Book Review: Diary of the Cat Named Carrot by Erin Merryn

Diary of the Cat Named Carrot by Erin Merryn is a nonfiction book for all ages. Bailey was certainly no ordinary cat—an orange tabby who gained fans around the world when his humanlike antics went viral. Sadly, when 14-year-old Bailey died, his family grieved their loss. They’d never find a cat quite like him—or would they? Then along came Carrot, an orange tabby kitten born as a stray, who appeared just as Erin Merryn and her young girls Abby, Hannah, and baby Claire were mending their broken hearts. Written in the voice of Carrot, follow her remarkable journey from shelter cat to top Instagram celebrity feline. Much like Bailey did, she loves spending time with her human family: making mischief with her girl gang; going joyriding in a pint-sized pink Barbie Jeep; doing arts-and-crafts projects; modeling a pink tutu and flowery headband; enjoying a spa day complete with fluffy robe and cucumber eye treatments; celebrating Christmas, Easter, and every holiday in between.

Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is a lovely story about welcoming a new kitten into a family that is missing their late cat. I thought that it was neat to have the story from Carrot's perspective, and the pictures did a great job of documenting the family's journey together and how much Carrot (and the kids) grew. It is a quick, mostly happy read, formatted to be blog like- so it matches what fans of Carrot would already be used to. The pictures are fun, and while some of the text got to be a little to long for me, this book still works well and would be a nice read for any cat fan. It might also be a good book choice to start a discussion about getting a cat with children.  

Book Review: Willa of Dark Hollow by Robert Beatty

Willa of Dark Hollow by Robert Beatty is the second book in the Willa of the Wood series. I do recommend reading this in order- to understand the main character ad what she has already been through. 

Willa and her clan are the last of the Faeran, an ancient race of forest people who have lived in the Great Smoky Mountains for as long as the trees have grown there. But as crews of newly arrived humans start cutting down great swaths of the forest she loves, she is helpless to stop them. How can she fight the destroyers of the forest and their powerful machines? When Willa discovers a mysterious dark hollow filled with strange and beautiful creatures, she comes to realize that it contains a terrifying force that seems to be hunting humans. Is unleashing these dangerous spirits the key to stopping the loggers? Willa must find a way to save the people and animals she loves and take a stand against a consuming darkness that threatens to destroy her world.

Willa of Dark Hollow is a stunning follow up to Willa of the Wood. I was glad to see Willa's story continue- and sad to see the trials that she had to face. There were many twists and turns, some which I saw creeping up and others that caught me completely off guard. The weaving of history, the natural world, magic, and all the emotions that give the characters life is extremely well done. The way the characters are all dynamic- showing the good and bad inherent in people and nature- might reach young readers that never had to consider that all sides of a story see themselves as the good guy, no matter how few people agree. People, and the world, are complicated and finding the right answer is not always possible- sometimes finding the best possible answer is the best we can do. This is a book that I knew would destroy me (in the best of ways of course) so I admit that I was both eager to pick it up- and dreading the read. I loved all the related books and while I needed to know what happened next I was also dreading finishing it ad having to wait for more, and worried that it might not live up to my expectations. The only fear that might be realized is tat I do believe this might be the end of this series. 

Willa of Dark Hollow is a wonderful read, with a great deal of though and emotion provoking action and ideas. Fans of the author need to read it- and I highly recommend this series and the companion series that started it all- Serafina.