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norawise's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
4.0
pratiksha__'s review against another edition
Dont think i would rate more than 3 stars so dont think it was worth continuing.
wendoxford's review against another edition
3.0
This was a magnetic read centering on the claustrophobia of motherhood, survival, grief and how close to the edge life can take us. An error leads Liz, our protagonist into a downward spiral of public scrutiny and judgement. I was sucked in as the story just screamed "There but for the grace of God...." We are all a mass of contradictions and can be the good and/or bad guy from differing perspectives
I loved how the backstory developed through conversation and happenstance rather than description. The narrative was enhanced by its paucity set in the big sky landscape of a small Scottish town and its past.
Whilst ballet is the link between past and present, I found this thread the weak link creating segues that I found too unlikely. I found that the ballet terms, despite relevance to Liz's career as a dancer, forced the denouement onwards and felt overly deliberate.
I enjoyed this small scale approach of huge issues handled with maximum punch, tension from beginning to end.
I loved how the backstory developed through conversation and happenstance rather than description. The narrative was enhanced by its paucity set in the big sky landscape of a small Scottish town and its past.
Whilst ballet is the link between past and present, I found this thread the weak link creating segues that I found too unlikely. I found that the ballet terms, despite relevance to Liz's career as a dancer, forced the denouement onwards and felt overly deliberate.
I enjoyed this small scale approach of huge issues handled with maximum punch, tension from beginning to end.
mummamoon13's review against another edition
3.0
My heart was pounding pretty much the entire way through this book. As a mother of a 4 year old and an ex dancer I found it so easy to relate to Liz, even if she isn't the most likeable character. She isn't the best parent in the world but it's clear she loves her daughter and I really empathised with her parenting difficulties.
fiendfull's review against another edition
4.0
Cat Step is a gripping novel about how things can fall apart under pressure, after a single mother leaves her daughter alone in the car whilst she nips into the shop. Liz moves to Lennoxtown in Scotland with her four-year-old daughter Emily, to get a house ready for sale and give her mother—who they'd been living with—a break. She's sure this can be a fresh start for them, but after an incident outside the Co-op, it seems everyone is in their business, and it's not easy to go back to being unknown.
The book draws you in from the opening pages, in distinctive prose, as it unfolds Liz's perspective and the incident with leaving Emily in the car that sparks off the narrative. I wasn't quite sure why I was gripped so quickly from the start, but I was, and I read most of the book in one evening. The way people judge Liz, and the difficulty she has in improving circumstances once things start to go less well, feels very realistic, and Cat Step is a really interesting exploration of how motherhood intersects with other things, like mental health, community, and class. Judgement and advice are particularly notable, like Liz's instinctive disdain for how she is offered advice and support in a patronising or forceful way, like being told she should go to parental support group.
This is literary fiction with a thriller-like need to read on and a moving look at a character trying to keep things from falling apart. The narrative isn't trying to be sensational, but is sparse and almost claustrophobic in the ways Liz becomes trapped, making it an ideal one for sitting down with and reading all at once.
The book draws you in from the opening pages, in distinctive prose, as it unfolds Liz's perspective and the incident with leaving Emily in the car that sparks off the narrative. I wasn't quite sure why I was gripped so quickly from the start, but I was, and I read most of the book in one evening. The way people judge Liz, and the difficulty she has in improving circumstances once things start to go less well, feels very realistic, and Cat Step is a really interesting exploration of how motherhood intersects with other things, like mental health, community, and class. Judgement and advice are particularly notable, like Liz's instinctive disdain for how she is offered advice and support in a patronising or forceful way, like being told she should go to parental support group.
This is literary fiction with a thriller-like need to read on and a moving look at a character trying to keep things from falling apart. The narrative isn't trying to be sensational, but is sparse and almost claustrophobic in the ways Liz becomes trapped, making it an ideal one for sitting down with and reading all at once.
amidstthepaper's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Jordan at @deadinkbooks for my copy of this book!
Liz and her four year old daughter Emily have temporarily moved to a small town in Scotland. At the local co-op Liz makes the decision to leave her daughter sleeping in the car whilst she pops into the shops for a few moments..and this one choice sets off a chain reaction of events.
Cat Step is a book that looks at the good and the bad of small town life, the judgement that society can place on mothers and how easy it is for people to be caught in a spiral.
