Curl up with Fat Cat for some fun food for thought

Catherine Locke,aka "Cat",has always been a top student in school,particularly in her AP Science class. However,one of her biggest goals academically is to beat former friend and unofficial rival Matt McKinney in the annual Science Fair.

So,when Mr. Fizer,their science teacher who insists on his students being creative as well as logical,sets out a stack of random photos for the class to choose from as inspiration for their projects,Cat is determined to come up with the most unique challenge of them all.

Based on the picture that she chose,Cat creates a experiment that will force her to change her way of life. She decides to live as a hominid(a cave woman,in other words),which means limited or no use of technology and giving up junk food and make-up. She has to keep her project a secret from most of the world,something that makes the radical alterations in her daily routine hard to explain to others:





Cat gets plenty of support and encouragement from her best friend,Amanda,who has her doubts about the experiment at first but begins to see it as a way for her friend to break out of her protective personal shell. Ever since Cat overheard Matt talking about her after a science fair years ago,she's retreated from many of the things she used to enjoy as well as mingling with other people:





Cat loses a lot of weight from all the extra walking and healthy way of eating that the experiment requires and starts to receive more attention from boys,even Matt.

While she is still determined not to give Matt the time of day,his enhanced notice of her new social status gives her incentive to start a second,even more secretive experiment to test out her new powers of attraction. As she spreads out her wings and rediscovers some old pastimes abandoned long ago,Cat begins to reevaluate many of her preconceived notions,including her long standing feud with Matt,who may not be the villain of the story after all.



Fat Cat is only the second novel by Robin Brande for young adults but her writing makes it seem like she's been doing this for ages. It's wonderful to see the thoughtful leading ladies that she creates,who are just as interested in science as well as matters of the heart.

Robin also has a great knack for creating realistic and delightful supporting characters such as Amanda,whose enthusiasm and emotional back up for Cat makes you wish that you had a best friend like that in your life,past and present.

Fat Cat does delve into issues regarding food choices but doesn't become a sermon about healthy eating. As in her earlier book,Evolution,Me and Other Freaks of Nature,the reader is allowed and encouraged to think for themselves,along with the characters and should provide a good deal of discussion topics for any reading group in or out of class.

Fat Cat is set to be released on October 13,and I hope that this excellent read gets all of the attention and praise that it truly deserves. At the end of this month,we here at LRG will be holding a giveaway of at least 5 copies of Fat Cat paired with specially created T shirts that tie in an important aspect of the story. Stay tuned for more details yet to come,folks!

In the meantime, mark your calendars and prepare to meet Cat and company,who will brilliantly blind you with their science: