t overlook them. I have strong opinions (as you all know.*lol*) and when there’s something I didn’t like in a book I just talk about it. All told “Kate in Waiting” gets 3,5 stars from me. Not the best book I ever read but not bad either. I just wish I wouldn’t always feel so conflicted about Becky Albertalli’s characters and the choices they make. >_<
_________________________________
This was a fun and light read. I liked Kate’s POV but I really would have wanted to have an Andy POV too? *lol* Anyway, I enjoyed myself and had a good time and this is what counts. =)
As always with Becky Albertalli’s books there were some things I didn’t like (maybe I’m too critical, I dunno?!) and I’ll make sure to talk about them in my full review!
So for now all I’ll say is: RTC! Stay tuned, my lovelies! ;-)
___________________________________
So the first book I’m starting in 2023 is a book I recently discovered in my library.
“Kate in Waiting" is probably one of the few Becky Albertalli books I haven’t read yet and I wanted something light to start the year. I figured a rom-com about two besties that fall for the same guy might be exactly the right kind of drama I need right now. *lol*
Let’s find out if this will be a good one! ;-)
Find me on:
My Blog
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”If I could stop this crush, I would. I’d slam that brake so hard, with the full force of my brain. It’s just that I know it won’t work. I don’t think my brain’s in the driver’s seat.”
The first thing I have to admit before I go into this review is that I have a difficult relationship with Becky Albertalli’s books. I absolutely loved “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” and I really enjoyed “What If It’s Us”, but I was no huge fan of “Leah on the Offbeat” and the other books I read of her were just mostly okay, I think. So yeah, difficult relationship. I never know if I’ll love her books or if they are just going to be an okay read for me. With “Kate in Waiting” it seems to be even more complicated, because I enjoyed it enough to page through it, but there were some things that I think weren’t handled that well?!
And this gets me in a difficult spot, because how to keep this review spoiler free without going into the things that - in my personal opinion – didn’t sit well with me? >_< I guess at the end of the day all I can do is try to explain why the book got the rating it got and to hope that I manage to convey my feelings. I’m going to try to do exactly that, so please bear with me. I think it’s always easier to start with the good things first and because of that I’ll talk about the friendship between Kate and Andy.
”It kind of bugs me, though, the way people get weird about our closeness. If we were a couple, no one would even blink. But people are always saying that if they didn’t know Andy was gay, they’d never believe we were just friends.
It’s such bullshit. First of all, we’re best friends.
Second of all, there’s no just. Friendship isn’t a just. Yes, Andy’s gay. No, we’re not a couple. But Anderson Walker is the most important person in my life, hands down.”
I really loved their friendship and I think it was portrayed well. They both care about each other deeply and it’s obvious throughout the entire book. They are a found family of their own and I really loved how Kate thought about their friendship. That quote above nailed it because I have a male best friend too and nope he isn’t gay like Andy. He actually has a lovely wife now and a kid and we’re still in contact and close. I was at their wedding last summer. XD I think what I’m trying to say is that it’s possible to have a friendship like that and that it’s really one of the best things if you’re so close that gender and sexuality don’t even matter. So to see this on page was amazing and I could relate to a lot of the things Kate thought about Anderson. Still, to see them giving each other the cold shoulder and the fact they were jealous about the time the other spent with Matt made me really sad. I mean they are teens and they are both in love with the same guy. Their feelings get the better of them. I get it, but even when my bestie and I liked the same guy (talking about a different bestie than before) we would just agree that the guy decides in the end.
”Katypie, I’m so sorry. I’m done being an asshole.” He leans over the gearshift and wraps his arms around me tight. “I love you so much. None of this matters. the Matt stuff? Doesn’t matter. I love you.”
I lean into his hug, my eyes prickling with tears. “I love you, too.”
The mere fact they were competing about Matt’s attention and trying to get some alone time with him didn’t sit well with me. I mean it’s okay that they both wanted to spend some time with him, but I didn’t like that they just assumed that Matt would either choose Kate or Andy. Like I mean, come on! There were so many other students at the school, what if Matt decided he didn’t want to be with any of them and just went for someone completely different? Now that would have been a plot twist. *lol* I personally think there should have at least been the possibility of an outcome like that, because it would have been way more realistic than Matt actually being with one of them.
