Kate and her best friend Anderson couldn’t be much closer. The share everything, from a love of theatre to mutual crushes. When they both fall for the same guy in a far more serious way, it puts a strain on their relationship and makes Kate realise that friendship is more important than any crush and that people are far more complex than they may at first seem.

This was a sweet book about friendship and first love. It has good lbgtq+ representation as with the author’s previous novels.

I struggled to connect with the characters and felt like I was waiting for something big to happen and ultimately felt a little let down but that may have been because I am a lot older than the characters and target audience.

I could see this being very popular with readers in their mid to late teens and for fans of the author’s previous books. A cute teen rom-com just a little lacking in substance for me.

I received this from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I really like Becky Albertalli’s writing style, it’s very easy going and fun. This was a fun, theatre packed book about high school romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this Arc in exchange for a honest review...

I have never read a book by Becky Albertalli but I'm glad when I finally read one, it was this one!

Noah Kaplin was an absolute bean who deserves the world. He has to be my favourite character from this. I really enjoyed how Kate and her brother had a great close relationship, it was sweet to see him try and get involved with her life and friends.

Although it really did annoy me and make me cringe when they used and over used the whole f*ck-boy thing. I think mentioning it once or twice would've been enough but not the whole way through it.

I wish there were another one, maybe couple of years down the line when both Kate and Anderson are both actors or Broadway stars?

SPOTLIGHT POST

Confusion reigns as romantic attachments cause nervous bewilderment where drama plays on and off stage. Two best friends who are part of a diverse ensemble cast are discombobulated by a communal crush.

You know how people freeze-frame into your brain, almost like your mental contact photo? That’s ? in my head.”

#BOOK HAIKU

Kate waits so awkward

in the wings for her leading

man but who is he?

Friendship, flirtation and fun

abound but all is not sound.

As scenes unravel

the show must go on

before curtain falls.

The story of close, ‘codependent’ friendship between Anderson and Kate, who share everything, even crushes. But what starts as a communal crush from afar - a fun ideal - could in fact threaten their friendship when they each become much closer with said crush and fall more deeply... I’m a huge fan of Becky Albertalli having adored her Creekwood books. I think she writes a brilliant YA romance: honest, engaging and reassuring. I found this book a little harder to get into than her previous ones - perhaps because of the constant theatre references or the intensity of the ‘codependency’ - but stick with it because it grows into a true Albertalli novel with a warm afterglow.

I really loved this book. It was so perfectly adorable, predictable and full of relatable teenage angst. There is some really nice to see representation of LGBT characters, and the narrative flows so well that it was super easy to read.

This book was one hell of a show!
I loved all all of the characters.
I was amazed about so many divers characters.
The main character and their family is Jewish, the best friend is black and gay, another friend is trans, another character is disabled...I really liked how they had characters for these!
This really is the story about friendships and crushes and I really liked the friendship between Kate and Andy.
Noah I really liked from the start.
I like that the chapters are written like acts, and the final chapter is a curtain call.
This book was just a wonderful delight, and I was grinning so widely at the end.
You MUST read this book!
I'd love to get my hands on a physical now!
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this!

Please excuse any grammatical errors, or typos. I have done my best, but in reality I am just reader. and will leave the writing to all the incredible authors out there. 
This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.
This is a non spoiler review, because you as reader need to read this book. Also, I feel sometimes I have in the past gave away to much of the plot line.

This has diminished the pleasure for would be readers.

Becky Albertalli newest book,

Kate In Waiting, is a perfect coming of age, rom-com for 2021.
We follows best friends Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker, who happens to have the very best kind of friendship. These two besties are theater buffs and are completely inseparable. They do everything together, sharing each other’s secrets.


The girls find themselves in a bit of a twist, after gushing over the same unattainable guy Matt Olsson in summer camp, they come face to face with him when he transfers to the girls school. The girls friendship is tested as they have never had to face this problem before.


The author narration is seamless and engaging, I enjoyed how the centralizing of the story was around the school musical. The girls friendship bond didn’t take a backseat to the romance. Becky Albertalli, has a way of writing that draws the reader into the characters lives, in such a way that will have you completely immersed in their lives.


A delightful book that touches on true life situations that young adults face today. Also the author does a fabulous job in bringing some great LGBTQ representation. Which I thought was done very well done.
An exceptional heartwarming reading experience that was everything I hoped for!

Synopsis :

Best friends, and contrary to popular belief, not co-dependent. Examples:

Carpooling to and from theatre rehearsals? Environmentally sound and efficient.
Consulting each other on every single life decision? Basic good judgment.
Pining for the same guys from afar? Shared crushes are more fun anyway.

But when Kate and Andy's latest long-distance crush shows up at their school, everything goes off-script.

Enter Stage Left: Matt Olsson

He 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...

Praise for Becky Albertalli:

'Heart-fluttering, honest and hilarious' - Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss

'Touching and passionate... completely lovable with bags of empathy' - The Observer

'Wonderfully charismatic' - Bookseller

'Stunningly three-dimensional' - Entertainment Weekly

'Sharp and funny' - Publishers Weekly

'Funny, moving and emotionally wise' - Kirkus Reviews

'Timeless' - Teen Vogue

I am desperate for more YA books that mainly feature the highs and lows of platonic friendships, and Becky Albertalli delivered exactly that! Kate and Anderson’s friendship was so loving and precious, they were very dependent on each other as most friendships are which created tension and anguish when their communal crush began to come between them. However what I particularly loved about Kate in Waiting was that the author didn’t include Matt as a driving force between Kate and Anderson, but simply as a distraction which led to a break down in communication, meaning this novel could be relatable for many readers who’ve been through a similar break up even when a boy was not the reason.

Becky Albertalli has a talent for writing very genuine high school characters, from giving cliques their own inside joke nicknames to embarrassing and awkward romance moments, there is an accuracy in Becky Albertalli’s novels that is hard to find elsewhere. I also love the representation of Jewish faith in Becky Albertalli’s novels, religion is always discussed in a normalised and routine way without any need for explanation or justification. As well as exploring friendships, Kate in Waiting discusses multiple family dynamics such as co-parenting, living between divorced parents, and Kate’s relationship with her brother, Ryan.

Becky Albertalli books are pure comfort reads for me, and Kate in Waiting was exactly the type of novel I needed to lift up my mood. The story was fast paced with plenty of friendship and romantic drama to keep me very entertained throughout. The story mainly revolves around a love triangle of sorts, which could easily have put me off reading this novel but Becky Albertalli handled the romance and friendships within the story perfectly. A theatre setting, plenty of musical references and short chapters meant Kate in Waiting was the perfect book for me, I adored it!

Kate in Waiting is a book that has lots of heart. All the characters are unique and bring their own something to the story. What's lovely about this book is how it explores all types of relationships and has a clear representation for the LGBTQ+ community. The author also perfectly captures and nuances the dramas and angst teens feel. A great read that keeps you engaged and turning the pages to see what happens next.

This book literally had me ON EDGE!
I love the friendship between Kate and Anderson but it pained me to see how easily something could come between them.
I guess communal crushes are not practical in real life.
I mostly feel bad for Kate and how the whole situation was handled.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I felt it was well written.
I will definitely be looking into more books from this author!

This is my first taste of Becky Albertalli's writing, and it was lovely. It's the exact kind of sweet contemporary YA that is easy to consume, makes you feel a little gooey inside (but would probably become a bit sickly with too much consumption!)

Ever since their brief romance, when Anderson released that he was gay, Kate and Andy have been best friends. They do everything together, from driving to school, taking part in the musical, going to theatre camp ... and crushing on the same guys. Because a shared crush is much more fun than having one alone, right?

Unfortunately, Kate and Andy find themselves falling for the same guy again but, when it turns out Matt is now going to their school, there's suddenly the chance for this crush to become something more for either of them. And, although they lay ground rules that are meant to protect their friendship at all costs, as things become more serious for both Kate and Andy, Kate knows someone is going to end up getting hurt, whatever the outcome.

Kate and Andy have a really natural dialogue and banter with each other, which is part of what makes this book so fun to read. They are both a little bit extra, and often lack in confidence, but they boost each other up just like good friends should do. They are also not the only characters in the book, or the friendship group, and it's really great to read a YA story that, although it focuses on Kate as the main character, has some properly fleshed-out supporting roles too. This includes Kate's brother, Ryan, her two other close friends, Brandie and Raina (one of whom is trans), Ryan's friend Noah, as well as the ensemble of drama kids who are taking part in this year's production.

Having recently read The Love Curse of Melody Macintyre, as well as Camp, it was super fun to read another story set in a 'theatre kids' world, especially as this production was a lot more like a normal school production, and the actors were keen but not mind-bendingly serious!

This is very much a love triangle, but it's told well, and in a fun setting. It also doesn't pit the characters against each other; Kate isn't always easy to love, but we see her being caught between envy and being supportive of her friend and it's both endearing and realistic. Even better is a budding romance in this story that isn't forced and isn't added to force a comparison between these love interests - it just begins to make sense and it's just really sweet to read.

I'm not a big fan of labelling basically everyone who is not part of the theatre squad as "fuckboys" or "f-boys" - not because I'm offended by the language, but just because it became a little repetitive. We understand that Kate has issues with some of these kids, but it seems like there's the jocks, and the theatre kids, and that's it. We see some crossing of these boundaries, and Kate perhaps becoming a little more open-minded as the story goes on, but it's still perpetuated by her own friends, so I doubt this kind of inclusivity was intended to be the message, even though the rest of the characters are diverse and inclusive.

In all, I found this a really fun, enjoyable read - it might not blow your mind, but there was something wholesome in this story that other similar YA books just really miss.

Becky Albertalli stole my heart in the Simon-verse and through her other books. Admittedly, I came here with quite high expectations and I’m not sure how that played out with my total image of this new book.

Kate In Waiting talks about two best friends who are so similar to each other that they even crush on the same people every time. But in a weird time of their life, crushes are not fun crushes anymore and actually involved their real feelings.

In a way, this book took me back to high school, with those friends that meant so much at that point in my life. Unfortunately, a decade after, they are mere acquaintances who I don’t have in my life anymore. Regardless, reading books circling these themes will always be sweet and very nostalgic.

Like always, I loved Albertalli’s writing style. Its always a fun adventure seeing her very “young” voice and all those pop culture references. However, I felt like this book was lacking in the pacing game. It took quite a long time for the story to pick up, and in many ways, I wanted the story to progress a little sooner.

The characters shine, though! They are all so precious and I want to adopt them. Kate is truly lovable, I liked Andy, Matt was cute, but the star in the show, for me, was Noah Kaplan! My heart goes to the guy! Even the side characters Raina, and Brandie were all lovable. Overall, I think one of the author’s strengths was developing characters with fun dynamics.

If there’s one thing that I wish I did not have in this read, it’s the repeated variations of f-boy, f-girl.. I felt like I read more than a hundred of them… and it can really get irritating. Admittedly, I hated the word in its entirety and I hate it even more that I have to keep seeing it repeatedly on the page.

Rarely do I find a book that makes me question my rating system and this is one of them. To save your time from reading my rambles: I adore this book from its fleshed-out characters to the pacing of the story, from its format to its symbols. Somehow, while preparing to review this novel, I asked myself if I was reading into it too much. But what’s new?

Check out my blogpost for the full review, why I think Kate in Waiting's structure is fantastic, and why I assume that the car rides symbolize Kate's relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Children’s UK for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I sat down and read this book in one sitting, I absolutely adore Becky Albertalli, I think she's a fantastic author and I've absolutely adored all of her backlisted books that I've read, yet I felt this one was a bit of a let down in comparison. Kate in Waiting didn't give me that super fuzzy feeling inside like Becky's previous books have done for me. I still enjoyed this read but I just don't think it stands up to the 'Simonverse' that Becky has created.