I thought that Liz was a really interesting character - I didn't always like her - her decisions often made the situation worse for herself but at the same time there is no denying that she is doing what she thinks is best for her daughter.
Some of my favourite moments in the book are when she teaches dance classes at a local retirement village - in a way she finds solace in doing something that she knows she is good at and in this you learn most about her.
What Irvine's writing really manages to do is show the relationship between mother and child with no judgement placed on it. This book is a reminder that everyone is dealing with things that we don't know and there are no simple answers as to whether people's actions are right or wrong.
Liz and her four year old daughter Emily have temporarily moved to a small town in Scotland. At the local co-op Liz makes the decision to leave her daughter sleeping in the car whilst she pops into the shops for a few moments..and this one choice sets off a chain reaction of events.
Cat Step is a book that looks at the good and the bad of small town life, the judgement that society can place on mothers and how easy it is for people to be caught in a spiral.
I thought that Liz was a really interesting character - I didn't always like her - her decisions often made the situation worse for herself but at the same time there is no denying that she is doing what she thinks is best for her daughter.
Some of my favourite moments in the book are when she teaches dance classes at a local retirement village - in a way she finds solace in doing something that she knows she is good at and in this you learn most about her.
What Irvine's writing really manages to do is show the relationship between mother and child with no judgement placed on it. This book is a reminder that everyone is dealing with things that we don't know and there are no simple answers as to whether people's actions are right or wrong.
joecam79's review against another edition
4.0
Alison Irvine’s Cat Step starts with what would be a nightmare for any parent. Liz, the novel’s protagonist, has recently left her mother’s house in London, and moved with her young daughter Emily to the small Scottish town of Lennoxtown (or “Campsie” to its inhabitants). Lennoxtown is where her partner Robbie grew up, and Liz is temporarily living in his late grandmother’s house, coordinating its sale on behalf of Robbie’s brother who lives in Australia. One afternoon, Liz drives to the supermarket for some quick shopping and leaves Emily, who is feeling unwell, asleep in the car seat. Liz comes out of the store to spot a youth running away and a group of people standing around the parked car. Liz discovers that the youth had smashed the passenger side window to steal her phone, but was scared off the scene. The Police are called, and before she knows it, rather than being pitied as the victim of an attempted theft, Liz ends up being investigated by the Police and the social services. They make no secret of the fact that that she might end up being prosecuted for abandonment of a minor.
As Liz struggles to make ends meet, while handling Emily and convincing the social services that she is a good mother, she also tries to delve into her partner Robbie’s past. She’s particularly puzzled at the fact that Robbie seems to have had his reasons for not returning to Campsie.
The contemporary domestic thriller is the direct descendant of the Victorian “sensation novel”. Alison Irvine’s Cat Step uses the trappings of the genre to grip a reader’s interest, as she tantalisingly reveals the secrets she has up her sleeve. The plot builds up tension and makes for edge-of-the-seat reading.
But in Cat Step Irvine does not set out to simply entertain. On the contrary, her novel addresses themes such as responsibility and guilt, and challenges us to ask whether society is, on occasion, too judgmental. Cat Step also explores very real social problems, such as the difficulties facing single parents especially when they are raising children without having adequate support or a fixed income.
I liked the fact that the darker aspects of the novel are balanced out by more positive passages as well as a touch of humour. Liz is an ex-professional dancer (“Cat Step” is a reference to the pas de chat) and she takes on a temporary job as a dance instructor to a group of old people in sheltered housing. This sub-plot acts as a catalyst for the development of the central story, but it also introduces a cast of eccentric characters who alleviate the tense atmosphere with dialogue which feels authentic and witty.
This is an exciting and gritty read, which challenges even while it entertains.
https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2020/11/cat-step-by-alison-irvine.html
As Liz struggles to make ends meet, while handling Emily and convincing the social services that she is a good mother, she also tries to delve into her partner Robbie’s past. She’s particularly puzzled at the fact that Robbie seems to have had his reasons for not returning to Campsie.
The contemporary domestic thriller is the direct descendant of the Victorian “sensation novel”. Alison Irvine’s Cat Step uses the trappings of the genre to grip a reader’s interest, as she tantalisingly reveals the secrets she has up her sleeve. The plot builds up tension and makes for edge-of-the-seat reading.
