Customer Reviews

Fat Cat

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I really enjoyed Fat Cat. I loved Robin's last book, Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature so I was really excited to get this one for review! Robin's books always deal with unique issues, and always are packed full of characters I love. Cat was a great main character, but my favorite has to be her best friend- Amanda. Amanda was sweet, loyal, funny, poetic, stylish- everything you could want in a best friend. The best part was she stayed friends with Cat even before she lost weight. It was interesting to be a part of Cat's struggle to stick with the rules she assigned herself, and at times I felt myself wishing I could do what she did. She was very strong, because I don't think I could give up chocolate and the computer for as long as she did. Since Fat Cat was a first person narrative, I enjoyed it that much more. The reader got an inside look at Cat's life and everything she felt. I'm glad Cat stayed true to herself. She didn't just abandon her friends or anything now that she was becoming pretty, she did it for herself. To feel and be healthier.

Although it was a bit predictable at times, I highly recommend Fat Cat. It had great messages about being overweight and friendship also played a big role. Another thing I really liked was the cooking. Cat was a great cook and she and Amanda even helped revive a restaurant. I learned about a bunch of new recipes and really want to try cooking more myself now!

All in all, Fat Cat was a light read with a great message. Perfect for all girls to read.

Rating;
Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 7/10
Overall: 45/50= 90%

This book is both smart and funny, and like its first person narrator, there's a lot to love about it.

In an attempt to take home top prize at the science fair, Cat decides to live like a cave girl: meaning no modern technology or conveniences (exceptions made for safety), and no processed foods (fruits and nuts are allowed; diet coke is out).

It's kind of the direct opposite of that movie Supersize Me. And if that were all it was, it would still be entertaining and insightful.

But Cat's experiment is not only for scientific glory; she hates being fat, and she fully intends to shed some weight along the way. The weight comes off along with the major chip Cat carries on her shoulder, and she learns a lot about herself, teenage boys, and love, especially that she has used her fat as an insulator, to avoid taking chances on relationships.

I hope many teens will read this book, because it has heart and humor, and a heroine for the modern, as well as the stone age!

This was a really powerful book. I felt that Robin poured herself into this novel, because you can't write a book about such a personal issue without having some back story. Maybe I am wrong but that is the impression I got.


Cat is a like-able character she is funny and unlike many other fat book main characters she does not really look down on herself. Because I am scientifically minded as well I enjoyed how she made changing her life into an experiment. All of the nutrition advice, while sometimes being too much, was informative, and interesting. This book really inspired me to get up and eat healthier.


Besides the nutrition aspect, the love story was really cute, while sometimes being obvious, i really loved Matt, and her other friends were so wonderful. I would love to be friends with any of these characters.


I enjoyed this book, it made me look at my eating choices through a good plot, and a cute love story. One of my favorite books I read in 2009.

Fat Cat defiantly proves the reason why you should NEVER judge a book by it's cover. Since, I seriously thought this book wouldn't be that great when I received it in the mail a while back because of it's lackluster cover, but to my surprise hidden inside was not only a novel, but characters, that captured my heart and truly shined throughout.

I'm not sure how I can describe Cat exactly, but I will say that she was funny, smart, and a fantastic role model for girls everywhere. Simply, because she was a girl that even with her slight weight problem continued to not only shine, but worked to achieve a better weight in healthy ways that did not included a clichéd eating disorder. Also, it was really interesting to see how she tied it all in to her science fair project. Plus, I adored the other main characters, especially Amanda who was such a great friend to Cat no matter what and Jordan who was the same! Oh, and Matt was a guy I definitely wouldn't mind hating/ secretly loving.

The plot was also a high point of the novel. Since, it was fresh, fast paced, and as mentioned above I loved how the author incorporated different types of science into this novel.

Overall, I can't stress enough how Fat Cat is one of those books in Fall '09 that just need to be read because of it's inspiring message and everything else that is involved! I can't wait to read Robin's next novel!

This book is so enjoyable. It's been a while since I've read a character like Cat. She's smart, capable and knows her own mind. In the beginning she also happens to be fat. As part of a science project, she decides to give up processed foods and technology for seven months in order to record the effects on her test subject - herself! Her journey from Fat Cat to just Cat is a wonderful thing to witness. She finds that it is often harder to get rid of "fat Cat" in her mind than in her body-just because the pounds start melting off doesn't mean all the problems are solved. This book is also a reminder of all the junk we put in our bodies and all the time we waste with computers, cell phones, TV's and IPODS. Cat makes me want to go back to living as the Hominids did as well, although I doubt I have as much willpower. There's a great little romance thrown in throughout the book that just adds to it's charm. This is a great story filled with characters that are authentic and that will make you care deeply. Don't miss this one - especially if you are wanting to make a change in your own lifestyle. You will likely find plenty of inspiration in these pages.

I loved FAT CAT! I received an audiobook of the novel from a Twitter contest hosted by the author, Robin Brande, and started listening to it on my 20 minute drive to work. It was so good though, that I started going out to my car on my breaks just to listen to it! I wanted to drive ALL THE TIME! I was so excited to make the 5 hour drive up to my family's for Thanksgiving because it meant 5 hours of FAT CAT!

