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Making Out #19
Kate Finds Love
When she falls in love with Jake, Kate wants to make sure nothing ever separates them, but Jake harbors a secret that makes him try to persuade Kate to stay away from him
169 pages, Paperback
First published May 9, 1997
About the author
Katherine Applegate
275 books6,380 followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate has written many books for young readers, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal.
Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).
She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).
Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).
With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)
Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.
Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.
Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).
She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).
Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).
With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)
Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.
Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 23, 2015
This is the instalment where most of the gang graduates high school. Claire is somehow valedictorian. During the graduation ceremony Jake is onstage receiving an athletics prize and as he’s looking down and shuffling his feet and saying, “Aw, shucks” Lucas’s mom says to Kate, “He seems sweet, your new boyfriend” as if Jake is someone she doesn’t know. Maybe I’m being weird, but if my son was jailed for killing someone in a drunk-driving accident, I would remember that person’s only brother. Especially if I lived on an island with only 299 other people. Especially if this person’s dad runs the marina and my husband works on a fishing boat. What she should have said was probably something like, “Your new boyfriend seems like someone I’ve known since he was born.”
Lara wakes up at rehab. The last thing she can remember is being drunk and running Kate off the road. Which supposedly happened about a week before this. She spends the book yelling at the people she’s rehabbing with, hits on her therapist and escapes with little to no effort making for Chatham Island on foot. Good luck, Lara.
Books 1-5 Zoey was the feisty, romantic optimist. Books 6-18 she was the whiny, passive-aggressive, moody, prude. Now it seems she’s the selfish, obtuse, gymbot. Nina is sad Zoey’s leaving for college in California and is feeling self-conscious about her looks. Zoey’s response: “I’m going to an aerobics class, gotta be fit for California. I’m gonna buy all new make-up and a hideous-sounding, midriff-baring halter-top. Gotta look good for California.” Ugh, Zoey. Just stop.
Aisha and Christopher are now engaged. Christopher’s sister Kendra has arrived on Chatham Island. Christopher forbids her from speaking to Aisha. They eventually meet. There are strong overtones of Christopher having a secret past. Also, despite Christopher getting his job at Passmore’s back in the last book, in this book he’s still working at Jimmy’s. Okay.
Jake has a new summer job! I guess working at the marina for his dad isn’t as good as working at Burger Heaven, “…a Chatham Island staple. Especially for athletes” I find this hard to accept considering Jake is the only athlete on the island, and in the last book it states that Jimmy’s and Passmore’s are the only restaurants on the island. But no, “Jake and his teammates always went to Burger Heaven for a burger and fries after their games” Really? Jake and his teammates all got the ferry to Chatham Island after their games to get a burger at Burger Heaven? And then everyone except Jake got the ferry home? Late on Friday nights? When all they seemed to do after games in the earlier books was get high/laid/drunk on the mainland? Gah!
Kate keeps bothering Jake at work, and is becoming more erratic in her behaviour. She reveals she used to be on medication for depression.
Claire the unlikely valedictorian and Aaron, newly minted siblings, are spending some quality time together before Aaron goes on tour with his band, the previously unmentioned Wicked Undertow. Claire’s dad catches them making out. Creepy.
So, I wasn’t exactly impressed with this book. It felt ghost-written and Sweet Valley High-ish. Kate Finds Love is an inferior product, riddled with inconsistencies. I remember the books being full of this sort of thing but so far there’ve been only a couple of flubs, like Kate’s name changing from one book to another, and the gradual phasing out of Jake’s sister Holly until she just didn’t exist anymore. I have high hopes for the next book though, it’s called Never Trust Lara and I’m thinking maybe Lara is going to stick out her foot and trip Zoey or something.
Lara wakes up at rehab. The last thing she can remember is being drunk and running Kate off the road. Which supposedly happened about a week before this. She spends the book yelling at the people she’s rehabbing with, hits on her therapist and escapes with little to no effort making for Chatham Island on foot. Good luck, Lara.