But in Cat Step Irvine does not set out to simply entertain. On the contrary, her novel addresses themes such as responsibility and guilt, and challenges us to ask whether society is, on occasion, too judgmental. Cat Step also explores very real social problems, such as the difficulties facing single parents especially when they are raising children without having adequate support or a fixed income.
I liked the fact that the darker aspects of the novel are balanced out by more positive passages as well as a touch of humour. Liz is an ex-professional dancer (“Cat Step” is a reference to the pas de chat) and she takes on a temporary job as a dance instructor to a group of old people in sheltered housing. This sub-plot acts as a catalyst for the development of the central story, but it also introduces a cast of eccentric characters who alleviate the tense atmosphere with dialogue which feels authentic and witty.
This is an exciting and gritty read, which challenges even while it entertains.
https://endsoftheword.blogspot.com/2020/11/cat-step-by-alison-irvine.html
literarylucie's review against another edition
5.0
It was just one mistake. Her daughter was fast asleep and feeling ill so what harm could there be in nipping into the shop for just five minutes to pick up some fish fingers. It was just one mistake, but in a community where everyone knows each other and news travels fast, the social workers and police were the least of her worries.
To give her mother some much needed space, and to get a house ready for selling, Liz ups everything and moves to Lennoxtown in Scotland with her four-year-old daughter Emily. The house is owned by the grandmother of Emily’s dad, a man whose past is shrouded in mystery. However, this is a novel grounded in reality; Liz struggles with raising a daughter by herself, a daughter who is struggling to settle into this temporary living and is very clingy. But is she doing what is best by her child in these circumstances? I’m not a mother so I cannot judge her behaviour. But can anyone? Surely a mother knows what is best for their child. Liz seems to think so as the judgement of the community becomes too much and she finds it hard accepting help from those who offer. But when everything seems to be crashing down around her, all Liz can try and do is keep it up for the sake of her young daughter.
One unexpected part of the narrative that I loved was the use of dance. Liz takes on a temporary job at a sheltered housing facility teaching ballet to the elderly residents there. I have done ballet for pretty much my entire life but this is the first novel I’ve read that incorporates it so well into the narrative and uses terms so explicitly. It was a glorious moment when I realised that even the title is a play on a ballet term.
Cat Step is a powerful story about how motherhood is affected by so many circumstances such as loss, mental health, and class, and how destructive this can be for all involved. What comes out of this is a truly gripping yet quite uncomfortable story of the unravelling events of motherhood. A claustrophobic and fast-paced read, one I would truly recommend.
PS. Can we please just appreciate this cover for a minute! Luke Bird, you smashed it.
To give her mother some much needed space, and to get a house ready for selling, Liz ups everything and moves to Lennoxtown in Scotland with her four-year-old daughter Emily. The house is owned by the grandmother of Emily’s dad, a man whose past is shrouded in mystery. However, this is a novel grounded in reality; Liz struggles with raising a daughter by herself, a daughter who is struggling to settle into this temporary living and is very clingy. But is she doing what is best by her child in these circumstances? I’m not a mother so I cannot judge her behaviour. But can anyone? Surely a mother knows what is best for their child. Liz seems to think so as the judgement of the community becomes too much and she finds it hard accepting help from those who offer. But when everything seems to be crashing down around her, all Liz can try and do is keep it up for the sake of her young daughter.
One unexpected part of the narrative that I loved was the use of dance. Liz takes on a temporary job at a sheltered housing facility teaching ballet to the elderly residents there. I have done ballet for pretty much my entire life but this is the first novel I’ve read that incorporates it so well into the narrative and uses terms so explicitly. It was a glorious moment when I realised that even the title is a play on a ballet term.
Cat Step is a powerful story about how motherhood is affected by so many circumstances such as loss, mental health, and class, and how destructive this can be for all involved. What comes out of this is a truly gripping yet quite uncomfortable story of the unravelling events of motherhood. A claustrophobic and fast-paced read, one I would truly recommend.
PS. Can we please just appreciate this cover for a minute! Luke Bird, you smashed it.
brewtifulfiction's review against another edition
4.0
I found this tale to be compelling from the get go.
