Search  for anything...
Speak

Catalyst

    • Based on 402 reviews
Condition: New
Checking for product changes
$9.79 Why this price?
Holiday Deal · 11% off was $10.99

Buy Now, Pay Later

As low as $2 / mo
  • – 4-month term
  • – No impact on credit
  • – Instant approval decision
  • – Secure and straightforward checkout

Ready to go? Add this product to your cart and select a plan during checkout. Payment plans are offered through our trusted finance partners Klarna, PayTomorrow, Affirm, Afterpay, Apple Pay, and PayPal. No-credit-needed leasing options through Acima may also be available at checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Selected Option

Free shipping on this product

This item is eligible for return within 30 days of receipt

To qualify for a full refund, items must be returned in their original, unused condition. If an item is returned in a used, damaged, or materially different state, you may be granted a partial refund.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

Availability: In Stock.
Fulfilled by Amazon
Arrives Thursday, Dec 26
Order within 11 hours and 49 minutes
Available payment plans shown during checkout

Format: Paperback


Description

Meet Kate Malone-straight A science and math geek, minister's daughter, ace long-distance runner, girlfriend, unwilling family caretaker, emotional avoidance champion. Kate manages her life by organizing it, as logically as the periodic table. She can handle it all-or so she thinks. Then, like a string of chemical reactions, everything happens: the Malones' neighbors get burned out of their home and move in. Because her father is a Good Man of God (and a Not Very Thoughtful Parent), Kate has to share her room with her nemesis, Teri Litch, and Teri's adorable, troublemaking little brother. And through it all, she's still waiting to hear from the only college she has applied to: MIT. Kate's life is less and less under control-and then, something happens that blows it all apart, and forces her to examine her life, self, and heart for the first time. Set in the same community as the remarkable Speak, Catalyst is a novel that will make you think, laugh, cry, and rejoice-sometimes at the same time. Read more


Publisher ‏ : ‎ Speak; Reprint edition (September 15, 2003)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 232 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0142400017


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 12


Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 years and up


Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ HL580L


Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Thursday, Dec 26

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

  • Klarna Financing
  • Affirm Pay in 4
  • Affirm Financing
  • Afterpay Financing
  • PayTomorrow Financing
  • Financing through Apple Pay
Leasing options through Acima may also be available during checkout.

Learn more about financing & leasing here.

