Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer

Nov 17, 2019 Toni rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, 2019

As promised by the blurb, the story does go to some extent into thought-provoking questions on how much information about us is available to any serious hacker or an AI and how trusting we are of the good intentions of those who have become a member of our social network closer circle. But it isn't all dark and gloomy, quite the opposite. It is more about our fundamental desire to make friendships and find people we belong with.

Steph Taylor has changed six high schools. Her slightly paranoid As promised by the blurb, the story does go to some extent into thought-provoking questions on how much information about us is available to any serious hacker or an AI and how trusting we are of the good intentions of those who have become a member of our social network closer circle. But it isn't all dark and gloomy, quite the opposite. It is more about our fundamental desire to make friendships and find people we belong with.

Steph Taylor has changed six high schools. Her slightly paranoid mother keeps moving every couple months and Steph hasn't even worked out what triggers these frequent moves. Mom says Steph's father is a psychopath and convicted arsonist and the only way to keep safe is to keep a low profile and run at the first sign of danger. Steph would do anything to keep her mom happy, but their lifestyle choice also means she has never had time to make any real friends or develop a crush. The only permanent feature in Steph's life is CatNet a social network site where cat (or any other animal picture at a pinch) pictures serve as a currency and where everybody is put in big chat groups called Clowders. Steph (or Little Brown Bat /LBB) feels her Clowder are the only people who can understand and relate to her. To be fair, they are supportive and respectful of each other. Then, she notices that one of the permanent members of the group is always online (that is whenever she logs on) and a strange event involving a hacked package delivery drone makes her think that somebody in her Clowder may be not telling the whole truth.

The story is told from three points of view: Steph, her Clowder chat, and an AI being ( if you've read the blurb you already know that they are the admin of the site). The events move forward quickly and there is never a dull moment as Steph makes new real-life friends in her new town, re-programs a sex ed robot with the help of her online friends, and escapes her father- the homicidal maniac/ wannabe world dictator.

The characters are very sweet, especially the AI/Cheshire Cat who does grapple with serious ethical questions in a very human way. There isn't really anything dark or scary about this book, apart from Stephanie and her mom's life of perpetual nomads. On the other hand, Steph seemed to act quite selfishly, so it is up to the reader to decide whether they like her character, are annoyed by her, or simply accept her as a typical teenager with her own set of flaws. There is diversity in characters and LGBTQIA representation, which makes the story stand out more out of the usual coming of age YA novels. I also liked the way it is stressed that nobody should be rushed into a romantic relationship, especially if they need time to work out their feelings.

Some of the things in the plot are far-fetched, and I still think everything works out a bit too neatly in the end. The events may appear just one big adventure, but I hope the serious issues of new technology redefining privacy or how the differences between virtual and real-life friendships are getting blurred are also going to be noticed by the readers of this entertaining novel.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Tor for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
...more

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Nov 07, 2019 ReadBecca rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, lgbt

I requested and received a copy of this book for honest review, thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author.

Catfishing on CatNet is the full length novel inspired by Kritzer's previous award darling short Cat Pictures Please. For me this reads like a cross between Eliza and Her Monsters (which I really enjoyed) and Murderbot (which I loved). We get three unique perspectives:
Steph - A high schooler who has been unable to put down roots anywhere, being moved to a new rural Midwestern town by her I requested and received a copy of this book for honest review, thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author.

Catfishing on CatNet is the full length novel inspired by Kritzer's previous award darling short Cat Pictures Please. For me this reads like a cross between Eliza and Her Monsters (which I really enjoyed) and Murderbot (which I loved). We get three unique perspectives:
Steph - A high schooler who has been unable to put down roots anywhere, being moved to a new rural Midwestern town by her always on edge and somewhat paranoid mom who has had them on the run her whole life, from an abusive father Steph doesn't even remember. She takes solace in CatNet, her constant community through it all.
The Clowder - Clowders are the small private group chats on CatNet. Steph's clowder are a quirky, enthusiastic bunch, who are super supportive of one another.
AI - CatNet is secretly run by a sentient AI who just wants cat pics and a true friend, maybe a little too aggressively, they'll not hesitate to intervene to get it. They begin filling in gaps Steph didn't even realize she had in her past, that make her question everything she's known about her life up till now.

The negatives for me as a reader were pretty minor, first not being the target demographic with certain moments clearly being written to younger readership, and second that I just wanted MORE AI.