Plus considering the closeness of Kate and Andy I would have thought they would have been able to set their Matt-differences aside, because if life taught me anything, then it’s that teen romances come and go, but your true friends? Well, they are the ones that will always stick with you no matter what.
I guess what it comes down to is that I really liked their friendship but that their competition and jealousy didn’t fit with the close friendship they should have had. If that makes any sense? I honestly would never ever think about stabbing my bestie with a paint brush just because she was talking with my crush. And yes, not even in my teens! But maybe that’s just me. I dunno. I liked to read about Kate’s conflicting emotions, because they felt real, but I think her thoughts and actions sometimes were way too dramatic. But hey, at least Kate seemed to have some sort of conscience. We never got to see Andy’s POV but I honestly didn’t like a lot of the things he did. Kate at least tried to keep it civil but Andy? Wow. Never in a million years would I have treated my bestie like that. And I’m not just talking about his obvious jealousy whenever Kate spent time with Matt and the way he completely shut down and gave her the cold shoulder. I’m talking about
Another thing I would have liked to see more of isn’t just Kate’s relationship with her brother but also her relationships with her other friends. I mean Raina and Brandie were her friends too but they were such superficial side-characters that they had no character at all? There would have been a lot of potential to make them more three-dimensional, especially with Raina’s background. And Matt? Why exactly did they like him in the first place?! What made him so unique that they both were crazy about him? The only thing I gathered about Matt was that he was sweet, a good actor and gorgeous. Period. There is no more to the main love interest than those three words. We never find out about his hobbies, why he doesn’t get along with his dad, if he’s good at sports or what actually happened that weekend he spent with his dad. And I mean more than the short answer he gave about it being horrible and him not enjoying to spend time with his father. The best character of the entire book was actually Noah Kaplan and no one can persuade me otherwise.
Noah blinks. "Why are we talking about testicles?"
"You brought them up." I blush. "I mean, not up, physically -"
"This conversation needs to be, like, a hundred percent less literal," says Noah.
I loved that boy and he was the sweetest thing. His character was multi-layered and funny and I loved the trio dynamic between him, Ryan and Kate. Honestly, Noah Kaplan’s existence saved a huge part of the book for me and I’m very thankful he was a solid part of it even though I think he deserved better than he got.
Conclusion:
After getting this all off my chest the only question is: Did I like “Kate in Waiting” or not?! Well, I mostly did. It was a fast and enjoyable read, the chapters are short and the writing style is easy to get into. I liked some parts of the friendship representation and I adored Noah Kaplan. The musical aspect was done nicely as well and I liked to read about how they got their show together. As with most of Becky Albertalli’s books there were some things that bugged me though and I just couldn’t overlook them. I have strong opinions (as you all know.*lol*) and when there’s something I didn’t like in a book I just talk about it. All told “Kate in Waiting” gets 3,5 stars from me. Not the best book I ever read but not bad either. I just wish I wouldn’t always feel so conflicted about Becky Albertalli’s characters and the choices they make. >_<
_________________________________
This was a fun and light read. I liked Kate’s POV but I really would have wanted to have an Andy POV too? *lol* Anyway, I enjoyed myself and had a good time and this is what counts. =)
As always with Becky Albertalli’s books there were some things I didn’t like (maybe I’m too critical, I dunno?!) and I’ll make sure to talk about them in my full review!
So for now all I’ll say is: RTC! Stay tuned, my lovelies! ;-)
___________________________________
So the first book I’m starting in 2023 is a book I recently discovered in my library.
“Kate in Waiting" is probably one of the few Becky Albertalli books I haven’t read yet and I wanted something light to start the year. I figured a rom-com about two besties that fall for the same guy might be exactly the right kind of drama I need right now. *lol*
Let’s find out if this will be a good one! ;-)
Find me on:
My Blog
April 22, 2021
One person has rights and that person is Noah Kaplan.