Similar Products

Top Amazon Reviews

    • A book I would normally not read, but was very good.
Very well written book. It helps you see that multiple people in the book were going through hard times, and through the perspective of the characters you can see that having an (I) attitude only hurts you. Allowing yourself to see that there are people enduring things that are just as difficult, if not harder can be eye opening. Of course to achieve that mental state is way easier said then done. Overall a great book. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2023 by Jake
    • Not perfect, but 5 stars anyway for the courage and the depth
Catalyst is not a perfect book. No book is. That said, it kept me spellbound into all hours of the night, because I just had to know what happened to Kate and Terri. I somewhat agree with the reader that said the novel follows a progression from a self-centered Kate to a less self-centered Kate, EXCEPT that I see Kate as more self-protective than self-centered. Don't any of you adults out there remember what it was like to be a teenager? When you felt like your entire life was out of your control and hung by the thread of other people's decisions? As a chronic overachiever who struggles with performance anxiety, I could relate A LOT to Kate. There were times that I thought she should have felt a little guiltier about focusing on the MIT rejection instead of on Terri, BUT then again, Terri's situation was so horrifying it would be difficult for someone as young as Kate to process. In fact, that was one of my few gripes with the book--that what happens to Terri seems a bit over the top. Yes, there are people out there with even worse stories, but I wondered if there was any way to simplify the plot line to include just one or two of those events. But that still didn't take away from the overall power of the book for me, and I wound up by the end liking both Terri and Kate very much. And as for the reviewer who said she was appalled at the choice of this for a summer reading list, well, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, yes, this deals with some very taboo subjects that parents may not want their children exposed to. But I think it really depends on the age of the child. Would I want my fourteen year old to read this? Perhaps not. My sixteen or seventeen year old? Most likely. Ultimately, though, I am glad books like this exist. Wouldn't you rather your teenager navigate the waters of difficult subjects through a sensitive, well-written book like this than through watching any number of television shows or YouTube videos? This stuff is out there. People do struggle with issues like this. At some point, your child WILL be exposed to these subjects, whether or not they are in a public school. By the time most teens read a book like this, there's a good chance they will have ALREADY encountered them. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2009 by Amazon Customer
    • Great reading
Review Image by Cindy Francis Cindy Francis
Love it
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2022 by Cindy Francis Cindy Francis
    • An okay book, Speak is far better!
Catalyst is a decent story, readable and a few twists you don't expect. But, I definitely thought the other books I've read by this author ("Speak" and "Chains") were far better and superior books. There is a lot mentioned about a character from "Speak" making an appearance in this book too - and she does. But....it's such a throw away. It's like the editor and/or author was like...."Uh-oh...we gotta fit Melinda in this book somehow...no matter how random!" I think they shot themselves in the foot with that too, because if you love the Melinda character and relate to her as I did, you won't like Kate as much, and you'll just be waiting for Melinda to show up. When she finally does, it's quick and a let-down. I also really just thought this missed at the ending - not to destroy the book for anyone - but it didn't seem believable, and the character needing redemption never really did anything to earn it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2017 by Heather Manheim
    • Not Anderson's Best
As many have said, Laurie Halse Anderson is a great author, and she has many excellent books. That being said, this is not one of the best examples of this. This book is about Kate, an overachieving minister's daughter that just wants to get into MIT. This story is all about how her neighbor's house is destroyed in a fire and her neighbor whom she cannot stand and her family lives with Kate. I wasn't sure what to expect when I was reading, because most of Anderson's books had to do with disturbed teens. From what I heard about Catalyst, this didn't seem very dark. But, that doesn't stop Kate. I really liked the other main characters in many of Anderson's books, but Kate is just not likable. Also, she goes into a LOT of detail about her brother's, er, habits for no particular reason. Her friends seem as if taken out of a bad teen sitcom, and then, there's the ending. Let's just say you probably will be disappointed. Overall, This book was ok. It was good at times, and bad at times, but mediocre overall. I recommend simply sticking to Speak, or maybe Wintergirls. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2012 by Livi
    • Pretty good.
Book has a slow start but morphed into an unexpected twist. The ending could have been much better. I felt as though she got tired of writing and threw an ending in. Good overall though.
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2021 by Brittaney Williams
    • Parents: Read this Before You Allow Your Child To
Please parents, it would be a wise thing for you to read through this book before you allow your precious young person to do so in my opinion. This was a required summer reading book for one of my children's public schools. I feel it was definitely not a choice I would have made at all, and I wish I had read it through before my child had read it. It was described to me by my child as a "pointless" and "time-wasting" book. There was no plot or ending. It includes masturbation and incest issues within its pages. As there is so much great and edifying literature available for young people, I personally would have chosen very differently for my child. On the other hand, I am also grateful for this book in two ways. First, it helped "seal the deal" that our children will not attend public school again where supposed "experts" can control what my children read and/or learn. Secondly, this book made me even more thankful than ever that we have a freedom of choice in education for our children in this country. So, all is not lost, and there truly has been something good that came out of this book for my family. Yet, I still wish I had read through this first rather than trusting someone else to make a such a choice for my child. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2009 by Lisa J. Vann
    • Favorite book
I absolutely love this book! It's been one of my favorites for about 10 years and I finally bought my very own copy! Laurie Halse Anderson is a phenomenal author
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2021 by Lauren Addams

Can't find a product?

Find it on Amazon first, then paste the link below.