Overall Grade: A-
Knopf, October 2009
Fat Cat, by Robin Brande, is one of those books that surprises you with its layers. As with Cat, the main character, you have to get to know the book before you can fully appreciate it—but it’s pretty likeable just from first glance, too. It is a first-person chronicle of a girl’s struggle to get an A and win the science fair—but her research project involves far more than lab work. Cat, to prove her theory on the healthy lifestyle of early humans, must live like one, as closely as possible, for the entire semester. No processed foods. No sugar, no caffeine, no chocolate. No TV. No hairspray. In the course of her research, she changes—she loses her extra pudge and soda addiction, and she gains a self-assurance she had never known.
But, as was mentioned earlier, this book had layers. It isn’t just about a girl’s lifestyle change and weight loss. The character is very real, and her relationships with her friends and family are really at the heart of the book. Robin Brande does an excellent job of weaving the story together, and getting a message across without the least bit of preachiness.
Literary Quality: B
Plot: B
Voice: A
Originality: A
Descriptive Ability: A-
Humor: A-
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: A+
Believability of Situations: A
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A
Possibly Objectionable Topics*: mild language, kissing, some discussion of sexuality (so...for mature readers)
Knopf, October 2009
Fat Cat, by Robin Brande, is one of those books that surprises you with its layers. As with Cat, the main character, you have to get to know the book before you can fully appreciate it—but it’s pretty likeable just from first glance, too. It is a first-person chronicle of a girl’s struggle to get an A and win the science fair—but her research project involves far more than lab work. Cat, to prove her theory on the healthy lifestyle of early humans, must live like one, as closely as possible, for the entire semester. No processed foods. No sugar, no caffeine, no chocolate. No TV. No hairspray. In the course of her research, she changes—she loses her extra pudge and soda addiction, and she gains a self-assurance she had never known.
But, as was mentioned earlier, this book had layers. It isn’t just about a girl’s lifestyle change and weight loss. The character is very real, and her relationships with her friends and family are really at the heart of the book. Robin Brande does an excellent job of weaving the story together, and getting a message across without the least bit of preachiness.
Literary Quality: B
Plot: B
Voice: A
Originality: A
Descriptive Ability: A-
Humor: A-
Illustrations: n/a
Believability of Characters: A+
Believability of Situations: A
Overall Reading Enjoyment: A
Possibly Objectionable Topics*: mild language, kissing, some discussion of sexuality (so...for mature readers)
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