The Kate in Between

by Claire Swinarski

A twelve-year-old girl must face herself, and the truth, after her participation in a bullying incident goes viral. 

Kate McAllister is desperate for a change. Something to hit refresh and erase the pain of her mother leaving town without her. So when a group of popular girls folds Kate into their clique, it feels like the answer to all her problems—even if it means ditching Haddie, her childhood bestie.

But when Kate’s new friends decide that Haddie is their next target, Kate becomes a passive participant in a cruel incident that could have killed Haddie…had Kate not stepped in, at the last minute, and saved her. The next day, a cell phone video of the rescue goes viral, and Kate is hailed a hero. But Kate knows the truth—she was part of the problem—and it’s only a matter of time until the full version of the video is released and everyone knows it too.

With so much at stake, Kate must decide who she wants to be: a liar, a follower, or someone greater.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Fiction, Young Adult, Friendship, Audiobook

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 18, 2021

About the author

Claire Swinarski is the author of multiple books for both kids and adults. Her writing has been featured in The Washington Post, Seventeen, Milwaukee Magazine, and many other publications. She lives in small town Wisconsin with her husband and three kids, where she writes books, wears babies, and wrangles bread dough. You can follow her on Instagram @claireswinarski.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is Kate? Is she Kate the Great? Or is she Kate the Bully? She is a 12-year-old who has good days and bad days. Someone who makes mistakes, but is willing to learn from them. Why does the world want to label her? Aren't we all more than one thing? There were so many things I loved about this book. Kate's dad drives her to school in his police car. He is my favorite character! Her mom is struggling to build a career in a Mary Kay like business and the motivational hash tags are so authentic. Kate plays basketball -- recruited for her height and ability to snag rebounds. Haddie is really gracious to Kate throughout much of the video brouhaha. She really just wants her friend back. Taylor is a mean girl, but she is more than that. She is a girl who has been hurt and is hurting others. As Kate finally realizes, she is in charge of herself and her own actions. She doesn't have to be any Kate, but 'The Kate in Between.'

Thank you to Quill Tree Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

[Afoma (Reading Middle Grade) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kate in Between is a timely, complex, and engaging middle grade book about identity, popularity, bullying culture, and going viral. This unique middle grade book highlights the nuances of being human and shows that no one falls neatly into “good” or “bad” boxes. With a messy, but likable and relatable protagonist, this book will prove to be a true conversation starter and resonate with middle school kids and adults alike.

Read my full review on my blog.

Many thanks to the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mid-Continent Public Library]

Who is Kate? Is she Kate the Great? Or is she Kate the Bully? She is a 12-year-old who has good days and bad days. Someone who makes mistakes, but is willing to learn from them. Why does the world want to label her? Aren't we all more than one thing? There were so many things I loved about this book. Kate's dad drives her to school in his police car. He is my favorite character! Her mom is struggling to build a career in a Mary Kay like business and the motivational hash tags are so authentic. Kate plays basketball -- recruited for her height and ability to snag rebounds. Haddie is really gracious to Kate throughout much of the video brouhaha. She really just wants her friend back. Taylor is a mean girl, but she is more than that. She is a girl who has been hurt and is hurting others. As Kate finally realizes, she is in charge of herself and her own actions. She doesn't have to be any Kate, but 'The Kate in Between.' *Review by Darla from Red Bridge*

[Faith Elizabeth Hough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve is a hard age. Your body is changing, your thought processes are changing--maybe the world isn’t changing any more than it used to, but you’re noticing it now. I clearly remember spending the year I was twelve in a sort of survival mode. I desperately wanted to stay the same. My friends had no such intentions.

When I read The Kate in Between, by Claire Swinarski, I immediately found 12-year-old myself on its pages: not in Kate, the main character, but in her erstwhile best friend Haddie--the clueless but confident kid who wears weird clothes and reads tons of books and has passionate interests and isn’t troubled about fitting in as long as she has a best friend by her side. I may have been more subdued than Haddie, but boy could I feel her pain when Kate decided that a lifelong friendship wasn’t as important as fitting in with the popular crowd.