When I first saw FAT CAT around on blogs, I wasn't particularly interested. The cover didn't really draw me in, but I thought the premise was promising. So when I saw that the author was giving away a couple audiobooks, I entered on a whim. I am so glad I won - otherwise I might have missed out on an awesome novel! And while I still don't love the cover, it has grown on me some!

The novel and Cat's experiment really made me think about my own eating habits and lifestyle. I found that not only were the results of Cat's experiment amazing, the lessons she learned about herself after losing weight were encouraging. The story reminded me that if you want to lose weight, or change yourself in anyway, you must do it for you, not anyone else.

Cat was a wonderful narrator; I felt like she was a friend by the end of the novel. I think that we are alike in many ways. I loved her no-nonsense attitude and her moments of weakness: she was loveable.

Cat's romantic mishaps and relationships were one of my favorite aspects of the novel. I loved the fact that Cat hadn't dated before, it made the story a bit different than the rest. I liked that Cat was independent and didn't need a boy, even though she wanted one. And I wanted her to have one... well, there's at least one boy I wanted her to have.

Read FAT CAT! I loved this novel and even borrowed it to my mom. If you like audiobooks, I thought that the narrator did a great job. There is a bonus interview with the author at the end of the audio version as well that I really enjoyed.

High School Junior Catherine Locke is smart, funny - and overweight. Cat's best friend Amanda could tell you all about how wonderful Cat is. She's kind, she's brave, she's a math and science whiz, she's a great cook, she plays the piano wonderfully. But the only thing that matters to Cat is that she's fat and it's because she's fat that her former best friend Matt betrayed her and broke her heart four years ago.

Ironically, it's Cat's Special Topics in Research Science class - a class she's been dreading because she knew Matt would be in it - that gives her the chance to change her life. When she chooses a picture of early hominins from the teacher and has one hour to design a research project based on the image, Cat decides to spend the next seven months living as closely as possible to the way homo erectus did - no junk food, no technology. The results are unexpected and staggering. Suddenly, it seems Cat is hot. Boys are actually interested in dating her. But as stunning as the change in her appearance is, it's the changes that happen on the inside that finally make it possible for Cat to let go of the past and the hurt Matt caused her.

Fat Cat is much more than a book about an overweight girl and/or the typical teen obsession with body image as self worth. Sure, Cat's weight is an issue, but the book is more about how Cat has let her weight affect how she sees the world and how she feels about herself than it is about the trials and tribulations of a fat girl. This book also deals sensitively with issues of friendship, betrayal and forgiveness and about how holding on to past hurts can mean holding yourself back. This is the second book by Robin Brande that I've read (the first was Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature, which I also loved) and I have been incredibly impressed with how deftly she handles difficult issues and how accurately and honestly she captures emotions. I'd pick up a new book by Robin Brande any day.

Some books start out dull and I have to force myself to keep reading. Other books start out "blah," only vaguely piquing my curiosity. My favorite kind of book captures me from the first page and I rush excitedly through the chapter to see what this book is going to turn into. Fat Cat was one of the best kind of books. I was sucked in by the first few lines. Not because the plot was particularly stunning, but because of the Cat's (the main character) voice.

Cat Locke is smart - a science and math geek. She's also funny, sarcastic, kind, and a great best friend. The revolves around a year-long science project. Cat tries to replicate the eating habits and lifestyle of pre-historic humans. That means no ice cream, no chocolate, and no Doritos. It also means no cars, no computers, no television, and no phone. Cat undergoes a great transformation due to her new habits. Suddenly she's no longer the fat girl; she's the girl boys ogle at.

Cat's biggest character flaw both helps and hinders her - she is stubborn. It is her stubbornness and determination that gets her through this year of sacrifice. Very few people could give up processed food and modern technology with such fervor as Cat. But her stubbornness also leads her to hold a fierce grudge against her former best friend Matt for 4 years. One comment provoked vehement hatred that only intensified as the years passed.

Cat's project benefits herself more than science. She learns how to achieve and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. She learns about boys. She learns about her family and her friends. But can she learn forgiveness as well?

Fat Cat is a fun read from the first page to the last. I particularly love how it portrays smart girls with no guilt, embarrassment, or harassment about their intelligence. It's cool to be a smart girl in Cat's world. Of course, I can always get nit-picky. I wish her dad had been portrayed more fully. Like many YA dads, he's just thrown into the pages occasionally. Mostly my main complaint is the book's predictability. But even though it was wrapped up into a clean, even package with a bow on top, I thought it was a fun, fabulously wrapped package.

4.5 out of 5 stars

A fun read that was fairly light but with serious undertones. I enjoyed the first person narrative and the odd ball way the main character dealt with such a common problem in America today, obesity. It added a fun light note to what could have been a dry and predictable read. Great secondary character as well.

Robin Brande's FAT CAT tells of a science experiment with Cat as the guinea pig. For Cat may be smart and fun - but she's not thin - until her self-experiment to eat like early human ancestors has an unexpected side result. Will Cat's dropping weight and soaring self-confidence change her life?