KATE IN WAITING

Best friends—she is straight, he is gay—crush on the same guy.

Kate and her best friend, Anderson, do everything together—including falling for Matt, a gorgeous vocal consultant at summer theater camp. Their close friends say it is because they are codependent, but for Kate, Anderson is the person at the center of her life, and anyway, she thinks crushes are more fun (and less painful) when not done solo. Communal summer swooning is sort of their thing, and they expect this one to end the same way the others do. But when Matt shows up as a new student at their school, both Kate and Anderson realize they have to navigate this joint crush in real life. Not knowing whether Matt likes guys or girls or more—but knowing they both really do like him—they set up some ground rules so as not to hurt each other and decide to just roll with it. But of course that is easier said than done when romantic feelings are involved. The novel features strong character development and a diverse cast of primary and supporting characters; Kate is White and Jewish, Anderson is Black, and Matt is White. 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.