Books 1-5 Zoey was the feisty, romantic optimist. Books 6-18 she was the whiny, passive-aggressive, moody, prude. Now it seems she’s the selfish, obtuse, gymbot. Nina is sad Zoey’s leaving for college in California and is feeling self-conscious about her looks. Zoey’s response: “I’m going to an aerobics class, gotta be fit for California. I’m gonna buy all new make-up and a hideous-sounding, midriff-baring halter-top. Gotta look good for California.” Ugh, Zoey. Just stop.
Aisha and Christopher are now engaged. Christopher’s sister Kendra has arrived on Chatham Island. Christopher forbids her from speaking to Aisha. They eventually meet. There are strong overtones of Christopher having a secret past. Also, despite Christopher getting his job at Passmore’s back in the last book, in this book he’s still working at Jimmy’s. Okay.
Jake has a new summer job! I guess working at the marina for his dad isn’t as good as working at Burger Heaven, “…a Chatham Island staple. Especially for athletes” I find this hard to accept considering Jake is the only athlete on the island, and in the last book it states that Jimmy’s and Passmore’s are the only restaurants on the island. But no, “Jake and his teammates always went to Burger Heaven for a burger and fries after their games” Really? Jake and his teammates all got the ferry to Chatham Island after their games to get a burger at Burger Heaven? And then everyone except Jake got the ferry home? Late on Friday nights? When all they seemed to do after games in the earlier books was get high/laid/drunk on the mainland? Gah!
Kate keeps bothering Jake at work, and is becoming more erratic in her behaviour. She reveals she used to be on medication for depression.
Claire the unlikely valedictorian and Aaron, newly minted siblings, are spending some quality time together before Aaron goes on tour with his band, the previously unmentioned Wicked Undertow. Claire’s dad catches them making out. Creepy.
So, I wasn’t exactly impressed with this book. It felt ghost-written and Sweet Valley High-ish. Kate Finds Love is an inferior product, riddled with inconsistencies. I remember the books being full of this sort of thing but so far there’ve been only a couple of flubs, like Kate’s name changing from one book to another, and the gradual phasing out of Jake’s sister Holly until she just didn’t exist anymore. I have high hopes for the next book though, it’s called Never Trust Lara and I’m thinking maybe Lara is going to stick out her foot and trip Zoey or something.
May 1, 2023
* Kate and Jake are together, but Jake has a new job at Burger Heaven and his boss isn't impressed when Kate comes to visit. Kate gets upset when she gets a bad grade on an essay, Jake gets in trouble because his girlfriend calls him at work (only it's not actually Kate, it's Lara), but by the end of the book they're fairly happy.
* Lucas' father hurts his back and tells Lucas that he'll have to go out catching lobsters at 5am every morning. Lucas is completely knackered by the job and doesn't spend enough time with Zoey. At the end of the book he falls asleep and misses her graduation party. She's not impressed.
* Zoey and Nina get jobs at a health and fitness centre, and Zoey starts taking some classes. Nina gets caught eating Mcdonalds at the front desk, and quits before she's fired.
* Nina worries that she's not enough for Benjamin because he keeps wanting to try new things like surfing. Benjamin has to go for an eye test, but ignores the doctors advice to do some exercises. He falls off his surfboard and feels pretty rotten. Nina tells him she'll help him with the exercises.
* Christopher's sister turns up, but he won't explain to Aisha that she's his sister until she threatens to call off the engagement. There's no explanation as to why he doesn't just introduce her as his sister. 🙄
* Claire and Aaron attempt to tell their parents about their relationship, but don't actually manage to tell them. Claire's father eventually catches them kissing.
* Lara makes trouble at rehab, then steals a nurse's keys and escapes.
* Lucas' father hurts his back and tells Lucas that he'll have to go out catching lobsters at 5am every morning. Lucas is completely knackered by the job and doesn't spend enough time with Zoey. At the end of the book he falls asleep and misses her graduation party. She's not impressed.
* Zoey and Nina get jobs at a health and fitness centre, and Zoey starts taking some classes. Nina gets caught eating Mcdonalds at the front desk, and quits before she's fired.
* Nina worries that she's not enough for Benjamin because he keeps wanting to try new things like surfing. Benjamin has to go for an eye test, but ignores the doctors advice to do some exercises. He falls off his surfboard and feels pretty rotten. Nina tells him she'll help him with the exercises.
* Christopher's sister turns up, but he won't explain to Aisha that she's his sister until she threatens to call off the engagement. There's no explanation as to why he doesn't just introduce her as his sister. 🙄
* Claire and Aaron attempt to tell their parents about their relationship, but don't actually manage to tell them. Claire's father eventually catches them kissing.
* Lara makes trouble at rehab, then steals a nurse's keys and escapes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2018
This has to be my least favourite so far. Kate bores me, Lucas is depressed and Whiny, Benjamin is acting like a child, even Claire and A-aron are boring me. I skipped through some parts because they were so irrelevant! I never thought the book where everyone graduates would be so dull.
I also noticed some annoying inconsistencies. Did these writers not do their research before writing these?
I did notice how all of a sudden Nina and Lucas are being pushed together 😒😒 I guess they're slowly introducing THAT storyline 🙄
I also noticed some annoying inconsistencies. Did these writers not do their research before writing these?
I did notice how all of a sudden Nina and Lucas are being pushed together 😒😒 I guess they're slowly introducing THAT storyline 🙄
December 16, 2022
I don’t remember this one from when I was younger I may not have had it but it’s weird, the island seems to have tripled in size and gained hundreds of new residents. At one point Aisha is on the ferry back to the island from the mainland and it is teaming with children but I thought her brother was the only kid on the island
August 20, 2019
I was disappointed with this book. It felt like nothing went on and too many characters were being jammed in but not doing anything. Nina, Zoey and Kate were really annoying in this book. I hope the next one improves because I had been enjoying them.
May 6, 2021
This one is just plain boring.
December 28, 2025
Blind Benjiamin was really much nicer. Zoey is as oblivious as ever. I really am trying hard to remember why she was my favorite character back as a child.
February 28, 2017
Feeling nostalgic for the books of my youth, I revisited Katherine Applegate and her Islanders omnibus editions (first released as the Making Out series way back in 1993. Yes, I am that old...).
While I found them to be overly-dramatic and a little bit cheesy on second reading, I think they would be loved by teenagers today. YA has taken a much-welcome step in the sphere of fantasy, science fiction and Dystopia, largely, in recent years so for teenagers looking for the traditional romance novels filled with teen-angst and buried secrets, these are a good series to turn to. A little bit Dawson's Creek in it's setting and it's drama, The Islanders is the perfect teen soap opera.
While I found them to be overly-dramatic and a little bit cheesy on second reading, I think they would be loved by teenagers today. YA has taken a much-welcome step in the sphere of fantasy, science fiction and Dystopia, largely, in recent years so for teenagers looking for the traditional romance novels filled with teen-angst and buried secrets, these are a good series to turn to. A little bit Dawson's Creek in it's setting and it's drama, The Islanders is the perfect teen soap opera.
December 6, 2023
I remember being obsessed with this series when I was 14! I made my mom buy me all 29 books (in Germany a 29th book was published, there is no English translation) after borrowing the first one from my then-best friend.
Looking back, the plots got wilder and wilder with time: A lost half-sister, Claire's stalker, Ben miraculously being able to see again etc. I don't think I would enjoy it as much now as I did ten years ago, but it will only have a special place in my heart.
Looking back, the plots got wilder and wilder with time: A lost half-sister, Claire's stalker, Ben miraculously being able to see again etc. I don't think I would enjoy it as much now as I did ten years ago, but it will only have a special place in my heart.
January 9, 2017
diese Buchreihe hat mich während meiner Teeniezeit begleitet. ich habe sie so geliebt...
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews