Don't Trust The Cat
When your cat makes a better human than you
Author: Tracy, Kristen
Year first published: 2023
Original Language: English
Genre: Body Swap, Fantasy, Children's
I found this one incorrectly shelved with the adult fiction. It is, however, children’s fiction, but who cares? The cover was cute and the premise seemed fun.
It’s a switcheroo type story featuring a 5th grader named Poppy and her can, Mitten Man. Poppy’s got a pretty good life, she has her group of friends, loving parents, and an adorable cat she loves with all her heart. But that doesn’t mean her life is without its stressors. Alongside the school and homework, there’s the upcoming school play that she and her friends are trying out for, and they’ve been practicing their butts off for the roles they want.
Poppy, upset at the trials of being an adolescent girl, wishes she could switch places with her cat. Before she realizes what’s happened, she is no longer a human girl and is now a fuzzy little kitty cat.
Panicked, Poppy insists they switch back immedately, but finds they are unable to do so. Mitten Man assures her that he’ll go to school for her and just observe and listen, then tell her what happens when he gets home. However, once he’s there, tasting the human life, eating human food and getting to show off, he decides that instead, he’s going to “fix” Poppy’s life and get rid of all the terrible things making her upset, including the friends she’s vented to him about.
It’s written in first person present tense for both characters, with a little icon at the top of the chapter as a reminder of who the current focal character is, which I though was neat. It’s also not a very long book, and I was able to finish it in just a few hours.
I love Mitten Man, or Big Poppy as he’s called through the book, and his sass. And it's hilarious that he's way smarter than her, which makes sense as the cat is an adult. Also he seemed to spend a huge amount of free time watching documentaries on TV. He’s very very much a cat, and I appreciate that. You have to commit to the bit!
I love the themes the book tackled, and they’re very relatable and age appropriate. The story is one of learning more of who you are, who your friends are, and what it means to be yourself. It deals with figuring out who truly cares about you, and learning how to stand up to people that try to push you around. How keeping true friends is important, but you shouldn’t waste your energy on someone who just wants to spend their time bringing you down.
Unfortunately, it isn’t without its issues. It bothers me when books don't describe what someone looks like and you just have to guess. It doesn't even mention what kind of coat pattern the cat has. We only know that Kit has black hair, Poppy has brown eyes, and Mitten Man has white paws, which makes me think he's a Tuxedo cat, and not a gray and white tabby like on the cover. It's not a major thing, just a gripe. And I know its not just a children's/YA/Junior issue or a problem with it being first person. Goosebumps always described the characters, and I think most, if not all, were first person.
All in all, it was a very fun read, and I enjoyed it a lot. Sometimes its fun to just relax and read some silly, goofy kids books.
Completely random but interesting note is that one of the side characters is Filipino, based on the cookies he made (lambingan) with his granny's recipe. Also I love how ambiguous the ending with the bully is. Did he find an outlet for his anger in theater, leading him to becomming a happier, healthier kid? Did he somehow switch places with his dog? We’ll never know!
Review posted 2023/12/07