(4.8 stars) I can always count on Albertalli to make me laugh out loud, and this was no exception! I was cracking up right from the get-go and there were plenty of truly hilarious moments sprinkled throughout the book. Aside from humour, Albertalli also sensitively depicts more serious topics, such as past cyberbullying, emotions around divorce and social anxiety. This also made the story context and characters a lot more realistic and complex, as we get extra insight which helped me connect more deeply to the characters, especially Kate.

Albertalli wrote Kate so well that I had physical reactions right alongside her. I felt like I had a gravity well in my chest during the angsty parts and felt like blushing when she did! Speaking of angst, surprisingly most of it was friend-related rather than romance – though, looking back at the blurb, I should have expected that! I absolutely adored the value and attention given to Kate’s friendship with Andy. A love for the ages and a strike back against amatonormativity! Kate’s relationship with her brother Ryan was another standout point, and it was so poignant and the development made me quite emotional (but somehow still stayed light and funny?!).

I also love how I’ve literally only just realised this was a love triangle. I’m not a fan of love triangles (they usually feel a bit contrived to me) but the messiness, intensity and awkwardness of Kate and Andy’s feelings and respective situations felt so real that I completely didn’t notice the trope, it was just what was happening. With the main romance (who I won’t specify because it’s spoilery), I shipped it so much! The love interest was one of my favourite characters, and the romance was super sweet, developed so naturally and was so utterly wholesome that I was grinning so much. If my heart could make noises other than lub-dub, it would be squealing.

I was somewhat of a ‘theatre kid’ myself so the framing of this book around a school play (ahem, a musical) was so fun to read. It was so cute that the chapters were ‘Scenes’ instead of regular chapters, and the way Albertalli wrote her acknowledgements like an end-of-show thank you speech. The main twist was a tad predictable, but I didn’t care at all. There were plenty of other things I didn’t guess! The drama didn’t feel forced either as you can clearly see the difficulty of the characters’ dilemmas, and Kate herself reflects on and critiques her choices, so this all made up for anything I saw coming.

I also appreciated the casual diversity, e.g. Kate and others are (own-voices rep) Jewish, Andy is Black and gay, and there are trans, lesbian, Latina, Asian and disabled characters too. I will say that there are quite a lot of characters which made it hard to remember the minor ones. The other two members of Kate and Andy’s squad, Raina and Brandie, were really interesting but I felt perhaps a little underdeveloped. I would definitely love to read a spin-off/sequel about their stories!

Overall, this was such a bingeable, funny and heartwarming read. One of my favourite April reads and I’m looking forward (as always) to what Albertalli writes next!

It took me a long time to read Simon and the Homo Sapien Agenda. I didn’t think it would live up to the hype, but I ended up adoring it. So, when The Write Reads announced that Kate in Waiting was going on tour, I knew I had to join in. I am so glad I did. Becky Albertalli stepped up her already magnificent game with this one. I loved it so much!

This story is so adorable. Kate and Anderson are the sweetest platonic couple I have ever read. Though when Matt came along, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I couldn’t decide if I wanted him to match with Kate or Anderson. Then Noah got all up in my feels. My heart couldn’t make up its mind at all.

I cried almost through the entire second half of the book. There were so many emotions that needed releasing. I went from sad to happy to excited and around again. I smiled so hard that I hurt my cheeks.

I am thrilled to award Kate in Waiting a full 5 out of 5 stars. If you want a wonderfully diverse story that will make you laugh and cry, you need to read this novel.

I’m so happy to be part of the blog tour of this book and share the excitement for its release with so many other readers, so Thank you to Dave from The Writers’ Reads blog tour, it’s a blessing since otherwise, I might not have read the book as soon as I did, and I really liked it! Above all, I think the friendship as such that’s portrayed during the story is absolutely beautiful and I love how it’s built and executed, it feels super real and honest, and I love seeing the characters interacting with each other and overcoming obstacles together, I think that’s the true soul of the book, but there’s romance in here and that’s also good.

In this book, we follow Kate and Anderson, two best friends whose bond seems to be unbreakable, but everything changes one day when their childhood crush returns to town. Turns out, communal crushes aren’t so fun when real feelings are involved.

This is a superfluid contemporary plot to read, that hooks you from the first moment, and it’s very easy to feel close to the characters, these are three super important aspects so that I personally can enjoy a book within the genre, since although I like to read Contemporaries from time to time, I usually gravity more towards those who have darker or more magical aspects, so reading something like this one, much lighter and “mundane” in some way, is unusual for me. I ended up enjoying it much more than I thought I would, I think it has a solid foundation of friendship that’s very pleasant to read, and I can say that itself is just enough to sustain the whole story until the end, it’s a very well-created friendship, executed and thought out, so you want to know what will happen between them till the last page.

Personally, don’t think the conflict in itself is big enough for me, but I respect that it was for them and this conflict in some way has been helpful in establishing a deeper and more honest line of communication between them, plus other things are revealed, some interesting situations and triggers extremely interesting scenes to read, so if you look at it from that perspective I think the conflict itself, of these friends sharing feelings for the same person, isn’t the main focus or it’s not what really catches you, you know? I mean, maybe it is for you and that’s great! because it’s also a great seasoning for the plot, but for me as a reader I was more interested in other aspects than that point as such, I hope you understand what I mean by this. Basically, the story is super-fluid to read, friendship is great and has wonderful family scenes too, but romance as such is perhaps not so protagonist for me.

It’s not the first time that I read the author, I’ve read, as most of us, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, so I was already familiar in some way with her writing style, which I find extremely relaxing to read, for some reason, I find it very easy to connect with her characters and get to feel really interested in everything that they do, I love that, I really recommend Becky Alberteli’s books.

It has its part kind of cheesy or cliche at times especially when portraying the experience of a teenager in high school since it’s something I’ve read many times, but this doesn’t mean that it isn’t still entertaining and fun to read, I just think it’s important to mention it in case this is something you don’t want to find. In addition to student drama, there’s also a musical going on, which I surprisingly liked in this book, it’s very well done and these are moments of great enjoyment for the characters and that makes it almost cross the pages, it was very fun, that’s for sure.

The characters are great and they’re very well created, each one of them, not only the main ones but also the secondary ones, have something that makes them unique and makes them stand out in wonderful ways, what can I say? I really adore the characters that the author creates, somehow they touch my heart. I loved Noah and Anderson, I would say they’re my faves, but really they are all great, and I like how within the group we know a little about their lives and even though this happens in a superficial way, we can understand where each of their acts come from and why they’re the way they are, which makes the characters feel even more realistic. I could mention in addition to Kate and the guys I mentioned above, Raina, Matt, and Brandie, all great. Maybe we could have more work a little more on some interactions between them and some dialogues I feel that sometimes they’re a bit short, you know? but even so, these are very small details, the book and the characters in their entirety are incredible.

To summarize my thoughts and feelings about the book, I want to say that I honestly enjoyed it a lot, I think the way in which Becky has given a deeper approach to friendship in this book was the right decision, this aspect made me love the story itself much more since even when all the elements are good, the friendship is absolutely stunning. I recommend it, no doubt, if you want to read a story that will touch your heart and make you feel many beautiful things inside, but also if you want to read a solid friendship that flows naturally and realistically. It has beautiful scenes that would have made the teenage me fall dead in love lol & it’s simply that kind of book that although it explores a stressful and dramatic situation for the characters, it’s super light and super easy to read at the same time, 400 pages that will pass you by as if they were 100. It’s a great work of the author that makes me want to read much more of her in the future, I hope she continues to focus on this type of plot more focused on friendship because I think it will get better and better.

I don't think Becky Albertalli knows what a fuckboy is.

This was fine...lots of side characters for inclusion purposes but we never really get their deal or spend time with them, none of them *do* anything or add anything to the story despite it being a 400 page book. This did not need to be that long.

