Kate in Waiting

Funny, breezy, diverse romcom stresses value of friendship.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Kate in Waiting is a romantic comedy by popular author Becky Albertalli that has strong elements of friendship and coming of age. For a romance, the sexy stuff is pretty light: there's lots of romantic tension but only a few kisses and light making out briefly described. There's lots of profanity, including "f--k" and countless, sometimes made-up words combined with it like "f--kmonster," other crude made-up words like "taintweasel" and "eyegasm," and "bulls--t," "c--kblocked," and "d--k." The only violence is imagining someone deserves to be "punched in the balls." A few instances of teen drinking at parties and adults drinking socially with no consequences. There's a joking reference to the drug Xanax, and a past rumor about snorting Ritalin. The widely diverse, inclusive cast of characters provides positive models for ranges of skin color, sexual orientation, gender identity, and to a smaller extent ability and anxiety differences.
Community Reviews
Kate in Waiting...For young adults
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What's the Story?
KATE IN WAITING tells the story of high-school junior Kate and her best friend Anderson. Every since middle school the two have bonded over having fantasy crushes on the same guy. In the way only best friends can, they analyze and reanalyze every detailed nuance of every encounter with their crush. This past summer at theater camp was no different. Kate and Andy spent most of their time swooning over Matt, the cute townie. By the first day of junior year, their focus has quickly shifted to what the fall musical will be, and whether Kate will at long last come out of the chorus and into the spotlight with a speaking role. Until none other than Matt himself walks into the room because he's just moved to the area. As Kate and Andy get to know Matt better, they both start moving beyond crushing and falling for him for real, and hard. Can their friendship survive when Kate and Matt are cast as one of the main romantic couples in play?
Is It Any Good?
This breezy, fun, and funny romance perfectly captures a lot of the teen experience, especially the way bonds of friendship can be so deep and unique during the teen years. It's refreshing that Kate in Waiting shows different kinds of friendship, like between siblings, neighbors, romantic partners, and platonic partners, and how they're all important and worth holding on to. The large, inclusive cast of diverse characters provides lots of positive representations and makes for a book that will appeal to a wide range of teens. Author Becky Albertalli's quick-witted banter feels realistic and adds a lot of humor.
There's not much of a sense of place other than being told they're in the outskirts of Atlanta and a rare sprinkling of "y'all" into the dialogue. But this gives the book an "Anytown, USA" kind of feel that may make it relatable to more readers. Lots and lots of strong language and sexual innuendo make it best for high-schoolers and up.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about strong language in books and other media. A lot of it's meant to be funny. Is it? Does that make it OK?
Why are diversity and inclusivity important in books, movies, videos, etc.? How do you feel when you read or see characters you relate to? What can we learn from characters whose life experience is different from ours?
Is the alcohol use by teens and adults in the story realistic? Why, or why not? Are there any realistic consequences?
Book Details
- Author: Becky Albertalli
- Genre: Contemporary Fiction
- Topics: Arts and Dance, Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, High School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Balzer + Bray
- Publication date: April 20, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 17
- Number of pages: 400
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: April 30, 2021
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love teen romance and theater stories
Themes & Topics
Browse titles with similar subject matter.
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