Here’s where the magic of good writing came in. Because the story is Kate’s, not Haddie’s. So I got to follow Kate--see Kate’s intentions, Kate’s rationale, Kate’s hurts. Far from being so stuck in the POV of the character like myself, I found myself cheering on one very unlike myself. This book does an incredible job of showing the reader how most of us really are somewhere “in between.” Kate is first lauded as a hero when she saves Haddie’s life, but she knows the reality is that her actions may have landed Haddie in danger in the first place. When the truth comes out, she’s reviled as a bully--but that isn’t 100% true either. Following Kate’s narration and thoughts throughout the story gives a dramatic bird’s-eye view of the wibbly-wobbly mess and wonder that is being human and being a friend--and, especially, that is being twelve.

This is a must-read for all my kids--it will go on the shelf with Shannon Hale’s Real Friends as a textbook for navigating tween friendships. Like Hale’s book, it’s also very funny and a pleasure to read. Also like Hale’s book, it’s one of the rare middle grade stories that portrays faith in a way that is at once background to the story and intrinsic to who the characters are--and I love that.

[Megan Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great book and would recommend reading it. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read it.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes I read a MG novel and realize that the author has perfectly captured something from my middle grade years and given it back to me.

This time author Claire Swinarski has reminded me of how badly I wanted to be accepted back then—enough so that I was willing to participate in bullying or stand by as it occurred in front of me. These are not happy memories for me. Even all these years later as I type these words, I am awash in shame.

What I do like about this novel is that it really shows how hard it can be for middle school girls to navigate this journey.

So while this one was a hard read, I firmly believe it has a place in all middle schools.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much heart. I appreciated the care put into every character, even the unlikeable ones -- as Kate realizes in the end, each person is complex and capable of change. Loved the father-daughter relationship, too, and the subtle nod to practicing faith. This will be high on the birthday gift list for my middle-school daughter's circle.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favourite middle grade author!
Have read and rated every book by the author and I am so glad I did!

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a middle school book but I don’t remember reading any book at that age that is as solid as this. Claire covered something in this book that I only finally learned in college: real friendship and being YOURSELF. I wish 7th grade me could’ve had this book.

It is written in complete Claire style. Bold, unapologetic, and completely honest. Also, written like she’s having a conversation with you, which I feel is a great format for middle schoolers. This book will age quickly, with it’s references and snapshots into life of a middle schooler circa 2020. And while I love Madison, I know most of the references (which hopefully weren’t essential to the story) will be lost on most of her readers. I do love how subtly Claire brings in her faith. It’s strong and it’s there for those who want it. I think readers who don’t share the faith can leave it and still be left with a lot to think about at the end of this book.

Keep writing Claire! I’ll read your books. Especially if they are as quick and enjoyable as The Kate In Between.

[Haley Durfee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

"Every story has a villain, and the one in this story is me."
The Kate in Between features Kate, the story's antagonist (or is she?) as the narrator, a fascinating choice that builds sympathy for her...while wishing for her to recieve her just desserts.
The ending maybe had a bit too much forgiveness, but overall it was a unique and interesting read.
However. I deducted stars due to content. Again. Because this is a middle grade (ages 8-12) novel, I look at the content a bit stricter than I would for YA or adult novels.

Content:
Frequent usage of God's name in vain. A few uses of p**ed. Bullying. An almost drowning. Kate's parents are separated, and it's implied she was born out of wedlock.
*Note: A painting of Jesus is referred to as the "Creepy Jesus painting" due to the artist's portrayal of Him. However, all other references to faith are respectful.

Ages 11+ (Note language cautions)

[Rebecca McPhedran · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Maine Student Book Award Nominee for 2022|2023

When Kate is forced to go live with her dad while her mom peruses a weird job opportunity, Kate thinks that’s the hardest thing she’s dealing with. It seems like she’s making new friends, who might not always be the nicest people. And she seems to be juggling the changing of the friend groups pretty well…until she’s not.

