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Kate in Waiting

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

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

Contrary to popular belief, best friends Kate and Anderson are not codependent. 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. Matt 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.

Praise for Becky Albertalli:

'The love child of John Green and Rainbow Rowell' Teen Vogue

'Worthy of Fault in Our Stars-level obsession.' Entertainment Weekly

'Heart-fluttering, honest, and hilarious.' Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and the French Kiss

© Becky Albertalli 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

 Family & Relationships Literature & Fiction Romance Theatre

Critic reviews

Albertalli has crafted a rom-com that's not only sharp and funny, but distinguished by its casually diverse LGBTQ cast's awareness that friendship (among friends, to be sure, but also siblings, and gasp, romantic interests) is as important as love
Real chemistry between the different love interests in the book, authentic dialogue, supportive friendships, and Albertalli's signature humor make this a must-read. Flips the script on battling over a boy in the best way possible
All stars
Most relevant
Great story, lovely voice but a not a lot of difference between characters voices so sometimes a bit complicated to know who's speaking

Great

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loved it . it was amazing and a great listen . easy to follow the story

Great read

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it was ok. the narrator was high-pitched and distracting, the story obvious but sweet enough. I wasn't really sure what the point of it was tho, casually introducing LGBTQA+ characters without giving them any personality, no one felt very physically present to me, and the whole Coke Ad thing was weirdly distracting as I kept thinking - he's a cocaine addict?? surely that's more contemporary than actual coca cola adverts?! maybe not.

Average

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I adore this author but nothing happened in this book. It was a bit.. pointless. Not to mention the excessive use of “f-boy” on what felt like every single page. The whole thing felt like a monologue / rant and Kate playing the victim (she did eventually resolve this - points for character growth). That being said, I don’t think I’m the intended audience here and that’s maybe why I felt juvenile to the point of eye rolling. I also found the narrator really grating and really playing up to that annoying teenage stereotype like in a 2000s rom-com movie.

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