Review: Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Synopsis from Goodreads:

You are what you eat. . . .Cat's smart, sassy, and funny—but thin, she’s not. Until her class science project. That’s when she winds up doing an experiment—on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living—and eating—like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.

As the pounds drop off, the guys pile on. All this newfound male attention is enough to drive a girl crazy! If only she weren’t too busy hating Matt McKinney to notice. . . .

This funny and thoughtful novel explores how girls feel about their bodies, and the ways they can best take care of their most precious resource: themselves.

Review:

Fat Cat by Robin Brande was a fantastic novel. I stayed up late into the night to read it. Sometimes all you want is a story that will make you smile, but Fat Cat was more than just that. It was insightful, thought-provoking and clever.

Cat is fat; hence the name of the book. All she wants to do is beat Matt-her ex-best friend- at the science fair and get the top spot. However, to do this, she knows she'll need to pull out all the stops. So begins her 207 day project of living like the hominids (homo erectus).

Luckily, she doesn't have to eat raw or putrid meat or light fires to cook dinner (that is, if the hominids even discovered fire), but instead, she eats healthily, walks everywhere (if possible) and cuts herself off from as much technology as possible (emergencies permitting).

With some struggles, Cat's project begins to go well and her healthy eating and exercise means that the pounds drop off and she begins to get varied male attention. But she knows that in the end, all that matters is that she makes Matt pay for hurting her.

I really enjoyed Fat Cat and read it in one sitting. It was funny, clever and unique. I liked the spin on the usual plot of 'fat girl becomes thin and avenges herself' by having it to do with a school project. I liked the fact that Cat developed her confidence throughout the book. I found the project interesting and educational. Most of all, I liked the characters, especially Cat's friend, Amanda, who pushed her to come out of her shell. Doesn't every girl need a friend like that?

Now that she can, Cat analyses boys, something that was unknown territory not too long ago, but the more she learns, the more confusing it all gets. I loved seeing Cat grow as a character, get rid of her insecurites and confront Matt. Though her hate for him was slightly disproportionate to what he did (I'm not condoning it. Only, it is a few years later and the hurt of what he did should have ebbed slightly).

Overall, I liked Matt and Cat's relationship. Fat Cat was a great book and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a light and funny read.
Book Rating: 5/5

Cover Rating: 3/5

Author: Robin Brande

Review: Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In Caitlin's world, everything is black or white. Things are good or bad. Anything in between is confusing. That's the stuff Caitlin's older brother, Devon, has always explained. But now Devon's dead and Dad is no help at all. Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an eleven-year-old girl with Asperger's, she doesn't know how. When she reads the definition of closure, she realizes that is what she needs. In her search for it, Caitlin discovers that not everything is black and white - the world is full of colors - messy and beautiful.



Review:

I loved reading Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine because it was stunning in its honesty. Caitlin has Asperger's syndrome and it makes her see the world differently to others. After her brother Devon is killed in a school shooting, Caitlin does not know how to Deal With It or how to find the closure that she so desperately wants.

With the help of the school counsellor, Mrs Brooks, Caitlin begins the journey to slowly come to terms with Devon's death through finding closure. Closure is hard to achieve though when you see the world so differently and I found Caitlin's struggle so inspiring.

Not only that, but Caitlin also has to learn to socialise with her peers and to make friends. The amount of miscommunication between characters in the book expressed perfectly how difficult it is for Caitlin to come to terms with Devon's death. Her father, though loving, does not want to talk about Devon's death and the unfinished chest that was Devon's project, is a barrier between them; an obstacle that they must knock down.

Mockingbird was fantastic because it taught me more about Asperger's syndrome. I loved seeing the world through Caitlin's eyes, understand the world in the way she understands it and I especially liked observing Caitlin develop throughout Mockingbird in her search for closure.

I also enjoyed the references to To Kill a Mockingbird because I found it paralleled the story well. I was so emotional when I read this story; one sad moment I remember in stark detail is when Caitlin scrapes bark of an oak tree in her attempt to get a piece of wood she believes she needs to complete Devon's project and hurts herself.

Mockingbird was amazing and would recommend it to everyone. Mockingbird teaches us about Asperger's syndrome, but it does so in an informative, sensitive and emotional way. It is about one young girl's difficult journey to find closure in her life.

Book Rating: 5/5

Cover Rating: 4/5

Author: Kathryn Erskine

Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Perilous Journey

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The fabulous foursome readers embraced as The Mysterious Benedict Society is back with a new mission, significantly closer to home. After reuniting for a celebratory scavenger hunt, Reynie, Kate, Sticky, and Constance are forced to go on an unexpected search--a search to find Mr. Benedict. It seems that while he was preparing the kids' adventure, he stepped right into a trap orchestrated by his evil twin Mr. Curtain.


With only one week to find a captured Mr. Benedict, the gifted foursome faces their greatest challenge of all--a challenge that will reinforce the reasons they were brought together in the first place and will require them to fight for the very namesake that united them.


Review:

Set a year after their previous adventure The Mysterious Benedict Society, The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Perilous Journey is just as great. Reynie, Kate, Sticky and Constance, the members of the MBS set out to follow a trail of cryptic clues left by Mr Benedict who has been kidnapped by his odious brother, Mr Curtain, in the hope that they will eventually find him.

The beginning started off in a similar way as the first book, with Reynie on his way to a rendezvous. The beginning was a little slow, with the characters dwelling on and reminiscing over their previous adventure, however, once it got going, it gripped me to the end. The book was engrossing. It was action-packed and the members of the Mysterious Benedict Society travelled across the world to locate Mr Benedict. The trail of clues was intriguing and well thought out in Stewart’s usual style.

Constance suddenly developed extremely powerful psychic abilities and extra-fast pattern recognition skills. She did not have this in the last book where her stubbornness was her saving grace. The origin of these abilities remained unexplained and I hope it is explained in the next book. I wonder whether she is someone’s laboratory experiment as she has no memory of her family and she is very advanced for a three-year old.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Perilous Journey was very humorous and entertaining. Even the villainous characters had their little jokes. There was one occasion where Mr Curtain would not have helped one of his henchmen because he is not that type of person- but he did- which was convenient as it got him out of the way for the main characters to make a bid for freedom. This was out of character for him.

The book went into more detail about Mr Benedict and Mr Curtain’s narcolepsy and how it affects their lives. This was interesting and frightening. If you read the first book, I am sure you would want to read The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Perilous Journey as it was a highly enjoyable read and laugh-out-loud funny. If you haven’t started the series, I highly recommend it. You won’t regret it.

Book Rating: 5/5
 
Cover Rating: 4/5
 

Author: Trenton Lee Stewart