My dear bookish friends!
I wanted to start this review by saying ‘It’s been a while since I read a contemporary YA,’ but then I realised that is not true at all! I did read another one fairly recently, but these are two very different stories. I think what I can say though is that I haven’t read a contemporary YA love story in a while, so it was about time! And Penguin delivered again!
Big thanks to the publisher, the author, and obviously Dave @ TheWriteReads for having me on this blog tour, and for my ecopy! I really enjoyed Kate in Waiting, and if you like contemporary YA stories with a great friendship and a twist, you will love this one too! The book is out now, so definitely check it out! Keep on reading for my review – but first, here comes the synopsis…
The 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.
My Review
Kate in Waiting follows Kate (obviously) and Anderson, two best friends who share one crush. It’s fun, isn’t it, having a crush on the same boy? Well, as Kate and Anderson soon find out, it’s only fun for as long as the boy of their dreams is out of reach. But then he returns to their hometown, and things start to change. Might a boy be enough to break their deep bond, or will they find a way out of this mess?
The pacing in this novel is great, it suits the story very nicely, it just hooks you and makes you want to find out more! Even though it isn’t very unpredictable (I think this sort of book rarely is), that didn’t take away from my reading joy at all! I loved Becky Albertalli’s writing. It was quirky and light and funny, just the perfect fit for this book.
One of the things – if not THE thing – that I love most in books is when it contains a really great friendship, something that I value very highly in my life too. Becky Albertalli made such a friendship come to life on these pages, and I loved reading about Kate and Anderson’s friendship, and their big friend group too. I loved seeing their special bond develop over time, and how both characters dealt with the hurdles that were being thrown in front of them.
I have never read a book by Becky Albertalli before, but after having read Kate in Waiting, I know that I will have to change that! I found the writing style very easy to get into, and it was just like one of those books that you start and don’t want to put down again because it feels feel so natural to you, almost like reading about a close friend’s adventures.
The theatre and musical aspects were new to me, and I enjoyed reading about them immensely. I was in a way transported back to my teenage self, watching High School Musical (and obviously singing along to the catchy tunes!).
At times, I was finding myself wishing for more dialogue, because I think that’s what makes books and their characters really come to life. Some scenes could have done better with more interachtions between the characters I think, but that’s just my opinion. Furthermore, especially in the first half of the book, some teenage slang and ‘f-word’ combos were used a lot, something I didn’t really like much. I guess this is just the way young people talk these days though, so I’m a bit torn here. I prefer books without the use of these words, but I don’t think it was out of place here.
Other than that I was thoroughly enjoying myself while reading this book, and I think it’s a great read for both teenagers as well as adult readers who enjoy these kinds of stories. I can’t wait to finally read more books by the author! 4 stars from me!
Thank you all so much for reading!
xoxo
Noly
