Enchanting Review: Fat Cat

FAT CAT
ROBIN BRANDE
Contemporary YA
Knopf
ISBN# 978-0-375-84449-2
327 Pages
$16.99
Hardcover--Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Cat has always been a bit of a brain. AP classes all the way, and so she's eagerly awaiting what should be one of the highlights of her high school career, the project in Mr. Fizer's research science class. But when she picks her picture out of the stack, instead of something she can be excited about and sure to beat former best friend Matt at, she ends up with a picture of the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. What is she supposed to with that? But the more she thinks, the more the idea begins to form. She'll use herself as the project, eating and living how the early humans lives, which means giving up nearly everything she loves—junk food, her car, TV and make a record of her transformation.

Cat's likeable from the start and I loved her best friend, Amanda, who definitely stole a few scenes on her own, especially at the cafe. At the beginning of the book, Cat's a little on the heavy side, she doesn't seem to be focused that much on her body, though she would like to feel prettier. So when she ends up with the photo of the hominids for her class, and decides to do the project on herself, she couldn't imagine the results or how it'll change her life. As the story moves along, Cat finds herself evolving, not only physically by losing the weight but mentally as well when her social life changes as does her self esteem. She even finds herself bonding more with her little brother. The only thing still negative around her is her former best friend, Matt, who she'd do anything to beat in this competition. It takes almost the whole book before the reader gets to find out what happened to her and Matt's friendship as thirteen year olds. Some of my favorite scenes are when Cat notices him watching her at school and especially when she's talking to one of the guys in class. The first time they meet up at the Zoo is one of the most memorable ones in the book. The awkwardness between the two, Cat's desire to show him she doesn't need him in her life and yet so desperately wants him to apologize for those hurtful words. And the scene between her and Amanda in the car afterwards was great too.

All in all, FAT CAT is a really great and entertaining read as Cat goes on a bit of a journey of self-discovery and finding out what it is in life that truly makes her happy. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a great mix of humor, little romance and friendship.

Robin Brande is a former trial attorney who is also the author of the young adult novel Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature. Robin was herself an overweight teen, and knows that a smart girl can figure out a smart way to be fit. She lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
October 2009