New Books: Cathy's Book and Cathy's Key

In a world where vampire novels are the norm, it's hard to find young adult fiction that's written with a different subject matter in mind. Especially if you are like me, and you love fantasy--but you want something else...

Something fresh, new.

Something with a little mystery.

Something with freaky, otherworldly happenings.

All I need is a little change...just something small...

And Cathy's Book is exactly what I was looking for.


We still have the freaky, ageless, otherworldly boyfriend with seemingly mystical powers (and who knows what he is, really), and Cathy is a teenage girl who feels separate from the people around her, something only magnified by the recent death of her father.

But Cathy is also an artist. Her book is decorated cover to cover with her sketches. She's done drawings of each character in the book, as well as throwing in little sketches of her surroundings, geometric designs, and other neat little tidbits.

It makes me want to take my altered journal off the wall of the Children's Room and start sketching inside.

As the book opens, we discover that Cathy's got problems with her mom, stemming from their loss, and boyfriend trouble too. It seems, out of the blue, that Victor (hot, rich, and older) dumped her without much of a reason.

Unfortunately for Victor--well, for Cathy--she doesn't take that sort of thing like other girls. Cathy wants to know why Victor's walking away. So she starts an investigation.

Days later, when Cathy realizes that the mark on her arm is no bug bite and she'd be lucky if the only thing Victor slipped into her cocoa during their last meeting was a sedative, she knows she's in over her head. But between breaking into an airplane hanger, Victor's office, and, well, getting kidnapped, she doesn't have much other option than to keep looking until all her (our) questions get answered.

This is a fantastic novel, something even reluctant readers will have a hard time putting down. To it's credit, Cathy's Book is also incredibly well written and entertaining to the last page.

And despite all the chaos Cathy finds herself in, every bit of it is believable.

Oh, and make sure to check out all the links and phone numbers in the book while you're at it...

Starting with this one.

And when you've finished, you can do what I'm doing and read the sequel, Cathy's Key, also a new book. You just have to wait for me to finish it.



A Note From Laura: I have just finished Cathy's Key and it is now on the new book cart in the young adult section. Oh. My. Goodness. Someone has to read these and come and talk to me. Because seriously. Is the third one out yet?