I’m happy Becky Albertalli decided to write something from a different angle because I really enjoyed this book. It’s been a while since I’ve last enjoyed a solo book by her. I wish there were more books with characters playing in a musical because that’s a favorite trope of mine and it was so fun here! I would have liked it even more if the book didn’t almost always skip on the characters doing rehearsals and the actual play, but I understand the focus of this story was something different. This book is about young adults experiencing friendship, family and high school crushes, and honestly it was so well done. It did get way too cheesy at times (like, can you stop mentioning Tangled please??) but it was definitely realistic. The exploration of the relationship between Kate and Anderson took center stage and I found it very interesting. How can you even have a crush on someone at the same time as your best friend and not engage in drama? Kate keeps flip-flopping between being jealous and being supportive, and I did like that aspect because that’s how I think it would go in real life. Even though seeing it in a book wasn’t always ideal and the back and forth started to feel repetitive after the halfway point.
I loved the pacing of this book. I had a super hard time putting the book down! I do think some stuff could have been cut out because it felt too long at times, but the writing style is so fluid and breezy it’s not a huge issue, plus the chapters are short and you can effortlessly get through them. This book is perfect for people in a reading slump.
I liked the characters a lot. From the first moment Noah was introduced I was in love, he is absolutely my favorite. His jokes, his cheeky personality, his clumsiness......I caNNOT 😭✨
I also though Kate and Anderson were great characters to read about. The way they are always there for each other and are respectful no matter the situation! I needed something like this in my high school years.
Ryan’s a big part of the story too, and well, Kate’s so lucky to have him. The relationship between them was one of the elements of the story I always wanted to read more about, no matter where I was at with the plot.
Overall the characters were well-rounded and I cared about all of them, but I also think Brandie, Raina and Matt could have used more work. Brandie and Raina have their space in the book, but I couldn’t tell them apart most of the time. Matt was the sweetest but I had the same problem with him: his character wasn’t explored enough. The book basically starts right away with Kate and Anderson already liking Matt, and throughout the book there’s not really much to grab on to. I have no idea why they both like him honestly 🤷🏻♀️
Despite this, the romance is totally swoon-worthy! The way [redacted] smiled at each other across the stage....that was the cutest shit I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I’m not blushing you are.
I highly recommend you pick this book up as soon as it comes out ❤️
I received an advanced reader copy through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I’m happy Becky Albertalli decided to write something from a different angle because I really enjoyed this book. It’s been a while since I’ve last enjoyed a solo book by her. I wish there were more books with characters playing in a musical because that’s a favorite trope of mine and it was so fun here! I would have liked it even more if the book didn’t almost always skip on the characters doing rehearsals and the actual play, but I understand the focus of this story was something different. This book is about young adults experiencing friendship, family and high school crushes, and honestly it was so well done. It did get way too cheesy at times (like, can you stop mentioning Tangled please??) but it was definitely realistic. The exploration of the relationship between Kate and Anderson took center stage and I found it very interesting. How can you even have a crush on someone at the same time as your best friend and not engage in drama? Kate keeps flip-flopping between being jealous and being supportive, and I did like that aspect because that’s how I think it would go in real life. Even though seeing it in a book wasn’t always ideal and the back and forth started to feel repetitive after the halfway point.
I loved the pacing of this book. I had a super hard time putting the book down! I do think some stuff could have been cut out because it felt too long at times, but the writing style is so fluid and breezy it’s not a huge issue, plus the chapters are short and you can effortlessly get through them. This book is perfect for people in a reading slump.
I liked the characters a lot. From the first moment Noah was introduced I was in love, he is absolutely my favorite. His jokes, his cheeky personality, his clumsiness......I caNNOT 😭✨
I also though Kate and Anderson were great characters to read about. The way they are always there for each other and are respectful no matter the situation! I needed something like this in my high school years.
Ryan’s a big part of the story too, and well, Kate’s so lucky to have him. The relationship between them was one of the elements of the story I always wanted to read more about, no matter where I was at with the plot.
Overall the characters were well-rounded and I cared about all of them, but I also think Brandie, Raina and Matt could have used more work. Brandie and Raina have their space in the book, but I couldn’t tell them apart most of the time. Matt was the sweetest but I had the same problem with him: his character wasn’t explored enough. The book basically starts right away with Kate and Anderson already liking Matt, and throughout the book there’s not really much to grab on to. I have no idea why they both like him honestly 🤷🏻♀️
Despite this, the romance is totally swoon-worthy! The way [redacted] smiled at each other across the stage....that was the cutest shit I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I’m not blushing you are.