When an accident causes Kate’s name to be all over the news, she is faced with a new celebrity; and she’s struggling to figure out if she’s the hero or the villain. A really good story about the complexity of friendships, and finding your identity. This was a great read.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

An important read detailing the rocky life of middle school and what it means to fit in. Kate is labeled a hero by the media for saving the life of her former best friend when she knows she truly isn't. This novel explores the concepts of friendship, bullying, popularity, social media, and what it means to do the right thing. Thank you Edelweiss for an ARC.

[Kelsey Kersting · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must-read for all middle and high school girls.

Sometimes bullying isn’t outright but can be the type of omission that Kate experienced in this story.

Buy this for any middle grade readers in your life, and follow it up with What Happened to Rachel Riley. Poignant, age appropriate and a very telling storyline without having an overt agenda.

[BiblioBrandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about bullying that shows that bystanders are not so innocent. Also a good look at social media and societies need for heroes and villains. Another solid middle grade book.

[Cate Holden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Animated bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJypnNcAd...

We all know that news travels fast in our social media world and before long, a video can go viral and stream just about anywhere. But what happens when there’s more to the story that can’t be seen on screen? In THE KATE IN BETWEEN (5/18/21), a heroic action will be caught on tape and the ensuing media circus and “celebrity status” at school isn’t necessarily cause for celebration as it stirs up plenty of emotions and tough questions for the named hero. Twelve-year-old Kate is conflicted and confused about making new friends with the popular girls especially since it seems that there would be no room left for her best childhood friend, Haddie. Kate has to decide what...and who...is really important to her. I loved Kate’s journey because it was real and messy. Her voice is ever so relatable as she struggles to find her true self within her friendships and acceptance of her very different parent dynamics. Compelling and important, THE KATE IN BETWEEN is about choosing your path—even if you have to circle around a few times—in becoming someone you are proud and content to be.

[Carolyn Bascon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really sweet story about a 12-year-old finding her identity, which is both difficult and simple at the same time. I will definitely be gifting this book to the pre-teen ladies in my life

[Stella · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok....

[Michelle Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I haven't read any middle grade books since I was in middle school, and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed stepping back into that realm. I thought the plot moved at a good pace, and I liked the theme. The idea that people are not just one thing --that they are complex and multifaceted beings-- is one that is important to learn for healthy moral and spiritual growth, and this book does a fantastic job of showing how a 12 year old girl comes to grips with that reality. Other notable attributes: the wonderful father/daughter relationship, which I'd consider the core relationship in the book; the way the book ever so realistically depicts our frantic culture which thoughtlessly consumes media narratives and jumps from one bandwagon to the next.

This book is interesting and well written, and it's the kind that you'd feel really good handing to a middle schooler because it affirms the things that should be affirmed, and it inspires goodness and bravery.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an ok story about the many ways bullying happens and how being a bystander is just as bad. Middle schoolers will find this book compelling and I will likely recommend it to students looking for realistic friend-drama stories. As a reviewer who has read a lot of books with similar themes, this one just doesn’t stand out for me unfortunately. I appreciate the publisher providing this book to me free in exchange for my honest opinion.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 5 out of 5]

People call Kate a hero saves her former best friend Haddie’s life. What they don’t know is that Kate and her new friends bully Haddie if not for bullying, Haddie’s live wouldn’t need saving.

KATE IN BETWEEN is a meaningful story about friendship, social media fame, bullying and bystanders, economic class and peer pressure. Kate knows what the right choices are, she doesn’t always make them because in the short term, sometimes wrong choices seem easier.

[Barbara Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 12-year old granddaughter read this book first and told me how wonderful it was - and she was SO right!! Middle school bullying is the worst, and this book doesn’t diminish its seriousness in any way; rather it validates feelings and supports kids, as the main character deals with life as a 7th grader. I highly recommend this book for middle school classrooms!

[H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now that was a good book.

