Ultimate Blog Tour | Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli

When I received an unexpected mail in March for reviewing this title, I was so excited. I was waiting for other mails, which never reached me, but this one was waiting for me in my inbox and made my day. I picked this book without second thoughts, and I’m so glad I did it. This book left me so giddy with the plot, and I had a smile pasted on my face till the end. It was so good, and I devoured every line in the book!

You can read the spotlight posts and more reviews of this book on Twitter and WordPress by searching for the #utimateblogtour of this book.

Without any further ado, let’s begin the tour.

About the Book

Title: Kate in Waiting • By: Becky Albertalli

Published on: 22 Apr 2021 • By: Penguin Random House Children’s UK

Pace: Fast • Pages: 400 • Age: 12 and up

Standalone • Genre: YA

Theme Song: How it Happens by After Romeo

Book Links: Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository • IndieBound • B&N

From bestselling YA rom-com queen Becky Albertalli (author of Love, Simon) comes a new novel about daring to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight in love, life and theatre.

[PRINCIPAL CAST LIST]
Kate Garfield
Anderson Walker

Best friends, and contrary to popular belief, not co-dependent. Examples:

Carpooling to and from theatre 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.

Enter Stage Left: Matt Olsson

He 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…

ADD TO GOODREADS

I received this book to read and review as part of the #UltimateBlogTour hosted by @The_WriteReads tours team. All opinions are my own, unbiased and honest. Thanks to Penguin UK, The Write Reads team, NetGalley, and the author for this eARC.

Rep: Black, Jewish, LGBTQ+ characters, Disability rep.

• Lovable band of Nerds

You don’t get to meet Kate separately for the most part in the book. She is seen most of the time with her squad— Anderson, Raina, and Brandie. Sometimes hanging out with her brother or mostly with her guitar. She is in her element when she is with her squad or with people who make her feel comfortable. The squad dislikes jocks. Dislikes is a mild term for what they think about them. The number of times f-boy is used instead of jocks is insane. I was so fed up at a point, but besides that, the squad was terrific together. They used to call up when someone had a date and helped them pick a dress. They’d fret over not getting their desired roles in the play and also gossip about everything and nothing in general. What made them stand out for me was how strong their inner circle was. The friendship rep in this book was diverse and inclusive. The main characters in this book were Jewish and there was a bi, trans, gay and a disability rep in the book which were executed well in the book.

I wouldn’t call Noah a nerd, but I could picture him being part of the lovable-band-of-nerds club. Noah was Ryan’s friend; he and Kate were childhood friends but grew apart for some reason. I never understood why this guy was tripping in the canteen and classroom, but when he revealed how he broke his arm to Kate, I started seeing him in a different light. His social anxiety clubbed with his very unsure self in front of Kate added weight to his character in the story.

• Kate Garfield Singing

Kate wasn’t a sports person, just like how Noah wasn’t meant for singing. I was rolling on the floor when Noah’s choir anecdote came up in the book. I had to catch my breath before continuing with the book. No wonder he ended up playing King Sextimus in the play. I haven’t read much musical in fiction but reading this book felt like I was watching these characters perform their story on stage. I was worried if Kate might not sing again because she had a video of hers posted on IG by one of her schoolmates, which went viral for the wrong reasons. She felt embarrassed and never liked to sing in front of an audience unless it was a stage. She grew out her anxiety thanks to Ryan, her squad and Noah’s cheering, and her love for music. She was talking and worrying nonstop in a very teenager-like manner. I could almost hear Ryan sighing by her side whenever she went on and on with her lengthy monologues.

• Garfield Kids

I loved every single Ryan and Kate moment in the book. Kate’s relationship with her brother was portrayed well. I was laughing so hard at how Kate had misunderstood his intentions in showing up for her rehearsals. He seemed so annoyed trying to convince her that she should stop playing cupid. It was so tough to put him under a category, which can be said for most of the characters in this book. He was silent, calm to the loud and dramatic Kate. Ryan and Kate weren’t too close, but I loved how he had her back whenever she needed it. What I liked most about them is that they lifted up each other. He’d encourage Kate to sing for herself and told her not to worry about others and she’d be there for him too. These two had also found a balance between living with their divorced parents.

• Romance

I have never read a book with communal crushes before. I was curious to see how this would pan out in the book. Suffice to say, it turned out better than I expected. Reading about Kate and Anderson’s crush felt like watching a teen rom-com. It was almost as if these two would switch on a Matt-filter whenever he passed by them. They were outright drooling over him, and I had to roll my eyes many times reading about their giddy crush. They tried to be besties and fought hard to root for the other. But they couldn’t help being jealous and angry yet didn’t want to break their bond. They did their best to salvage their friendship. This book was more about trying to save her love for her friend than for Matt.
I wasn’t surprised with how the story ended, but I’m not going to say who ends up with Matt. That bit of the story is a spoiler and a sweet twist to the story.

• Overall

Kate in Waiting is a charming, hilarious, and fun read. When I sat down last Sunday to read this book, I never expected to laugh so much while reading it. This book grew on me as I kept flipping the pages. If there’s something I look for in YA stories, it’s a combination of a good plot, characters, representation, and development. This book was a mix of everything I was looking for. As far as teen romances go, this had its charm splashed with witty characters and strong friendship goals. I mean, Anderson and Kate have a portmanteau. If that’s not adorable, I don’t know what else is! To all those dying to read a YA romance this summer with an animated plot and characters, Kate in Waiting is the perfect book.

I’m not Rapunzel at all. I’m a paper lantern. I’m floating, lit up from the inside.

About the Author

Becky Albertalli is the author of the acclaimed novels Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (film: Love, Simon), The Upside of Unrequited, and Leah on the Offbeat. She is also the co-author of What If It’s Us with Adam Silvera. A former clinical psychologist who specialized in working with children and teens, Becky lives with her family in Atlanta. You can visit her online at www.beckyalbertalli.com.

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