Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson

Audience: High School

Rating: A-

Synopsis:

Straight A, type A Kate has a plan. She’s mapped out her life and the next step should be MIT. She’s so sure of her plan that it’s the only college she’s applied to. But, for the first time in Kate’s life, a plan may not be enough. She can be organized and fit every criteria, but life has a way of intervening. This intense, emotional, and realistic look at the crucible that is senior year is wonderfully written and haunting.

Chatter:

(Spoiler Alerts! ) I loved Kate Malone as a character. If I hadn’t, this book would have been unreadable, but I truly cared for her, and was so caught up in her traumas that I couldn’t sleep after finishing this book. I felt the injustice along with Kate: she’d done all the right things, but yet MIT didn’t want her. In parallel, Teri hadn’t asked for the hand that had been dealt to her, and she also doesn’t know how to react. This seems to be the only similarity between the girls, but facing the unknown together is enough to draw them into a friendship.

The ending is strong and brings some measure of closure, but it also leaves so much unsettled. I felt myself wondering, is it in Kate’s best interests to take a year off to build a house? Sure, she’ll be helpful to Teri, but is she completely derailing her own life? I can’t help but wish that there had been some mistake in the admissions office and that MIT would accept her after all. That’s not very realistic, but I still would rather that Kate had been allowed to stay on the path she’d planned out for herself. I hate the idea that she’s going to continue to live in her house with a father who doesn’t understand her and too much responsibility for an 18 year old. College would have been more than just a future; it would also have been a haven. Or perhaps it would have been hell… maybe Kate needs a year to get herself together and get some much needed stress relief and perspective.

The use of chemistry as a reoccurring symbol throughout the book is both powerful and also offers a connective thread that ties the story together and gives it a deeper level of meaning. It is often Kate who is acting reagent, reacting to all of the situations that happen to her. Other times she becomes inert, watching her classmates make college plans, but trapped by her horrible lie about safety schools.

I would love a sequel to this book. Anderson doesn’t have one planned, as far as I’ve read, but I’m curious to know what happens to Kate, Teri, and poor Mitch. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for idealistic Mitch who comes out of this experience jaded and cynical. Hopefully the traditional walls at Harvard will help him regain some of the innocence he’s lost.

Questions:

What do you think Kate will do after graduation?

Is Kate not getting into MIT a good thing?

Will Kate be able to repair her relationship with her father? With Mitch?

What will become of Terri?

Keep reading!

-Paige

Buy Catalyst from Amazon