Nate Expectations

children's middlegrade audio fiction (5 hr 30 min, read by the author, 3rd in series) I've read the first two in print, so this is the first time listening to the author Tim Federle (who does a great job as narrator). Whereas young music-theater enthusiast Nate was merely starting to Question in the first book, here after a season of performing in E.T. the Musical 14y.o. Nate has found a secret smooch partner (Jordan, a co-star). When the show's run ends, he has to go back to highschool in Jankburg (western Pennsylvania), where he had been relentlessly bullied throughout middleschool, but at least his bestie Libby is there even if Jordan and aunt Heidi won't be.

Loved this heartfelt, really sweet story of a baby queer theater kid show more growing and finding a talent for writing (his ticket, according to Mr. English the English teacher, to getting out of Jankburg, along with just working hard and keeping his grades up). The evolving relationships between Jordan (drifting away on his rise to stardom) and new classmate Ben, as well as with Nate's supportive parents (he's outed to them before he's ready, but it's ok) make for a positive story arc as well.

2024 November bingo challenge: includes prologue, book 3 in audio series, title starts with N [takes place in the autumn, Novemberish; published in Sept 2018] show less

Nate has loved everything about being on Broadway, but when his show closes, he must return to the Pittsburgh suburbs his family calls home. He dreads attending public high school, but is surprised to find that it’s not quite what he expected. His Broadway experience seems to have given him a certain amount of... could it be? ... popularity? As he attempts to stage an ambitious musical version of Great Expectations with the help of long-time bestie Libby, he starts to worry that his secret New York City boyfriend is pulling away from him.

A fun ending to Federle’s Nate series. Though Nate is a little older than he was in the first book, the tone and content are still appropriate for upper elementary and middle school readers. I show more thought the character development was lacking a bit, especially concerning a certain new relationship, where I just didn’t feel any emotional connection. Still, I’d recommend this to readers who enjoyed the first two books. show less

I'm always happy to spend time in Nate's company. It's not quite as exciting as the other books (I guess I'm a fame-junkie, but getting cast in a Broadway show, and being in a Broadway show, both beat not-doing-a-Broadway-show), but it's fun, funny, gentle, and kind-hearted. I love books to be innately kind-hearted (speaks to the author's character, I imagine), and he was honest enough to include a reference to his own flop Broadway musical (Tuck Everlasting) which had moments of wonderfulness but was often just bewildering and off-putting (I'm sure the authors were to a certain extent hamstrung by the source material). But I still love Nate!

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 show more = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s). I feel a lot of readers automatically render any book they enjoy 5, but I grade on a curve! show less

Even without reading the earlier books I was able to enjoy this one.