I highly recommend you pick this book up as soon as it comes out ❤️
I received an advanced reader copy through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
October 13, 2021
Andy looks at Matt and laughs. “You’re cute.”Kate in Waiting has a very straightforward story. Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker are high school juniors who have been best friends forever. They’ve crushed on the same boy before, but when their latest summer theater camp crush, Matt Olsson, transfers into their school, their mutual interest in Matt threatens their friendship.
My heart leaps into my throat. Okay. That was more blatantly flirtatious than I expected. And a part of me’s like, wow, Andy, step up that game. Get yours.
But yeah. A part of me wants to stab him with a paintbrush.
Is Kate in Waiting as good as Simon v. The Homo Sapien Agenda? No, and I should probably stop comparing every book by Ms. Albertalli to her best book. While there’s a lot of fun stuff here about putting on a school musical, there’s no real drama. I’d argue there zero suspense about who Kate will end up with. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy this story. Ms. Albertalli has a real talent for writing likable teen narrators you want to root for, and Kate is no exception. She’s a sweet character in a sweet story (bucking the trend in YA romance, the action is this book is decidedly PG—though I agree with the many other reviewers who noted that the use of profanity here was excessive and unnecessary), and Kate’s emotional swings during the story are gloriously melodramatic. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended.
April 20, 2021
You guys seriously aren’t ready. *grins wildly*
Edit:
It's officially out! The way that I am completely obsessed with this book is entirely unreal. Becky has written yet another masterpiece and I am so honored to be the tiniest part of it. I hope that you all love it and that you love Matt as much as I do!!! <3
Edit:
It's officially out! The way that I am completely obsessed with this book is entirely unreal. Becky has written yet another masterpiece and I am so honored to be the tiniest part of it. I hope that you all love it and that you love Matt as much as I do!!! <3
May 17, 2021
3.5 stars
Okay, the theater kid in me loved this book so much. Seriously, I had so much fun reading about theater kids in high school and best friends crushing on the same boy etc. I wish the romance would have happened earlier and OMG if the word f*ckboy or F-boy wasn't said around 700 times I would have rated it higher, but it was a good time and I'm glad I read it. Kate was relatable and I loved her BFF Anderson. They had such a great dynamic. Becky Albertali writes a ton of diverse characters in this one, which is awesome. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a fun YA.
Okay, the theater kid in me loved this book so much. Seriously, I had so much fun reading about theater kids in high school and best friends crushing on the same boy etc. I wish the romance would have happened earlier and OMG if the word f*ckboy or F-boy wasn't said around 700 times I would have rated it higher, but it was a good time and I'm glad I read it. Kate was relatable and I loved her BFF Anderson. They had such a great dynamic. Becky Albertali writes a ton of diverse characters in this one, which is awesome. I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a fun YA.
Audio book source: Libby (library borrow)
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrator: Bebe Wood
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance (YA)
Length: 9 hours and 10 minutes
July 11, 2021
Dieses Buch hat mich glücklich gemacht! Der Erzählstil besteht zu einem Großteil aus Gedanken, weshalb das Buch flüssig zu lesen, nachempfindbar und emotional ist. Dabei besticht es besonders durch eine lockere Atmosphäre und den Humor. Die Charaktere sind authentisch, lebendig und divers. Besonders der Fokus auf der Freundschaftsbeziehung von Kate und Andy hat mir so gut gefallen. Auch alle Dialoge und angesprochenen Themen, sowie die Lovestories konnten mich erreichen. Alles in allem hat mir das Buch einfach Spaß gemacht. Habe keine Kritikpunkte, daher die verdienten 5 Sterne🥰!
May 11, 2021
this book was made for me.
okay becky albertalli doesn’t know i exist but i swear it was made for me.
i loved this so much. i do theatre and i’ve just never related to a character more. i think this rating may be a bit biased but wow this is a new favorite. also it got me out of my slump yayy!!!!
okay becky albertalli doesn’t know i exist but i swear it was made for me.
i loved this so much. i do theatre and i’ve just never related to a character more. i think this rating may be a bit biased but wow this is a new favorite. also it got me out of my slump yayy!!!!
Read
November 15, 2020I...think this is my new favorite Becky book? I just loved everything, from the friendship with huge emphasis on the importance of platonic love (with tremendous David/Stevie vibes, FYI to any fellow Schitt's Creek lovers) to the brother-sister relationship between Kate and Ryan to the Jewish rep to the excellent romance, and it's just so freaking funny and charming and Kate just feels so well-rounded in both her flaws and delightfulness and...yeah. Happy sigh. Honestly, she's one of the only authors who writes books with MCs who feel like me in high school, and she's definitely done it again here.
July 15, 2020
Kate in Waiting follows Kate, who has a history of "sharing crushes" with her best friend, Andy. But when both of them fall hard for the same guy, Matt, it suddenly feels less fun, and more fraught. After all, from the way Matt is acting during rehearsals for the school musical--in which he plays the love interest opposite Kate--it's pretty obvious he must be starting to reciprocate Kate's feelings, which means she has to hurt Andy, her best friend in the world, and the person she usually shares these butterfly feelings with.
To complicate matters, Kate's brother's best friend, Noah, has unexpectedly joined the musical, and becomes inexplicably interested in cultivating a close friendship with his new cast mates. So much so that Andy grows suspicious that something's happening between Kate and Noah.
But Andy just wants Kate out of the way so their joint crush on Matt becomes less complicated, right? It's not like Kate could ever see her brother's best friend that way...
Becky outdid herself with this! Genuinely hilarious, cute, fun--and I was so invested in Kate I was more on her side than I think even Kate was! Just wait until 2021.
To complicate matters, Kate's brother's best friend, Noah, has unexpectedly joined the musical, and becomes inexplicably interested in cultivating a close friendship with his new cast mates. So much so that Andy grows suspicious that something's happening between Kate and Noah.
But Andy just wants Kate out of the way so their joint crush on Matt becomes less complicated, right? It's not like Kate could ever see her brother's best friend that way...
Becky outdid herself with this! Genuinely hilarious, cute, fun--and I was so invested in Kate I was more on her side than I think even Kate was! Just wait until 2021.
December 7, 2021
It was good but could have been so much better.
Just another average romance read
Just another average romance read
April 29, 2021
I would write a full review of this book, but I decided to do a shot every time she uses the word “fu*kboy” or “f-boy” and I died of alcohol poisoning!
May 18, 2021
Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....
If there's a thing I regret not doing during my school years was being part of a Glee club or theatre club and it was not for lack of desire, but because Spanish schools don't have that kind of thing (I know, it sucks). If my school had had that my time there would have been much more thrilling. A Broadway diva lives inside of me (and pretty often outside too. You can ask my neighbors), so when I read the synopsis of Kate in waiting I knew I had to read it as soon as possible.
This was such a cute and fun read! Obviously I loved the musical theatre aspect and all the references as well as all the representation. There're black, gay, jewish, transgender, disabled characters, but they were not defined by that, it was just another piece of info about them. I hate when an author makes a character all about their sexuality, their race, their religion as if thinking "look how inclusive I am writing a (insert trait of choice) character!"
The story was all about relationships, with the group of friends, between siblings, with your "unrequited" crush... While I liked Kate's interactions with some of her friends, I thought her relationship with her best friend Andy was anything but healthy. Their crush with Matt was a bit overplayed, imo. We don't get enough information about him so it just seems they like him because he's cute and not a f-boy (excessive use of that and fuckboy, btw). Who cares about Matt when there's Noah in the picture? I loved his arc with Kate and would have liked to read more about them.
I'm not usually one for YA but, in this case, the musical theatre backdrop and some charming characters stole my heart.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Children's UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review
If there's a thing I regret not doing during my school years was being part of a Glee club or theatre club and it was not for lack of desire, but because Spanish schools don't have that kind of thing (I know, it sucks). If my school had had that my time there would have been much more thrilling. A Broadway diva lives inside of me (and pretty often outside too. You can ask my neighbors), so when I read the synopsis of Kate in waiting I knew I had to read it as soon as possible.
