Derek Longden – Enough to make a cat laugh

Genre: Autobiographical / True Story

Basic Plot: The wonderful thing about this book is that there is no real storyline; just a series of everyday happenings that tend to twist and turn…with a few anecdotes thrown in for good measure.

Characters: A ‘cast list’ would be impossible for this book, as even inanimate objects are given voices on occasion. The human ‘characters’ are in reality, real people. An important factor here is that the reader is very able to identify with them, making them care about what happens to the individuals. This is also true of the cats in the story. Longden gives words to their expressions and reasons to their behaviour that makes the furry stars very endearing and ‘human’ enough for the reader to care about their actions.

Style: This book is almost diary-like, though without the set times and dates. It flows wonderfully, and is written in such a thoughtful style as to really get the emotion flowing in the reader. Although there are a few instances of the ability to create indignation or sadness, it’s primarily a very humorous novel; and the ease with which it reads means that it makes for a very light read.

Opinion: If you’re looking for a summer read that you’ll be able to get through at a good pace, then go out and see if you can find this book. Despite Longden having written a number of books previously, this can easily be read as a stand-alone story. If you’re also a cat lover, then the novel will certainly be your cup of tea. In fact, you’ll probably nod your head at some points and think; “Hmm…That sounds exactly like Tibbles.” (Unless your cat’s name isn’t Tibbles, of course). All in all a wonderful read that I’d recommend to anyone.

Audience: Teenagers