Tag: Aaron Blabey

REVIEW: Cat on the Run: Cucumber Madness by Aaron Blabey

REVIEW: Cat on the Run: Cucumber Madness by Aaron Blabey

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Scholastic in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Princess Beautiful is still on the run from a frenzied public insisting that she tried to start a nuclear war. A new friend who understands her predicament breaks her out of jail. While she trains to survive on the run, she tells her new friend the full story of how she became known for silly videos which made it so no one now takes her seriously.

While Beautiful and her new friend are searching for answers, they stumble onto a conspiracy no one is ready for.

Review

I didn’t love the pacing of this one. It starts with a commentary on sensationalized news, then goes into a long bit about “scapegoating.” The big reveal was an unexpected surprise, but it felt like I really had to work hard to get through the rest to get there. I think this just isn’t the right fit for me.

I think kids will get a kick out of the “cucumber madness” bits here, but I am still wondering if the book’s content exceeds the experience/exposure of the target age group. Fans of book 1 will absolutely want to pick this one up. And the big reveal will drive them to book 3 when it releases. But I don’t think I will be sticking with the series.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥ – Solid, fine

REVIEW: Cat on the Run by Aaron Blabey

REVIEW: Cat on the Run by Aaron Blabey

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Three shadowy figures choose one popular cat for their nefarious plans. That cat is Princess Beautiful. She has the most popular cat videos on the internet.

But one distracted moment changes everything. She instantly goes from internet darling to the most universally loathed creature on the planet. In order to find out the truth, Princess Beautiful becomes a cat on the run.

Review

This was fun! Princess is a total diva in all the stereotypically awful ways. Adults – and savvy kids – will recognize the way everyone turns on her as a commentary on our social media culture.

Princess Beautiful’s “crime” includes launching/arming nuclear weapons. I did wonder as I read if the target audience would understand the references to weapons of mass destruction and nuclear war.

I got a kick out of the story here. There’s a ton of action, and the illustrations are great. Kids will pour over those. There’s a great cliffhanger at the end, too, so I will absolutely have to pick up the sequel when it comes out next spring.

Fans of the author’s Bad Guys series along with fans of cat protagonists will want to pick this up. Graphic novel fans should take a look at this series launch as well. I think this will be super popular with kids, so teachers should take a look at this one for your classroom libraries.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.