[Maddy Hoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book. Good character development. Good dad. Great plot. I found that it even healed some of my own middle school friend wounds. Highly recommend, even if it is a middle grade book! 😌

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books for children and teens often tackle the topics of fitting in and bullying. All too often, bullies are portrayed as one-dimensional, painted with a broad brush, and vilified. But there are nuances to each and every one of us, including those bullies we knew or were back in our younger years, which is the subject of this book. Twelve-year-old Kate McAllister has long been friends with Haddie Marks. But after Kate's mother, who sells cosmetics for a company ironically called True U, decides to move to Utah to expand her earning potential and Kate must live with her father, who is a police officer, Kate begins to resent being left behind like so much discarded baggage. Her parents, who are divorced, couldn't be more different from each other in their parenting styles and budgets. It's strange how these things relate, but somehow, Kate's unhappiness spills over into her social identity and she leaves Haddie behind in order to hang around with popular Taylor Tobitt. She loves being the object of envy from her peers because of Taylor's friendship, but she also fears upsetting Taylor, who has a cruel streak and doesn't like to be ignored or bested in any way. When Taylor's crowd encounters Haddie one day and a game of keep away with her hat ends up with the hat on ice and Haddie almost drowning, Kate is lauded as a hero for saving Haddie's life. She receives much acclaim and media attention since Taylor taped the rescue on her phone and shared it with media outlets. The attention is great, but Kate keeps wondering about her own responsibility for what happened to the hat and trying to foster a friendship between Haddie and Taylor, something that is never going to happen. Eventually, the truth about what happened on the frozen Wisconsin lake comes out, and Kate goes from hero to zero in nothing flat. The author captures Kate's thinking and the reasons for some of her decisions perfectly, making it clear that she is not a hero or a villain but a middle-grade girl trying to find her place in the world and making mistakes along the way. It's easy to relate to Kate's fears and her desire to reinvent herself while avoiding the truth about what she's done and whom she's becoming. The stings of Taylor's scornful comments toward Kate and anyone else who gets in her way come through clearly on the book's pages as does Taylor's own hidden insecurities about her own home life. This is an important book for teens to read because many will find themselves just like Kate, caught in between doing the right thing and facing the truth or hiding and pretending to be someone they're not. I loved Kate's supportive, often baffled father and the fact that Kate had a place with her teammates on the basketball team all along even though she didn't realize it until it was almost too late. And here's the important thing about this story: Bottom line--if someone doesn't accept you as you are, then that person is probably not your friend. Find someone else. No one needs to allow someone who masquerades as a friend to denigrate them or belittle them or make them fearful of judgment.

[eve._.lyn reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

📰📸🖇️The Kate in Between🖇️📸📰
        2.75 Stars
Before 7th grade, best friends Haddie and Kate made a promise: they wouldn't let anything come in between them. Until Kate pursued popularity and chose to befriend Taylor and her crew. Kate feels as though people have misconceptions about Taylor. Sure, she can be rude and cold, but she can also be kind and caring towards those she actually cares about. When a joke goes wrong and Haddie almost dies, a video is filmed of Kate saving her life. Now dubbed "Kate the Hero," Kate is the only one who knew the truth: she may be responsible for getting Haddie on the ice in the first place. But Kate has fame and popularity, and she gets the attention she so dearly wishes for from her mother. The truth will find its way out somehow, and Kate will fall from the pedestal of expectations people have put her on.

    Kate in Between deals with important topics, but it didn't hit me as hard as I wanted. It was a quick read with good, but not great, characters. That being said, this is all my opinion. I thought Kate and Haddie had a relationship that was expanded on in this novel. It was clear how close they were. I found myself rooting for Haddie, but the way Claire Swinarski writes Kate makes her understandable. It was really interesting to see a story from the bully's perspective. While Kate hadn't directly done things with malicious intent, she was an accomplice of the bullies.

       It was clear that Kate craved love from her mother, love that her mother didn't show in the ways she wanted. Her mother loved her daughter, but her actions could be careless and harmful. There was a really interesting dynamic between characters. Readers can see Taylor both through Kate's perspective and Haddie's words that show what she thinks of her. Taylor is a girl who showed Kate sides of herself that she hadn't shown others, making the reader see that she wasn't only bad. Taylor was insecure, so she brought others down, but she truly cared for Kate, even if her actions weren't the most kind.