This was such a cute and fun read! Obviously I loved the musical theatre aspect and all the references as well as all the representation. There're black, gay, jewish, transgender, disabled characters, but they were not defined by that, it was just another piece of info about them. I hate when an author makes a character all about their sexuality, their race, their religion as if thinking "look how inclusive I am writing a (insert trait of choice) character!"
The story was all about relationships, with the group of friends, between siblings, with your "unrequited" crush... While I liked Kate's interactions with some of her friends, I thought her relationship with her best friend Andy was anything but healthy. Their crush with Matt was a bit overplayed, imo. We don't get enough information about him so it just seems they like him because he's cute and not a f-boy (excessive use of that and fuckboy, btw). Who cares about Matt when there's Noah in the picture? I loved his arc with Kate and would have liked to read more about them.
I'm not usually one for YA but, in this case, the musical theatre backdrop and some charming characters stole my heart.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Children's UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review
June 2, 2021
I used to read a metric crapton of YA every year, but I’ve kind of fallen into a holding pattern of adult romances and stabby stabs that have taken me out of that genre. When I saw Becky Albertalli had a new release, however, I was all over it, because . . . . .
I mean for real.
The story here is about Kate, who thought she was giving the performance of a lifetime back at the 8th grade variety show . . . .
Only to have it become a defining moment of sorts when it went viral throughout the school and showed she was really not on key like she had believed. That’s when Kate started shying away from the spotlight – taking only ensemble roles in the school plays and musicals. It’s also when the theater kids became her squad and the jocks and cheerleaders became “f boys” (and girls). It’s when she gave up on actual attempts at maybe having a boyfriend and settled for sort of co-dependent/co-crushes with her best friend Anderson. But when their latest crush ends up transferring to their high school things get a little awkward.
Okay so this should 100% become a Netflix movie. I would watch it fifty and eleven times and Noah would obviously be played by . . . .
I mean I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to cast anyone else as a romantic male lead in a teenager rom com at this point.
As for the book? It struggled a little bit. Albertalli received a lot of backlash last year for being “too straight” to write her books. I’m all for representation and own voices, but I am also completely opposed to muting or muffling people’s ideas because they aren’t whatever enough. While this book was supposed to be about Kate, it felt like maybe it didn’t start that way and Anderson became a bit of a cardboard cutout in fear of more fallout. It also didn’t help that there was soooooo much musical talk and they just happened to pick one that isn’t really a fave of mine . . . . .
I’ll still read anything she writes, though. I just hope she gets back to the magic that was the Simonverse and What If It’s Us.
I mean for real.
The story here is about Kate, who thought she was giving the performance of a lifetime back at the 8th grade variety show . . . .
Only to have it become a defining moment of sorts when it went viral throughout the school and showed she was really not on key like she had believed. That’s when Kate started shying away from the spotlight – taking only ensemble roles in the school plays and musicals. It’s also when the theater kids became her squad and the jocks and cheerleaders became “f boys” (and girls). It’s when she gave up on actual attempts at maybe having a boyfriend and settled for sort of co-dependent/co-crushes with her best friend Anderson. But when their latest crush ends up transferring to their high school things get a little awkward.
Okay so this should 100% become a Netflix movie. I would watch it fifty and eleven times and Noah would obviously be played by . . . .
I mean I’m pretty sure it’s illegal to cast anyone else as a romantic male lead in a teenager rom com at this point.
As for the book? It struggled a little bit. Albertalli received a lot of backlash last year for being “too straight” to write her books. I’m all for representation and own voices, but I am also completely opposed to muting or muffling people’s ideas because they aren’t whatever enough. While this book was supposed to be about Kate, it felt like maybe it didn’t start that way and Anderson became a bit of a cardboard cutout in fear of more fallout. It also didn’t help that there was soooooo much musical talk and they just happened to pick one that isn’t really a fave of mine . . . . .
I’ll still read anything she writes, though. I just hope she gets back to the magic that was the Simonverse and What If It’s Us.
April 24, 2021
Loved the idea.
But I'm a little put off by the unchallenged idea of "f-boys" and "f-girls" that come up over and over again. It seems like we acknowledge that calling the popular girls "skanks" and "whores" isn't where it's at (thank you Mean Girls). So instead we shift to "f-girls" which for me felt like just repacking this tired girl hate trope.
