Fat Cat by Robin Brande, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2009, 336 pp, ISBN: 037584449X
Recap:
Cat Locke has something to prove. A couple of things, in fact. First, she is just as good of a scientist as Matt McKinney. Second, she is just as good of a person as Matt McKinney. Third, she does not need a boy in her life to be happy - especially not Matt McKinney. Is anyone else sensing a theme here?
Cat has decided to make herself the focus of her year-long Science project. She will take on the lifestyle and eating habits of early humans: no processed foods, no motorized transportation, no cell phones or internet. While Cat is fully anticipating a winning grade on her project, it's also sure to come along with a few unexpected side effects...
Cat Locke has something to prove. A couple of things, in fact. First, she is just as good of a scientist as Matt McKinney. Second, she is just as good of a person as Matt McKinney. Third, she does not need a boy in her life to be happy - especially not Matt McKinney. Is anyone else sensing a theme here?
Cat has decided to make herself the focus of her year-long Science project. She will take on the lifestyle and eating habits of early humans: no processed foods, no motorized transportation, no cell phones or internet. While Cat is fully anticipating a winning grade on her project, it's also sure to come along with a few unexpected side effects...
Review:
I've wanted to read Fat Cat by Robin Brande ever since reading this review from Write Meg! over a year ago. When it made Meg's Top 5 of 2010, I was reminded all over again of why I wanted to read it in the first place. Now, several months later, I finally got my hands on a copy... and I was not disappointed!
Cat is extremely easy to relate to. She is competitive and quick-witted, insecure and imaginative. She struggles with her weight, and struggles to admit her true feelings for the people in her life - especially people like Matt McKinney. Her Science project forces her to re-examine her diet, her exercise habits, the way she spends her free time, and the way she interacts with her classmates.
At the same time, Cat's Science project made me re-examine those areas in my own life. She didn't quite convert me to vegetarianism, but she did convince me to widen the range of my diet and walk to the grocery store more often.
It was pretty easy to predict the effects that Cat's new lifestyle would have on her body. She never revealed the exact number of pounds that she lost, but it was obvious that her body changed pretty drastically. Not surprisingly, her new image had a dramatic impact on the boys Cat had grown up with. It was interesting to see how Cat dealt with that attention. If I can say one thing, her actions were always realistic - if not always graceful!
And you're probably wondering, what ever happened with Matt McKinney? Well, you're just going have to read Fat Cat for yourself to find out :)
I've wanted to read Fat Cat by Robin Brande ever since reading this review from Write Meg! over a year ago. When it made Meg's Top 5 of 2010, I was reminded all over again of why I wanted to read it in the first place. Now, several months later, I finally got my hands on a copy... and I was not disappointed!
Cat is extremely easy to relate to. She is competitive and quick-witted, insecure and imaginative. She struggles with her weight, and struggles to admit her true feelings for the people in her life - especially people like Matt McKinney. Her Science project forces her to re-examine her diet, her exercise habits, the way she spends her free time, and the way she interacts with her classmates.
At the same time, Cat's Science project made me re-examine those areas in my own life. She didn't quite convert me to vegetarianism, but she did convince me to widen the range of my diet and walk to the grocery store more often.
It was pretty easy to predict the effects that Cat's new lifestyle would have on her body. She never revealed the exact number of pounds that she lost, but it was obvious that her body changed pretty drastically. Not surprisingly, her new image had a dramatic impact on the boys Cat had grown up with. It was interesting to see how Cat dealt with that attention. If I can say one thing, her actions were always realistic - if not always graceful!
And you're probably wondering, what ever happened with Matt McKinney? Well, you're just going have to read Fat Cat for yourself to find out :)
Recommendation:
If you're looking for a laugh-out-loud read, with a truly relatable heroine, that just might give you a new perspective on your own life... Fat Cat is probably the book for you! I would recommend it for high school age and up.
If you're looking for a laugh-out-loud read, with a truly relatable heroine, that just might give you a new perspective on your own life... Fat Cat is probably the book for you! I would recommend it for high school age and up.
Posts
I felt the same way-- I enjoyed this, but I think some language made it something I didn't feel comfortable handing to younger students.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked this one, too! It's definitely one of my favorite YA reads -- and reads in general -- and I recommend it heartily as much as I can. Cat is a memorable, lovable character.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book. I like how Cat didn't always make the right decisions re: Matt, but she acted in ways that fit with her character.
ReplyDelete