Hello, book lovers! đź’•
I’m back with another book review, and this one is going to be a lot of gushing because not only is it a Becky Albertalli book, but it’s one that I absolutely adored. So this review might be a little biased, but nonetheless, these are my thoughts on this book.
So without any further ado, let’s get onto my review!
The following is from Goodreads:
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.
My Thoughts:
This book came out last week on April 20th, and I knew that I wanted to read it. I knew that I needed to own a copy of it to go with my other Albertalli books on my shelf. What I didn’t expect (though I really should have) was to read it in only a couple days. I knew I was going to love it, but I didn’t think I’d love it this much.
There are so many reasons why I loved this book. Something that Becky Albertalli is really good at in her books is including pop culture references and real-life events. And this one is no exception. She was able to make these characters feel like they were actual people instead of fictional characters. The situations that they went through during the story also were accurately depicted because they were things that I remember feeling and going through (first crush, awkwardness, etc) during high school.
I loved the friendship between Kate and Andy. They were inseparable, and their interactions and conversations had me smiling throughout the story. The whole dynamic of the friend group with Brandie, Raina and Matt was fun too. And Noah. Oh Noah. I loved how genuine and awkward he was around Kate.
I also really enjoyed the family dynamics in this story. I like how it depicted divorced parents and ultimately a family. It was relatable as someone who knows firsthand what it’s like to go back and forth between parents’ houses. The relationship between Kate and her brother, Ryan, was really sweet too. It was nice to read about a brother and sister who genuinely respected each other. And how Ryan wasn’t afraid to be sensitive and listen to Kate and hang around her and her friends, even though he was in the popular crowd.
Something that kind of bothered me (though not enough for me to take off any stars for my rating) was that the mutual crush that both Kate and Andy had almost became a love triangle, which is a trope that I’m tired of seeing in YA books. But the reason I didn’t take any stars off was because of how it was handled in the end. It was handled really well, especially because of how much respect Andy and Kate had for their friendship. They owned up to their mistakes and worked through them because they sincerely cared about each other.
Overall, this was such a fun, lighthearted read that was really easy to fly through. And I absolutely loved every second of it. It honestly might be one of my favorites by Becky Albertalli. It’s up there with Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I had the same feelings while reading that book as I did with this book. It made me smile so much throughout it.
So there you have it. Those are my thoughts on Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has loved Becky Albertalli’s books in the past, or liked books by Morgan Matson, Nicola Yoon, or Jenny Han. Or really enjoys lighthearted, fun reads that will ultimately put a smile on your face.
Have you read this book? Have you read any other books by Becky Albertalli? I’d love to chat about it in the comments below!
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The Reading Addict 