     Everything from her relationship with her parents to her relationships with peers was dissected in a nice way. I appreciated that, after everything, Kate and Haddie's relationship wasn't the same as it used to be. It shows how friendships can change over time. I didn't find anything inherently wrong with this novel, but I found myself not exactly liking it and finding it okay instead. Maybe the fact that Kate broke the fourth wall irks me sometimes.

     In conclusion, this is definitely not a bad book, but there wasn't anything that I really loved or liked about the story.
🆗PLOT
✅🆗CHARACTERS

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate is in between in various ways, in between her parents, in between her friendship groups, and that in between age, not a child, not quite yet a teen, just between it all.

Her story is a familiar one, in that she wants to fit in, wants to be ‘normal’, popular, liked. But things go too far when trying to fit in with her new friends and although she wants to stop things from happening she can’t, and her old best friend suffers for it.

We see bullying throughout the book, with the relentless comments from Taylor, snide remarks that try to be passed off as ‘jokes’, and just general nastiness towards others. We also see how being a bystander to bullying can be harmful too, that it is important to speak out and stand up for others.

I liked the way the story looks at social media and the impact it can have on young people, the way you can be thrust into the spotlight in both good and equally bad ways. That a video can be cut and edited to show the parts they want to show, just because you see something doesn’t mean you have the full story. An important message for young people today.

I feel that Kate is an incredibly relatable character for ‘tweens’, you are growing up and trying to find yourself, but are still a kid and will make mistakes, some larger than others. But as Kate learned the most important thing is to do the right thing, apologising where needed, and learning from it.

The plot moved at a good pace and with a constant level of peril throughout, not knowing exactly what happened that day, not knowing how things were going to turn out.

Whilst being an enjoyable read some important lessons can be learned too, I would recommend it to the year 7 and 8’s at my school.

Thank you to Quill Tree Books and Edelweiss+ for the e-arc to review.

[Pete Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate is a normal twelve-year-old girl with problems, caught in the allure of suddenly becoming popular. Her mom and dad are divorced, and she's moved in with her police officer dad. Her mom gets so wrapped up in her make-up business that she has little time for her daughter. Kate has always had her best friend, Hattie, who many of the other kids in middle school think is weird due to her free spirit and individuality. When Kate starts hanging out with the in-crowd and is befriended by pretty but manipulative Taylor, she feels like she matters. Taylor is big into putting down others like Hattie, who don't fit into her category of "normal." Kate faces the dilemma of standing up for her old friend or hanging with the pretty, popular crowd.

I thought author Claire Swinarski nailed the middle grade experience—sometimes joyous, often moody, and regularly dramatic. Peer relationships can seem like life and death at this age, especially when kids are trying to fit in and not become the target of bullying. The complicated family dynamics added to the plot. This story also shows how things can get quickly blown out of proportion and some of the dangers of social media. It also makes readers think about the importance of standing up for others and doing the right thing, even if it might lower their social standing. I strongly recommend this book for middle school readers, particularly girls.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Every story has a villain, and the one in this story is me." How's that for an opening line? And the rest of the book more than lives up to its promise.

This is a story about two best friends who stop being friends in middle school -- but the main character, Kate, is the one who severed the friendship because she wanted to hang out with the cool kids. One day, while she's with her new friends, they start teasing her old friend. Things spiral out of control, her former best friend ends up falling through the ice on a nearby lake, and Kate saves her life. The whole thing gets caught on video, and now the whole world thinks Kate's a hero. But the real story isn't quite that simple, and Kate herself isn't sure of exactly what happened...

I have now read all of Claire Swinwarski's contemporary middle grade books, and I think this one is my favorite. I am truly envious of her skill at nailing the middle grade voice. As an adult, it was clear to me from the beginning who the main character should be trusting and when she was making mistakes - yet despite that, I wasn't shouting at the page for her to do the right thing; I was there inside her head finding it all confusing and difficult. As an author, I knew where the story had to go; but it hit me like a gut punch all the same, because I felt for the main character so strongly.