Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys (Weetzie Bat) (Paperback)

by Francesca Lia Block (Author) "Cherokee Bat loved the canyons..." (more)
Key Phrases: goat pants, niña bruja, goat guys, Witch Baby, Angel Juan, The Goat Guys (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Fans of Weetzie Bat and Witch Baby will be delighted with this latest opportunity to reenter Block's magical vision of Los Angeles. With the grown-ups who make up the Bat household off making a film in South America, Cherokee and her "almost-sister" Witch Baby are left to their own devices. The adventure begins when Cherokee, acting on the advice of the family's mystic friend Coyote, makes a pair of wings for Witch Baby in order to lift her from the deep, mud-eating gloom into which she has fallen. Raphael and Angel Juan--the two other members of The Goat Guys, the rock band Cherokee and Witch Baby have formed--soon have magical costumes, too. But as the band's fame grows, the costumes exert a corrupting influence on the teenagers. The band's gradual immersion in sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll certainly is enthralling but many readers will be relieved when the group finally decides to abandon the dangerous activities that have clouded its members' individual roads to self-discovery. And much to her credit, Block's satisfying ending suggests that Weetzie Bat and her extended family--true to their characters--take the teenagers' experimentation and rebellion in stride. This latest effort provides yet another delicious and deeply felt trip to Block's wonderfully idiosyncratic corner of California. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Grade 8-12-- Zany characters, pop culture, the California scene, and finely crafted language combine to tell an emotionally charged story with a contemporary message. Cherokee Bat and al most-sister Witch Baby are left behind when their parents go to South America to make a film. When Witch Baby stops eating and starts withdrawing into herself, Cherokee has to save her. Nothing seems to work until Angel Juan, Witch Baby's special childhood friend, returns from Mexico. Enlisting another friend on guitar, the four start a band, the Goat Guys, but only with the help of mystical powers does it become a hit. Success, however, has a price, and every thing begins to fly apart in wild and outrageous ways. Block has once again created a brief but entertaining and involving story. Her characters are odd, but somehow enchanting. Readers come to care about them in their childlike inno cence. The story isn't didactic, but illustrates the importance of family, friends, love, caring for the natural world, and maintaining order in the spiritual world. The fairy-tale quality of the book, its contemporary scene, and its modern language will appeal to teen readers, particular ly those who have enjoyed Weetzie Bat (1989) and Witch Baby (1991, both Harper Collins) .
- Gail Richmond, Point Loma High School, San Diego
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (June 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064470954
• ISBN-13: 978-0064470957
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,021,341 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars enjoyable continuation of series, September 6, 2000

By A Customer

All in all an enjoyable continuation of the Weetzie Bat series, but I could have used more of the initial characters. On the other hand, using the younger characters does make the book more accesible to teenage readers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Age Indian Magic, February 11, 2000

By	"miss_witch" (San Francisco, California) - See all my reviews

I would have to say that this is another great work of art from Block, i havn't seen or read anything like it since Catcher in the Rye!It is beautifuly detailed, and has a superb use of words that tells their own story along with the book.It is so enchanting and mezmorizing that you wont want to put it down!It pulls you in with the words and squeezes you until you burst with rays of light!It makes you look deep inside yourself and see who you really are and were. It describes LA through a teenage personality with smoking and drinking and always getting into messes,It has everything that a book should have; love,drugs,sorrow,jealousy... it will amaze you and make you want to read it over and over again... i strongly sugjest having this book, along with the rest of the series: Weetzy Bat,Witch Baby, Missing Angel Juan, and Baby Be-Bop, which i have all read. Get it ! You'll LOVE it!

5.0 out of 5 stars Another triumph from Ms. Block, April 15, 2006

By	Snapdragon "Innocuous yet Unique" (Someplace secret) - See all my reviews

I have read this book as well as the first Weetzie Bat book, and it is fantastic. It really describes life in L.A very well, and is poetic and enticing without being try-hard. I did find the quirkiness to have a bit of an "off" about it, and I guess now I thought it was slightly forced. It is much more depressing than the other Weetzie book. The storyline is clever though: Cherokee's parents go away to film in South America, leaving Cherokee and her almost-sister Witch Baby with their group the Goat Guys. Cherokee gets goat hoof boots, but then they make Witch Baby's finger bleed because she got cut on the zipper. A very good book, I would recommend it to anyone. Sad yet cool, very very very good writing. A masterpiece.