Split into two parts, Liz (who is the protagonist) tells the story of how herself and her daughter Emily came to be in Lennoxtown and the events that eventually lead up to them leaving this place that they never quite call home.
Shrouded in mystery, the book begins with Liz making the mistake of leaving her daughter in the car whilst she makes a speedy trip to the shop. Where many wouldn't get caught, Liz not only gets reprimanded for this lack of judgement as well becoming the victim of someone attempting to break into her car.
Wrong place wrong time? Perhaps.
But this one seemingly small mistake paves the way for other pressing events that lead Liz down a darker path than she intended to take.
Staying temporarily at her now deceased partners Nan's house, who unfortunately has also passed away. Liz has stepped in to clear the house and supervise decorating so that it can be put on the market. As the reader I understood the inferences throughout.
This is a single mum trying her best to do the right thing for her family. Stress levels are high with finances tight and Emily - her daughter - being quite an attached child. However Liz is managing, or so she thinks but to those looking in they can see the struggle.
Whilst there, Liz successfully attains a temporary job teaching ballet in a sheltered housing facility. It’s here that Liz meets June, who quickly became my favourite character with her no nonsense attitude. Later on it’s revealed that Robbie, Emily's father, used to hang out with June’s son. That piece of information alone doesn't seem highly significant, but it opens up a can of worms about how well Liz really knew Robbie?
One lie has spiralled into many.
Now Liz isn't just questioning her ability to be a mum, she's wondering what in her life is real and what's not.
Cat Step from the out set seems like a fairly simple story but as I progressed through it, it became so much more.
This is a tale of motherhood, of that overwhelming feeling of guilt that I'm sure all of us who are parents can relate to. What is the right thing to do? Who has the right to say anything, to give their input? I think what this novel highlights is society's need to judge and advise at any given moment.
We are so quick to forget that everyone has their own story to tell, each child and adult are unique and we cannot be aware of their circumstances and what leads to the decisions they make. Cat Step shows us just how haunting those judgements can be and the consequences of such harsh thinking.
After reading this book, I feel like we could all do with taking a step back and being a little kinder, both to ourselves and others as we never truly know what someone else has been through or is going through at any given moment.
Split into two parts, Liz (who is the protagonist) tells the story of how herself and her daughter Emily came to be in Lennoxtown and the events that eventually lead up to them leaving this place that they never quite call home.
Shrouded in mystery, the book begins with Liz making the mistake of leaving her daughter in the car whilst she makes a speedy trip to the shop. Where many wouldn't get caught, Liz not only gets reprimanded for this lack of judgement as well becoming the victim of someone attempting to break into her car.
Wrong place wrong time? Perhaps.
But this one seemingly small mistake paves the way for other pressing events that lead Liz down a darker path than she intended to take.
Staying temporarily at her now deceased partners Nan's house, who unfortunately has also passed away. Liz has stepped in to clear the house and supervise decorating so that it can be put on the market. As the reader I understood the inferences throughout.
This is a single mum trying her best to do the right thing for her family. Stress levels are high with finances tight and Emily - her daughter - being quite an attached child. However Liz is managing, or so she thinks but to those looking in they can see the struggle.
Whilst there, Liz successfully attains a temporary job teaching ballet in a sheltered housing facility. It’s here that Liz meets June, who quickly became my favourite character with her no nonsense attitude. Later on it’s revealed that Robbie, Emily's father, used to hang out with June’s son. That piece of information alone doesn't seem highly significant, but it opens up a can of worms about how well Liz really knew Robbie?
One lie has spiralled into many.
Now Liz isn't just questioning her ability to be a mum, she's wondering what in her life is real and what's not.
Cat Step from the out set seems like a fairly simple story but as I progressed through it, it became so much more.
This is a tale of motherhood, of that overwhelming feeling of guilt that I'm sure all of us who are parents can relate to. What is the right thing to do? Who has the right to say anything, to give their input? I think what this novel highlights is society's need to judge and advise at any given moment.
We are so quick to forget that everyone has their own story to tell, each child and adult are unique and we cannot be aware of their circumstances and what leads to the decisions they make. Cat Step shows us just how haunting those judgements can be and the consequences of such harsh thinking.
After reading this book, I feel like we could all do with taking a step back and being a little kinder, both to ourselves and others as we never truly know what someone else has been through or is going through at any given moment.