Maybe Noah and Ryan challenge the f-boy idea that Kate has in her head a little. But also she seems to deem them on the outskirts of this group and therefore sees them as having more nuance.
It just felt really judgmental and mean-spirited. And it has nothing to do with the plot over all of Kate growing up and learning about friendship and love!
But I'm a little put off by the unchallenged idea of "f-boys" and "f-girls" that come up over and over again. It seems like we acknowledge that calling the popular girls "skanks" and "whores" isn't where it's at (thank you Mean Girls). So instead we shift to "f-girls" which for me felt like just repacking this tired girl hate trope.
Maybe Noah and Ryan challenge the f-boy idea that Kate has in her head a little. But also she seems to deem them on the outskirts of this group and therefore sees them as having more nuance.
It just felt really judgmental and mean-spirited. And it has nothing to do with the plot over all of Kate growing up and learning about friendship and love!
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
April 26, 2021DNF page 100. I’m SO SAD I can’t finish this because it was crazy high on my TBR. But the constant use of the word “fuckboy” is so grating I simply can’t continue. But not just that - if I did CTRL-F for any use of the words fuck, fuckboy, f-force, f-zone, fuckitude, f-girl and f-boy I bet there would be at least 300 by now, probably way more. It’s not necessarily so much the profanity I care about but the massive overuse of the same words. If I were a beta reader for this I would say exactly what I did to a former client of mine - word choice matters. Variety matters. Also, “fuckboy” hasn’t really even been defined yet in this book, but I just hate the term. I think I get what it is, but ........ Albertalli can do and has done SO much better than this.
July 30, 2021
I am SO SOFT pls 🥺 I wasn't sure how much I'd like this, but I had to read it because it's Becky Albertalli and . . . I should never have doubted that I'd love a Becky Albertalli book, tbh. I loved everything about Kate in Waiting and it just . . . ahhhhh!!
the thing about her books is just. they always hit hard. like, something about this book just felt so deeply me in a way that very few books do. I feel the same way about simon vs (although that one has unmatchable nostalgic meaning to me) and I just! love that! because it means a lot! and anyways this book was so soft and so full of love for theatre and so full of messy friendships and chaotic characters and the best banter and I'm just. having feelings 🥺🥺
the thing about her books is just. they always hit hard. like, something about this book just felt so deeply me in a way that very few books do. I feel the same way about simon vs (although that one has unmatchable nostalgic meaning to me) and I just! love that! because it means a lot! and anyways this book was so soft and so full of love for theatre and so full of messy friendships and chaotic characters and the best banter and I'm just. having feelings 🥺🥺
December 3, 2021
Kate in Waiting By Becky Albertalli
This book is what you call a guilty pleasure. I knew I would enjoy this book but this much?? I had literally no idea. It was such an amazing experience and a comfort read. This book is cute, sweet, hilarious and of course heart warming.💙💙💙
"I know exactly what you mean.- It’s the most underrated sentence on earth.
Translation: no, you’re not weird. Even your weird stuff isn’t weird. You make sense."
"Kate in Waiting" is follows two best friends- Kate and Andy. They are a perfect example of friendship, a dynamic duo and absolute friendship goal (at least for me). None of them do anything without each other's opinion. They have a habit of having crushes on the same guy. They call it "communal crush". Usually, it's fine as their crushes are pretty short lived and all. So, Why not sharing a crush with your bff? After all, there is nothing more pleasant than gushing about a guy to your bff, Right?
“Maybe he followed us?” I slide my feet forward on the tiles. “Oh my God. He fell in love with us and followed us home from camp.” “WAIT—”
But this summer everything changes when Matt, Kate and Andy's crush from a summer camp transfers to their school. They both like him. Will this crush thing destroy their friendship? How will they confess their feelings without hurting each other? On the other hand, theater has always been Kate's life and dreams. This year, for the first time in her life, she has got a chance to play an important role in the fall musical. Everything is going to change this time....
I just love Kate and Andy's friendship. OMG, it was soo awesome. I need a bff like this...😭😭😭. I didn't sleep at night (just slept for 2 hours) to finish this book and it's definitely worth it.