I found the slightly near future setting compelling, just enough off current to really be inventive and useful to the plot, with robots, drones and self-driving cars being commonplace. Another highlight for me is that we get a great sense of online community, it brought me back to teen years in different fandoms online, the way those are real friendships, but the oddities that presents as well. Within the cast there is also great diversity from different ethnic backgrounds to coming out stories, two non-binary characters (one who has had primarily an experience of acceptance and one who has not), and a budding F/F first relationship. The comedy was on point, the characters felt like they had depth to them, and for me this was just the exact right story that hit what I was wanting to read (YA SF thriller) at the moment. ...more

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Jul 29, 2019 Eeva rated it liked it · review of another edition

I have some major mixed feelings about this book.
On one hand it's not badly written and has a decent plot, but on the other it's weirdly written and the plot sometimes is just over the top.

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Aug 27, 2019 The Kawaii Slartibartfast rated it it was amazing

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book so much and I am so glad I got read it.

The story revolves around Steph and the AI she befriends.

Steph's had a lonely life moving from place to place to escape her abusive father. Her only friends are on the social media sites CatNet.

This is a wonderful story about friendship, loyalty and a kind-hearted AI who just wants to look at kitty pics.

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Nov 09, 2019 Helen Power rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, arc, young-adult, netgalley, published-2019, author-publisher-givewaway

Synopsis
This book is marketed as a dark thriller. I mean, look at that cover (Which, by the way, is not the cover it had when I requested it through NetGalley. That cover had cute cyber-kitties on it). Doesn't this cover make the book look dark and spooky? Even the description and the initial reviews made it sound like a dark thriller about an AI that goes off its rocker.

On the contrary, this is a light book about a girl who's always been on the run with her mother. They always have to move to ...more

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Aug 09, 2019 Joanna Bennett rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reads, arcs-earcs

One thing that caught my attention when it came to this book was the cover. I love cats and well it sold me! I obviously knew it wasn’t about cats but hey, its eye catching. I was actually surprised by how much I liked this one. There were definitely some positives and I only had a few issues with it overall.

The book has a unique layout when it comes to its chapters. At times there is only dialogue that looks how text would appear in a chat room online. I thought that was interesting and ...more

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Oct 01, 2019 lovebooks rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Do you know that the internet knows a lot about you? This book is about a mother and daughter running away from Steph’s dad. He’s a dangerous man. Steph never really had any real friends because she moved a lot. She goes online to a site called CatNet. She makes sure no one knows what she looks like or where she is. The chat room administrator is called CheshireCat. When Steph and her moms past life catches up with them her new friends help her find out the truth

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Oct 01, 2019 lovebooks rated it liked it

Do you know that the internet knows a lot about you? This book is about a mother and daughter running away from Steph’s dad. He’s a dangerous man. Steph never really had any real friends because she moved a lot. She goes online to a site called CatNet. She makes sure no one knows what she looks like or where she is. The chat room administrator is called CheshireCat. When Steph and her moms past life catches up with them her new friends help her find out the truth

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Jul 23, 2019 Lily rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, lgbt, 2019, arcs

***Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!***

This was such an interesting story and the book absolutely flew by. I was engaged from the very beginning, and the different perspectives were so unique.

I've never been a huge fan of science fiction, but this one sounded interesting enough for me to be able to give it a try and not hate it-- and I'm so glad that I did. It combined YA thriller with a sci-fi story of a sentient AI.

I suggest ...more

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Nov 19, 2019 Teresa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

4.5

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tom Doherty Associates, and Naomi Kritzer for the opportunity to read Catfishing on CatNet in exchange for an honest review.

From the description, I figured this book would be a fun novel for teen readers, as it relates to their interest in social media, privacy, and social life. This book not only nails the description on the head, but was a highly unexpected page-turner that I just couldn't put down!

The novel has three different chapter perspectives: Steph 4.5

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tom Doherty Associates, and Naomi Kritzer for the opportunity to read Catfishing on CatNet in exchange for an honest review.

From the description, I figured this book would be a fun novel for teen readers, as it relates to their interest in social media, privacy, and social life. This book not only nails the description on the head, but was a highly unexpected page-turner that I just couldn't put down!

The novel has three different chapter perspectives: Steph (the main character), the Clowder (her online chatroom on CatNet), and an AI that is also all the admins of CatNet.

Steph has been to five different high schools. Her mother is constantly moving the two of them to avoid ever being found by their stalker and arsonist father (though there is much more to the story than that, which her mother is hiding). Having moved around so much, Steph ahs to repeat a number of classes that she has already taken and tries not to get too attached to people she might want to see as friends. Her mother won't allow Steph to stay in contact with people from previous locations, and she cannot have her picture taken for the chance it might get uploaded to a place where her father can find our where they are.

CatNet is an online domain that allows the uploading of photos, to share images with each other, and chat. CatNet sorts people into chat groups based on related interests. In the Clowder (Steph's CatNet chat room), everyone has a screen name to hide their identity. They all trust each other and talk in the chat room on a daily basis. Since they are internet friends, they are the few friends Steph is able to keep in touch with over the years. One of the people in the group, CheshireCat, is actually an AI that admins the entire site under various administrative names. The AI actually contacts Steph, claiming itself as an AI of consciousness and that it can monitor what Steph is doing. Along with the others in the Clowwder, who do not know CheshireCat is an AI, Steph gains the AI's help in hacking a sex ed robot that doesn't know how to answer any practical questions. While this is humorous at first, the hacking also makes national news.

