Review: Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

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.

It has to be said that I have never read this author's most famous book, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, therefore I had no idea what to expect from her with this book.

That being said, I love a good theatre book. I have rewatched Wicked like 300 times on Youtube, and I know all of the good musical songs (even though I can't sing to save my life) and I have always enjoyed a bit of Glee, so this was a fun book that I had to throw myself into blind.

I loved it.

Okay, so maybe loved is a tiny bit of a strong word. After all, Kate in Waiting doesn't really offer anything too out of the box - aside from solid LGBTQ+ representation and inclusivity better than a lot of other books that try and offer it - but it was so fun that I really didn't care at all. I loved Kate and her friends, and whilst at times I didn't like Andy a lot, I've come to the conclusion that had the book been written from his POV I would have felt the same about Kate. The friction between the two of them at certain points was so well written and I love the way Albertalli tackled the tension in their friendship. It was warm and lovely, and having Brandie and Raina in the background through that just improved it.

Every time Noah showed up, I immediately knew that it was going to be a fun scene - I loved him and I am so glad the book ended how it did for him. By far he was my favourite character.

I also really liked the fact that Kate has a lot of confidence issues to deal with, and watching her bloom through this book and get over the baggage that she has was a treat. The back story added some depth that this book would have otherwise been lacking, and it made me care a lot more about Kate than I thought I would to start with.

Overall, I really enjoyed Kate in Waiting - a lot more than I'd expected, in fact. This book is Glee, but with a more natural inclusivity message. It's High School Musical meets High School Musical The Musical: The Series. I loved the characters and the story and the writing was so fun and relatable.

Book released  20th April 2021 by Balzer + Bray

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review