There is just something incredibly magical about having a new Becky Albertalli novel in your life – the sun shines brighter, food tastes better, and even a year like 2020 didn’t seem all that bad (for like a second as there’s still a pandemic going on, guys).
Kate in Waiting follows best friends Kate Garfield and Anderson Walker who, besides being the dynamic duo and absolute friendship goals, have the habit of having crushes on the same guy. This is totally fine because they are usually pretty short-lived and if anything, their shared crushes bring Andy and Kate closer together than apart. After all, most of the fun is gushing about a guy to your best friend, right? So why not gush about the same guy?
But when their summer camp crush Matt suddenly transfers to Kate and Anderson’s school and even joins the musical (the biggest Kate and Andy activity), the pair find themselves in a situation they’ve never been before: both of them really, really like Matt and their crushes on him are not going anywhere. It’s one thing to crush on the same guy as your best friend. But what happens when real feelings get involved? How do you get what – or who – you want without hurting the most important person in your life?
There are many things I love about this book but one deserves the highest of compliments and that is, as always, Albertalli’s impeccable writing. She just excels at penning characters that draw you in from the get-go and this time was no different. Throughout the book, I could always imagine Kate’s thought process because her stream of consciousness was incredibly immersive – at no point in the book did I feel like she was acting out of character or ‘losing’ her voice. Instead, I was rooting for her, sometimes maybe even a bit more than she did for herself. I also appreciate how Albertalli always manages to dip into the real issues and problems teenagers face with such an expert eye without sounding preachy. Also, there are so many quotable lines in this that I can’t wait for readers to use in their bookstagram reviews of this book.
Now, onto the friendship between Andy and Kate that made me so, so happy. I thought it was so beautiful to have the core of this book be the most important relationship, and that’s the one they have with each other. They have the best kind of friendship where you’re basically an extension of the other, where you finish each other’s sentences, and you know what will make them happy – and what could potentially hurt them. The exploration of the fact that the people you love and trust most can hurt you because you put that trust in them in the first place, and the entirety of the ‘what do you do when you want to root for your friend but also for yourself because you’ve always been in the dark while they stood bright and enter in the spotlight’ was as beautiful as it was devastating. I love how much focus was put on friends above all else and how it’s okay for your platonic friendships to be the most important in your life second to romantic relationships. In a genre that has traditionally focused on first loves, it was a refreshing portrayal to see a friendship getting the same amount of ‘screentime’ as the romantic developments. Kate and Andy definitely win the award for best friendship dynamic.
Speaking of great relationship dynamics, beyond the friends dynamic there is also the cutest relationship between Kate and her brother Ryan. Granted, I don’t have siblings so I can’t speak from experience but I absolutely loved how, for the first time since I can remember, it was actually the sibling that is going away to college that wants to spend time with his younger sister. I loved how Ryan and Kate were trying to bridge that feeling of incompatibility because each of them had their own reasons for thinking the other didn’t want to spend time with them and it was so awkward and clumsy and yet life-affirming when they did finally work it out. It made me ache in the best way possible.
Now, the romance. Oh, the romance. Obviously I don’t want to spoil anything but let me just say I saw what was going to happen right from the get-go and boy was I here for it. I think my only small complaint here is that I would have wished for a bit more background and development on the love interest’s side because the few tidbits that we did get came in really late in the game (which has its reasons) but seeing as this was a book primarily focused on friendship, that’s just a purely selfish complaint because I could read entire books about that certain someone. He wins the prize for cuteness overload.
All in all, this book just really worked for me. All the components, from the musical aspect to the communal crushes and the authentic depiction of friendships, meshed really well together. Nothing felt superfluous or forced; it was just an epic journey that I cannot wait to reread. Also, quick shoutout to Albertalli for the Harry Styles mentions as they made me smile for hours on end.
A love letter to friendship and giving yourself the chance to shine bright in the spotlight, Albertalli delivers another timeless masterpiece. Kate in Waiting is a comforting read that will get theater kids’ hearts beating faster and will make you want to give your bestie an extra squishy hug, just because.
Kate in Waiting is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of April 20th 2021.
Will you be picking up Kate in Waiting? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
From #1 New York Times bestselling author and rom-com queen Becky Albertalli comes a buoyant new novel about daring to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight in love, life, and, yes, theater.
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.
