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CAT O’NINE TAILS

Name: CAT O’NINE TAILS
Author: Julia Golding
ISBN: 978-1-59643-445-5

by Julia Golding ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2009

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The fourth installment of this series is a little too long, the adventures a little too forced and Cat falls a little too easily into and out of scrapes. In December 1791, Cat’s in Bath with her noble friend Frank’s family and their collection of pals from Drury Lane. She’s bored, but not for long, as the lot of them are press-ganged into the Navy on a ship with a mad captain and a vicious purser. Cat takes to male clothing again, is forced to goad her dear friend Syd into actually hitting her to preserve her disguise (a discomfiting scene), escapes on a Georgia island where she is adopted by the Creek Indians, flees into the hands of those who will take her to Frank’s sister and spouse in Philadelphia—and so on. And on. Cat’s always able to do whatever needs to be done. She’s an impossibly talented tall-tale heroine, good at everything—except choosing among the bevy of boys who adore her. The once-fresh Cat’s getting a bit stale. (Historical fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-59643-445-5

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2009

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT HISTORICAL FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE GLASS SWALLOW
by Julia Golding

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SILVER SEA
by Julia Golding

- BOOK REVIEW
DRAGONFLY
by Julia Golding

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THE CHINA YEAR

by Emily Cheney Neville ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 15, 1991

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A Newbery winner's disappointing latest, set in pre- Tienanmen Square China. When her professor father takes a job as a ``foreign expert'' in Beijing, Henrietta (``Henri'') Rich and her artist mother travel with him from their New York City home. Henri is afraid that there will be no one her age; initially, she's right: since she studies at home, most of her contacts are through her parents or a six-year-old neighbor. Eventually, however, she meets Minyuan; though him she is introduced to the differences between their cultures and the complexities of a first emotional attachment. Mrs. Rich's sudden illness sends the family home; Henri fears that she'll never see Minyuan again. There is some virtue here in Neville's portrayal of China as Henri sees it and of the difficulties in understanding another culture, but it is thoroughly undermined by the flat narrative and stilted characterization—including a self-absorbed, unbelievably ignorant heroine who doesn't even recognize Gorbachev's name when she hears it. Except for the atmosphere, a miss. (Fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: May 15, 1991

ISBN: 0-06-024383-X

Page Count: 245

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1991

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION

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ROSEMARY'S WITCH

by Ann Turner ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 15, 1991

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Rosemary and her family have high hopes for the lovely old country house: it's generously equipped with a study for Dad, a practice room for Mom, who teaches dance, and space for brother Nicky's fossil collections. Still, Rosemary reluctantly realizes, something is trying to make them unwelcome: her bike and other treasures disappear, the weather is unseasonably cold, and there are mysterious manifestations like a sinister cat and a plague of toads. Meanwhile, Rosemary becomes friends with a comfortingly sensible neighbor boy, Ernie; together they investigate the house's link with Mathilda, an ancient crone seen at a shack in the nearby woods. Vignettes from Mathilda's life, alternating with Rosemary's experiences, reveal that she is the witchy remnant of an unloved child, still yearning for affection and for her former home as she faces a decisive choice on her 150th birthday. The author adroitly weaves the dynamics of this engaging family into her pleasantly spooky tale: Rosemary, who sees herself as the only family member without a special calling, is actually a lover of words who is often tongue-tied because Dad, in his enthusiasm for categorizing everything, tends to ``go on at her.'' At the same time, Turner thoughtfully explores the idea of home and how it can be shared. In the end, Rosemary's willingness to give Mathilda her best-loved possession sets the woeful creature free —and also frees the house and town of her malevolent presence. A skillfully written, entertaining story. (Fiction. 10-14)