REVIEW: “Kate in Waiting” by Becky Albertalli

Rob Bittner

There’s nothing sadder than the end of a crush. And it’s not like this was one of those distant-stranger crushes. Andy and I have actually talked to this boy. Tons of words, on multiple glorious occasions. No small feat, since Matt’s the kind of gorgeous that renders us speechless. He’s got one of those old-timey faces, with blond hair and pink cheeks. Our friend Brandie collects Coca-Cola merch, and I swear the vintage ad in her bathroom looks exactly like Matt. […] The ad says, “Thirst stops here.” But in our case, the thirst doesn’t stop.

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Rules for crushes only work until they don’t. And they fall apart quickly when the crush becomes… something more. Kate and Andy have a habit of crushing on the same guys and, so far, it’s worked out fine. But when the cute guy from their Summer drama camp shows up at their school, Kate and Andy’s friendship is put to the test. Which one does Matt like? What happens if he wants to date one of them, leaving the other one in the dust? These are things they never thought they’d have to consider, but now it’s the difference between maintaining their friendship or shattering it. Will they come out unscathed? Or will their lives become a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions?

Albertalli’s books tend to focus on similar themes—crushes, love, honesty, and even assumptions—but one of the most common across her body of work is friendship. In Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (2015), for example, Albertalli examines how Simon’s friendships help him to overcome hardship and trauma to ultimately find his way to the boy who he could have a future with. But while Kate in Waiting is not within the Simonverse, friendship is still a central component of the narrative. Kate and Andy “know everything about each other” (42). In fact, at one point, Kate even says, “I am so platonically in love with Anderson [Andy] Walker, it makes my brain hurt” (143). The two are so in tune with each other that it makes the bulk of the narrative even more urgent as the tension over their shared crush on Matt grows and threatens their friendship.

While the uncertainty between Kate and Andy continues to grow, Kate’s friendship with a guy named Noah begins to take a strange turn. Noah is what Kate and her friends like to call a f*ckboy—he plays sports, plays to hypermasculine ideals, and isn’t always the most cognizant of the feelings of those around him. But these assumptions are based on a limited number of interactions, and as Kate and Noah get closer to one another, she sees the need to start rethinking them. Even as she and Noah begin to build a deeper connection, Kate misses a lot of social cues because of her obsession with Matt and the lack of honesty that is making her friendship with Andy so rocky. These aspects of the narrative serve to remind readers of the many biases and stereotypes that must be understood and challenged in order to build deeper and longer-lasting connections with others. Of course, these same aspects ensure that there is sufficient drama to keep readers engaged and wanting more.

Albertalli also explores intersectionality with nuance and a gentle touch, ensuring that the narrative voice avoids excessive didacticism. For example, Kate has to confront her own white privilege and her assumptions about Andy. This comes up in an especially intense situation when Kate suggests Andy find someone other than Matt to pursue because she wants Matt for herself. Andy has to remind her that, unlike her, his options for romantic partners are very much limited, and that hitting on guys as a Black man in the South can be deadly. As the narrative approaches its climax, Kate and Andy are forced to confront each other, their assumptions, and their secrets,  and they must also learn to open up to those they’d previously dismissed because of their own biases and stereotyping. Albertalli has a knack for creating complicated, nuanced, messy characters that readers are able to empathize with, and Kate, Andy, Matt, Noah, and the rest of the cast of Kate in Waiting are no exception.

Within the larger market of YA fiction, Albertalli’s work appeals to readers who are looking for books with more complex examinations of friendship and platonic love, but with levity and endings that do not rely entirely on a formulaic “happily ever after” conclusion. Her work often allows readers to see possibilities beyond ending up in a romantic relationship as the ultimate happy ending. Kate in Waiting is a deeply affecting narrative of friendship, love, honesty, and confronting prejudice and privilege. Even though there are moments in which the plot veers toward melodrama, Albertalli maintains a relatively grounded narrative, ensuring that character development takes center stage (pun intended). With her trademark humor and insight, Albertalli shines a bright spotlight on the messy and miraculous moments that make life so frustrating, yet spectacular.

Recommended.

References

Albertalli, Becky. Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. New York: Balzer + Bray, 2015.