Rebecca Recommends: 'To Be A Cat' By Matt Haig

This is the story of Barney, a curly haired school boy who is unfortunately going through a string of bad luck. The book does not start with his introduction however. It begins with a secret. A warning. Cats are magical, mysterious and NOT to be underestimated. When Barney wishes his woes away, he is inexplicably turned into a one and thrown into dangerous territory. A plot full of twists and turns, Barney must escape feral cats and a rather evil headmistress and somehow return back to his human form. A story that highlights that you must be careful what you wish for. This is a magical mystery adventure for children aged 9 and up.

© Pete Williamson (2012)

After the unexpected and rather intriguing forewarning by the author, Barney arrives in chapter two rather quietly. An instantly likable and relatable character, Barney is sadly dealing with too many problems that are all trying to get their claws in at once. A nasty school bully, a horrible headmistress and his Dad’s sudden disappearance all weigh heavy on his shoulders. All on his birthday too. In the days that follow, things just get worse for poor Barney. After some strange goings on, Barney half-jokingly asks a peculiar cat whether he fancied swapping places. After all Barney’s been through, you sympathetically nod and agree that in his position, you would wish the same. At that moment, Barney experiences a spell of dizziness and heads off home, not knowing that his transformation and mysterious adventure is about to begin.

'Be careful what you wish for - Old saying, said by miserable people everywhere.' © Matt Haig (2012)

I loved the darkly comic mood of the story, reminiscent for me of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket. I was gripped by its thrilling pace and wonderfully convoluted mystery that had me guessing all the way through. Its surprises and revelations were thoroughly enjoyable, with unexpected threads of the story weaving in when you thought it couldn't get any more exciting. Despite all this action, its well rounded and memorable characters are not neglected. Barney’s problems are handled with plenty of heart and while all does not end as expected, the story concludes with a touching message that left me smiling as I finished the last page.

The black and white illustrations throughout are charming and funny and I particularly enjoyed the rather sinister portrayal of Miss Whipmire, the headmistress. I also loved the added detail of the flip book effect of a running cat on the bottom of each page.

© Pete Williamson (2012)

I believed that this will be well-loved by all that read it for its exhilarating plot, superb villain and touching message. It was an unexpected and satisfying find and I will enjoy picking this one up again in the future. 

Illustrations by Peter Williamson. Corgi (2012)

For more information, please check out: 

http://www.matthaig.com/

http://www.petewilliamson.co.uk/