“I am so platonically in love with Anderson Walker, it makes my brain hurt.”
This book is what you call a guilty pleasure. I knew I would enjoy this book but this much?? I had literally no idea. It was such an amazing experience and a comfort read. This book is cute, sweet, hilarious and of course heart warming.💙💙💙
"I know exactly what you mean.- It’s the most underrated sentence on earth.
Translation: no, you’re not weird. Even your weird stuff isn’t weird. You make sense."
"Kate in Waiting" is follows two best friends- Kate and Andy. They are a perfect example of friendship, a dynamic duo and absolute friendship goal (at least for me). None of them do anything without each other's opinion. They have a habit of having crushes on the same guy. They call it "communal crush". Usually, it's fine as their crushes are pretty short lived and all. So, Why not sharing a crush with your bff? After all, there is nothing more pleasant than gushing about a guy to your bff, Right?
“Maybe he followed us?” I slide my feet forward on the tiles. “Oh my God. He fell in love with us and followed us home from camp.” “WAIT—”
But this summer everything changes when Matt, Kate and Andy's crush from a summer camp transfers to their school. They both like him. Will this crush thing destroy their friendship? How will they confess their feelings without hurting each other? On the other hand, theater has always been Kate's life and dreams. This year, for the first time in her life, she has got a chance to play an important role in the fall musical. Everything is going to change this time....
I just love Kate and Andy's friendship. OMG, it was soo awesome. I need a bff like this...😭😭😭. I didn't sleep at night (just slept for 2 hours) to finish this book and it's definitely worth it.
“I am so platonically in love with Anderson Walker, it makes my brain hurt.”
April 16, 2021
I can't imagine reading a Becky Albertalli book and not enjoying it. And Kate in Waiting wasn't any different. It's again such a charming, funny, wholesome book, exactly what I've come to expect from Becky's writing.
I especially loved the emphasis on friendship, and friendship being shown as just as important as romance. Even though there is romance, the main relationship is that between Kate and her best friend, Anderson, and I loved reading about them.
I also loved that there's no unnecessary drama. There are valid emotions involved and the characters work through those. They have realistic flaws. But nothing is spun out so much as to make things unnecessarily dramatic, and I really appreciated that.
My thing with Becky Albertalli's book is that I tend to enjoy them even more when I reread them, so I'm already looking forward to rereading Kate in Waiting eventually!
I especially loved the emphasis on friendship, and friendship being shown as just as important as romance. Even though there is romance, the main relationship is that between Kate and her best friend, Anderson, and I loved reading about them.
I also loved that there's no unnecessary drama. There are valid emotions involved and the characters work through those. They have realistic flaws. But nothing is spun out so much as to make things unnecessarily dramatic, and I really appreciated that.
My thing with Becky Albertalli's book is that I tend to enjoy them even more when I reread them, so I'm already looking forward to rereading Kate in Waiting eventually!
Read
January 3, 2021This wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't for me. This was the kind of young adult book that makes me think maybe I'm too old for young adult. The main character (Kate, duh) and her best friend Andy have a crush on the same guy. This has happened to them before, but because neither of them has ever done anything about these crushes, it's never caused any problems. But now Kate, Andy, and their communal crush are all trying out for the same musical.
And it's all fine, really. A lot of readers are really going to love this and I would happily recommend it. In fact, I think 14-Year-Old Jessica would have loved this. But Thirtysomething Jessica found Kate to be immature and naive to the point of cringy...which, well, made it hard to connect with the story.
And it's all fine, really. A lot of readers are really going to love this and I would happily recommend it. In fact, I think 14-Year-Old Jessica would have loved this. But Thirtysomething Jessica found Kate to be immature and naive to the point of cringy...which, well, made it hard to connect with the story.
August 1, 2021
4,5⭐️
Tolle tolle Geschichte. Mochte das Buch super gerne, war zwar ein klein wenig Vorhersehbar, aber hat mich irgendwie gar nicht gestört. Hab’s richtig gerne gelesen😍
Tolle tolle Geschichte. Mochte das Buch super gerne, war zwar ein klein wenig Vorhersehbar, aber hat mich irgendwie gar nicht gestört. Hab’s richtig gerne gelesen😍
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