Cat's Meow: A Novel [Paperback]

Melissa de la Cruz (Author), Kim DeMarco (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 2001

Cat McAllister grew up as a Hollywood child star, spent her adolescence modeling in Japan, and now, as she celebrates her twenty-fifth birthday for the fourth time, she lives for velvet ropes, Moët & Chandon, gold-leaf invitations, and other fashionista prizes. But on her way up the social ladder, making her way past the who's who and the what's what, Cat finds herself stuck in that seventh circle of celebrity hell.

What's worse, her funds are running dry.

What's a girl to do?

Marry rich. And so the ruckus begins, taking us from China for a baby adoption, to Paris for the couture shows, to the "it" world of Gotham. And that's just the hors d'oeuvres.

Punctuated with Kim DeMarco's illustrations, Cat's Meow is a spectacularly witty novel about a young woman looking for love, clothes, and what will make her truly happy in life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This frothy romance revolves around Cat McAllister, a fashionista on a mission to save herself from "B-list obscurity." With her sizable trust fund dwindling and her recent fianc‚ on the arm of a Victoria's Secret supermodel, Cat is desperate to sharpen her edge among New York's rich and elite. With help from her best friend, India, "New York's reigning postoperative transsexual," Cat tries everything from throwing herself the perfect birthday party (her fourth 25th annual), to scheming after a titled, wealthy bachelor, to adopting an orphan in adherence to the gala charity calendar's cause of the moment. The superficial characters and silly predicaments make for a light, if occasionally stilted, read. Canned laughter kills some bad-to-begin-with jokes (e.g., when Cat confuses her illegal alien au pair's visa problems for credit card troubles), and Cat's shallowness is fitfully highlighted in heavy-handed triplicate ("`Galliano,' I confessed modestly. It was my usual response to a compliment. `Nice hair' was usually followed by `Fekkai.' `Fabulous makeup' by `Kevyn.' `Exquisite forehead' by `Botox.' I like to give credit since I am an authentic person.'"). Senior fashion editor for Hint magazine, a well-respected online journal, Cruz is dead-on with detail, from Cat's prized Bliss discount card and designer clothes to playful descriptions of front-row fashion personalities and events. While this debut, sprung from a column Cruz wrote for Hint, might not create a literary sensation, society page addicts will no doubt enjoy its irreverent spin on the glamorous life.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

Michael Musto The Village Voice A gift bag full of satire, spectacle, and name-dropping. It's all too fabulous for words.

Tim Blanks host of E!'s Fashion File Lurid! Harrowing! Picaresque!

Todd Oldham Melissa de la Cruz captures all the nuances of the New York fashion sillies with wit and accuracy.

Simon Doonan author of Confessions of a Window Dresser and creative director, Barneys Melissa de la Cruz is the Jackie Collins of the "Moomba" generation -- she's on a collision course with pulp stardom.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 219 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; Original edition (July 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743205049
• ISBN-13: 978-0743205047
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,083,003 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat's Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney's, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).

She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, to be famous..., August 31, 2001

By 

Dianna Johnston "Compulsive Reader" (Joplin, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cat's Meow: A Novel (Paperback)

I have just finished reading this fabulous novel, and let me tell you, Cat's Meow is just plain fun! While it is certainly no literary achievement of great strides, Melissa de la Cruz's book has nevertheless provided me with the opportunity to see how "the other half" lives and has done so in a tongue-in-cheek, sitcom-comedy sort of way.

Cat McAllister, former child star and teen model, is about to celebrate her 4th annual 25th birthday when she suddenly realizes she's quickly becoming a has-been. Other celebrities her age have graduated to bigger and better things while Cat has remained in what she refers to as the "seventh circle of celebrity hell." Plus, as much as Cat enjoys buying the latest designer clothes, accessories, and tickets to the latest charity-of-the-week soiree, it's no surprise her credit is suffering and trust fund depleted. So armed with her best friend, successfully transformed transvestite India Beresford-Givens, Cat embarks on a mission to marry rich -- Stephan of Westonia (a Prince no less) is the perfect target.

Shallow, vain, and ridiculous, Cat's Meow had me howling. Full of spoiled-brat humor, celebrity-studded parties, name-dropping, and designer clothes, this book is one not to be missed. It's like being invited to all the fun stuff without having to pay! A fabulous and frolicking joy ride in the life of a New York socialite, her Sri Lankin au pair and transvestite friend, in a world where money, clothes and being popular is always in style. Très magnifique!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You MUST Read This Book, July 19, 2001

By 

Cat Call (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cat's Meow: A Novel (Paperback)

Do yourself a favor and read Cat's Meow. Melissa de la Cruz's quick-witted and irreverent humor had me in stitches the entire time. Fashion victims and victims of fashion victims alike will get a kick out of this. I know my next visit to Barney's will be with eyes wide open.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars glamour, debt and the art of living in excess in nyc, July 22, 2001

By 

jennie-d (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cat's Meow: A Novel (Paperback)

I lift my cosmopolitan and toast cat mcallister -- she's brigid jones meets carrie bradshaw meets cher from clueless ... all the right accessories with some dysfunctional charm keeping it real. If you can admit to yourself that everyone tries to be chic and only a few truly succeed, then you too will find this literary treasure mad funny and painfully true to life !