The Last Free Cat has the basis to be an excellent and memorable story, but unfortunately falls a bit short. The set up can seem a bit silly, but is an enjoyable scenario to explore, and provides the context for a well-thought out plot. Cat‘s shortcomings are in the set-up and characters. Blake launches right into an exciting adventure. Unfortunately, this doesn’t provide the reader enough time to grow to love the characters, and then Blake never finishes filling out the characters as the plot moves along. This may leave some readers reading more of an account of two people and their cat rather than a story about a sheltered girl, a rebellious boy, and their illegal pet. In addition to this, the novel feels like it takes some time to decide if it is going to be a teen or middle grade novel. However, this doesn’t totally sink the novel; the dialogue between the two main characters is witty and entertaining, and overall the novel will appeal to cat lovers. While it might not be a classic, The Last Free Cat will provide an afternoon’s entertainment for any feline lover!
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Albert Whitman & Co.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 7 religious exclamations, 4 mild obscenities, 3 religious profanities, 3 derogatory names, 3 scatalogical terms
Violence/Gore: Characters threaten each other; a character’s house is raided by police; characters assault a law enforcement officer; there is a riot; characters are shot at.
Sex/Nudity: Characters kiss
Mature Subject Matter:
Death of parents, corrupt government and corporations
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Characters (adult and teenage) drink, get drunk, and smoke.
