Kate, the title character of Becky Albertalli's latest work, Kate in Waiting, shares everything with her best friend, Anderson; secrets, hobbies, and, most importantly for this story, crushes. When Kate and Andy discover that their mutual crush from summer camp, Matt, has transferred to their high school and will be joining them in the school musical, they come up with a few basic ground rules as to how they will handle the situation. But they quickly discover that the situation is going to be a little more difficult to navigate than they had originally expected.

This book is a tremendous amount of fun. Kate, Andy, and all the rest of the characters that fill their world feel like real people, with plenty of complicated relationship dynamics that feel rooted in reality. The teenagers act like teenagers, with plenty of childish, impulsive, overly dramatic moments to amp up the tension, but other moments of maturity and poise -- just like real teens. One of the best parts of Kate in Waiting is the overall message that while romantic love is special and wonderful, friendships are just as valuable, and just as real, as romantic relationships.

Fans of Camp, Kind of a Big Deal, and of course Albertalli's other works are sure to enjoy Kate in Waiting.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC!