Review: Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

We all know that I’m an actor so I’m often attracted to books that revolve around theatre. Sometimes they can let me down or be really unrealistic, so I don’t always pick them up. But I couldn’t resist Becky Albertalli and the description of Kate in Waiting! I ended up loving it too. If you ever did theatre in high school, this book will fill you with the nostalgia of long weekend rehearsals, the anticipation of waiting for a cast list, and looking at the clock waiting for it to be time for after school rehearsals.

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.” —Bookshop.org

What I Liked:

  1. Kate and Anderson’s Friendship—As someone who has her own Anderson, I loved how their friendship felt like coming home. The bickering, the co-dependency, the big feelings of loving someone like they’re your family. I just loved them, through the good times and bad.

  2. The Theatre Authenticity/Nostalgia—I cannot tell how * real * the high school theatre aspect felt to me. It definitely made me nostalgic for high school theatre. Those feelings of thinking your show is the ONLY show in the world, that your cast is your family, that memorizing lines and choreography is the great thing you’ll do in your lifetime. Oh, it made my heart so happy.

What Didn’t Work:

  1. The Pacing—This definitely could be attributed to the genre (YA) and me not be the intended audience, but it was a little slow in the beginning and took me some time to get into it.

TW/CW: bullying

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Steam Rating: N/A Overall Rating: 4/5

Book ReviewPhoebe WrightComment