Anyway, premise of mutual crushes and *only* mutual crushes aside this was a fun book...I just don't think it was necessary to have Kate and Andy to have a history of always having the same crush and no others it was just weird. It plays out exactly how you think it will and it's fine, just as I mentioned too long. There is also an overuse of the word 'f-boy' not fuckboy but f-boy, but sometimes it changes to fuckboy....it's just all very cringe for its misuse, overuse and idea of popular kids = skanky and mean. It is just the skank/whore popular kid trope and it's overdone, tiresome, and not cool....just really judgemental for no reason, especially for 16/17 year olds.

Similarly, there is quite a bit of not-like-other-girls in this book which I thought was a dead and dusted trope, but no our leading lady like to wear a hoodie and jeans and the popular girl wears a bodycon dress or a tank top and mini skirt. Please, it's 2021 no one wants to read that crap anymore.

But those were really the only two eye-roll inducing parts of the book! Gone is the teen male gay fetishising and Harry Potter references of her other books (and there are only two small references to Hamilton despite it being about Drama Kids and the school musical!). There are obviously quite a few second hand embarrassment moments and times when you want to shake the kids by the shoulders to tell them to stop being so self-involved, but that's being a teenager so I can't really fault a YA book for it - it wasn't over the top with it.

The "endgame" romance plots weren't really developed, one we don't see and the other one just happens - we see one side of it but nothing to show that it is a reciprocated crush but we see it's going to happen anyway...just a bit strange!

I liked the more up-to-date references Albertalli did include - the teens loving Tangled as that was *their* Disney film when they were young and channelling the confidence of Elsa - it made me feel old as both those films came out when I was in university

I haven’t read Teen/YA fiction in so long but after reading – and quite enjoying – Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda, I jumped at the chance to get involved with the blog tour for Kate in Waiting, Becky Albertalli’s latest release.

The book follows Kate Garfield and her best friend, Anderson “Andy” Walker as they navigate their communal crush against the backdrop of the school musical.

Initially, I was quite sceptical of the premise and the characters — finding Kate slightly annoying and I just thought why can’t one of them just fancy someone else!? —- but, as I carried on with this one, I grew to really like it.

Once again, Albertalli nails friendships. Though I do wish Raina and Brandie were fleshed out — and included —- a bit more, the friendship which did take centre stage (that of Kate and Andy) was gorgeous. They had sweet, tender moments with little sprinkles of drama which I lapped up, despite the fact I haven’t read Teen/YA Fiction in ages!

Another thing I really liked was the relationship between Kate and her brother, Ryan. Quite often YA/Teen Fiction tends to blab on about how annoying and gross male relatives are so I was pleasantly surprised by the close relationship the siblings had, though I do wish we got a bit more of an insight into his character.

Whilst my experience of drama is very much either sat in the audience or less than fond memories of whimpering out lines, forgetting lines altogether or some kind of costume malfunction, it was interesting to read about the work that goes into a performance- even one as basic as a high school play. I was initially quite reluctant to delve into this environment, probably due to my less than pleasant memories attached to it, but Albertalli writes about this part of school life with such warm and a great sense of community even drama sceptics can get behind it.

I also loved the romance in this. Albertalli hits the nail on the head about crushes, they’re exciting, they’re nerve wracking and – for the most part – they’re a massive pain. Though there were moments I wanted to grab Kate or Andy by their shoulders and give them a wobble, I think this communal crush was a great way to push the characters forwards and towards the sweet, if a little predictable, romances. The growth was brilliant and there were so many gorgeous moments between the characters. My heart couldn’t take it!

The only thing that bothered me was the repeated use of the word “f boy”, “f girl”, “f person” etc. I’m not someone who swears (at least not aloud!) but it doesn’t bother me. Saying that, though, I just found the repeated use of these terms a bit annoying and I wish this would’ve been reigned in a bit.

Regardless, Kate in Waiting is a sweet, fun story about friendship, communal crushes and drama.