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ainay's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
kitsuneheart's review
4.0
So, if your kids like cats, yes, 100%, buy this series. If you can find them all in a bundle, all the better, but they shouldn't be all that hard to find on their own, either online or at local used bookstores. They were pretty popular in the 80s and 90s, and remain in print to this day, but they aren't always the most challenging books, so they do manage to leave homes pretty quick, as kids need more shelf space.
They're good picks for those who have blasted through all the "early" chapter books and want a bit more challenge. The words are sometimes difficult, such as "fledglings," "remarkable," and "disapproving," so there will be some challenge, but the stories themselves are charming enough that your cat-loving child won't mind.
Nearly every page features a full-color illustration of the cats and their adventures. While some dramatic things happen to the cats, including some injuries, there's never anything truly upsetting in the images. It's hard to tell the four original catwings apart, since they're all tabbies, but that never seems to really matter.
Jane, the youngest of the catwings, learns that her mother's fears for her special children are 100% correct. Initially lured into his home by the kindness of a man, she is soon captured and put on display. She must find a way to escape before the entire world learns of catwings and begins to search for her siblings. This is the weakest of the four books, and one I'd expect most kids to skip on subsequent readings of the series, but still a good initial read.
They're good picks for those who have blasted through all the "early" chapter books and want a bit more challenge. The words are sometimes difficult, such as "fledglings," "remarkable," and "disapproving," so there will be some challenge, but the stories themselves are charming enough that your cat-loving child won't mind.
Nearly every page features a full-color illustration of the cats and their adventures. While some dramatic things happen to the cats, including some injuries, there's never anything truly upsetting in the images. It's hard to tell the four original catwings apart, since they're all tabbies, but that never seems to really matter.
Jane, the youngest of the catwings, learns that her mother's fears for her special children are 100% correct. Initially lured into his home by the kindness of a man, she is soon captured and put on display. She must find a way to escape before the entire world learns of catwings and begins to search for her siblings. This is the weakest of the four books, and one I'd expect most kids to skip on subsequent readings of the series, but still a good initial read.
hannahoude's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
grayh722's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
hazelfizz's review
3.0
I read this book after only reading Catwings #2, "Catwings Return". Definitely a more ordinary shape to the story here, and a Happy Ending. The happy ending ties up the angst I had at the end of Book 2. This loses one star for a lazy Midcentury America "whitebread" vibe to the human bits. LeGuin should know better. It loses another star because I was bored by the middle "trials" section.
aoutramafalda's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
chamomiledaydreams's review
4.0
I really like Jane; out of all the catwings, she's the one who stands out to me the most, in terms of personality as well as appearance. Seeing the tabbies' fur illustrated is impressive, but seeing the dark void of Jane's fur with her bright eyes in the middle always makes for a fun contrast.
Ideologically, this installment can get a little tricky. I like the theme of freedom and treating your cats with respect instead of infantilization. But I also understand the perils of letting cats wander around willy-nilly, especially in places where they can get killed (by cars) and decimate local animal populations. Having a barn cat meant to reduce the number of rats is one thing; letting a house cat slaughter birds for sport is quite another.
At any rate, I understand where Le Guin was going with this moral. Jane is adventurous and needs to stretch her (literal) wings, so for the sake of her narrative, it makes sense that she should always have a window open to come and go as she pleases. I also like how she finds a home away from the other catwings, but still makes time to visit her family and friends. It really shows how you can follow your heart and travel far, yet remain close to the people you love.
This is a lovely series, and although the second installment still holds the title of my favorite, "Jane on Her Own" isn't too shabby.
Ideologically, this installment can get a little tricky. I like the theme of freedom and treating your cats with respect instead of infantilization. But I also understand the perils of letting cats wander around willy-nilly, especially in places where they can get killed (by cars) and decimate local animal populations. Having a barn cat meant to reduce the number of rats is one thing; letting a house cat slaughter birds for sport is quite another.
At any rate, I understand where Le Guin was going with this moral. Jane is adventurous and needs to stretch her (literal) wings, so for the sake of her narrative, it makes sense that she should always have a window open to come and go as she pleases. I also like how she finds a home away from the other catwings, but still makes time to visit her family and friends. It really shows how you can follow your heart and travel far, yet remain close to the people you love.
This is a lovely series, and although the second installment still holds the title of my favorite, "Jane on Her Own" isn't too shabby.
pussinbooks's review
5.0
Le Guin shows that happy endings aren't always the same for everyone, and everyone must answer their own calling.
stellarae2000's review
4.0
This book is probably my least favorite of the four. It’s a super sweet story but I don’t love that Jane leaves her family and decides to stay in the city. The one man was also really creepy and I did not care for him.. #janedeservedbetter.