Here’s the thing about a Becky Albertalli novel is that you know it’s going to be a fun, quick read and Kate in Waiting delivers just that.
It’s been awhile since we’ve had a novel that Albertalli hasn’t written with someone else and to be honest I had kind of forgotten her voice. It’s been awhile since I have read any book in the Simonverse and had become accustom to her books with others. It was nice and refreshing to read a new book that was just her.
Kate in Waiting‘s official synopsis –
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.
While I liked Kate in Waiting, I will say that if you go into it thinking that you are going to get a book like Simon vs. The Homosapiens, you will be disappointed.
What you will get is an overuse of the word “fuckboy” and two friends – one gay and one straight – falling for the same guy. So drama, you get a lot of teenage drama. And even then, I expected it to be focused on the love triangle.
But that’s where you will be surprised. The great thing about this book is that it doesn’t focus so much on the crushes, but rather the platonic friendships, which in my opinion we don’t see enough. Kate and Anderson’s friendship is important and something that has shaped them both. So having their friendship take center stage, and in my opinion being a focal point carries more weight with the story.
I also like the fact that we learn a lot about Kate through her relationship with her brother. The way that Ryan wanted to protect his sister and the way that the two interacts is sweet.
What I do love is that Becky writes diverse characters and everything is not a bunch of the same people doing the same things. Everyone is experiencing life in their own terms, their own ways, and living their truth. Becky writes characters of all different races, genders, and situations. And that’s what I love about her. She makes sure that people can find themselves in her books and I find that the fact that she takes pride in making sure there is representation a beautiful thing.
I think a lot of people can’t find themselves in books and the beauty of books like this is that you can.
Kate and Anderson were characters that I loved. I do feel that Raina and Matt could have used some fleshing out, but that’s just my opinion. I never know when it comes to Becky’s books if she is going to flesh certain characters in another book.
I wanted to like Matt and see what Kate and Anderson saw, but I just didn’t. And I felt like I should have been drawn in and seeing what they see in him. But I just didn’t. I didn’t understand why they were so interested in him. But I also think that because I didn’t understand the allure of Matt, I didn’t understand why Kate and Anderson were both crushing on him.
All of this said, Kate in Waiting was a good book. It was a fun read that I devoured in 2 sittings (which for me, is saying a lot). It’s got a lot of greatness in it.
Kate in Waiting is available now.