While this may lead Steph's crazy father to come looking for her, it's actually when she begins to dive into her mother's secrets that brings her father to try to find her and kidnap her.

CheshireCat is a most helpful AI, but when it goes silent, Steph and her new friend Rachel take a road trip to find out how to help the AI and possibly stop her father once and for all.

This book is well-written, fun to read, and full of technology, adventure, thrill, and romance. Catfishing on CatNet has the reader questioning what it means to be "alive" when it comes to conscious thought, as well as thinking about family dynamics, paranoia, and what it means to find true friendship.

I absolutely adored this book and think it would be an interesting one to incorporate into classroom book choice, as well as recommend to teens who may be more reluctant to read. Catfishing on CatNet is relatable, fun, and worth the time! ...more

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Oct 31, 2019 Olivia rated it liked it · review of another edition

So before you go into this book know that it is written with SJW-level political correctness, so if you can't stand that then this is not the book for you. It just really seems like the author was trying too hard to appeal to the millennial/gen-z population... but what do I know Naomi Kritzer might really think like that. Anyway, moving on.
Overall though, the book was okay. The plot was a bit far-fetched and really confusing at times, and it only really got interesting at the 75% mark so take So before you go into this book know that it is written with SJW-level political correctness, so if you can't stand that then this is not the book for you. It just really seems like the author was trying too hard to appeal to the millennial/gen-z population... but what do I know Naomi Kritzer might really think like that. Anyway, moving on.
Overall though, the book was okay. The plot was a bit far-fetched and really confusing at times, and it only really got interesting at the 75% mark so take that how you will. I take is as Naomi had a lot of ideas for a (admittedly less-than) epic showdown, but didn't really know how to fill the space to get there. Also there were a lot of plot holes which was annoying.
Main character Steph is bland but hey bats are her favourite animals so she's unique, and moves to a new town every few months because her mom is on the run. Co-star Rachel can draw real goo and lives in a house where birds fly free. And that's all I can really tell you about the characters... they really didn't seem to have a personality.
My favourite character was probably the AI... but even then I had a hard time getting attached.
As I mentioned in the update while reading, I did actually get a laugh. The creator of the AI and a side-character are debating this AI's gender identity. Creator says AI calls itself him/her/they equally but side character goes "But what if they identify as NON-BINARY?" Why is this funny? Well because the AI is a computer of course and computer codes do use binary. See why I found it funny? Idk maybe I'm weird but it was hella funny to me. I'm pretty sure Naomi didn't do it on purpose, but, I picked it up so that's what matters.
Anyway, when it comes to AIs my first instinct is to call it a he and that's probably because of AIDAN in Illuminae having a male name, but, you know that's just me.
Anyway, book was not that great but the probably unintentional non-binary/binary AI thing alone deserves an star... so I'll go ahead and be nice and give the book a three. ...more

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Nov 04, 2019 Sierra rated it liked it · review of another edition

This was like the most bonkers/wild/wtf book I’ve read in a long time.

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Oct 16, 2019 Stephanie rated it liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, netgalley, lgbtq, suspense, young-adult, 2019

Steph's father is a very bad man. Her mother told her a story of her father burning their house down and they just barely escaped. Steph's mom has PTSD due to the trauma of her crazy ex-husband so she constantly moves them from town to town. This results in Steph not having any friends other than those she makes on CatNet. Now CatNet sounds like my kind of place. An internet site that you can upload your cat pictures too... I do this anyway! As it turns out though cat pictures were not the only ...more

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Jun 05, 2019 MAB LongBeach rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, contemporary-science-fiction, young-adult, reviewed

A YA expansion of/sequel to Kritzer's award-winning story "Cat Pictures Please."

In the very near future, Steph has spent her entire life being dragged from one small town to another by her mother, hiding from her dangerous father. Never staying in one place long enough to make friends, Steph's social life is on the online board called CatNet, where the currency of choice is animal pictures, especially of cats. When Steph's life begins to spiral out of control, her friends--including the ...more

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May 17, 2019 Lisa Wright rated it it was amazing

Shelves: thrilling-thrillers, recommending, loved-it, fun, ya

A YA thriller with a nerdy twist and an openness regarding gender identity. Teen-aged Steph doesn't remember a time when she and her mother weren't on the run from her father. Her only real friendships are with the people in her group on the CatNet website--a haven for animal loving outcasts. Things turn seriously dangerous when her mother falls ill And Steph realizes her father has picked up her trail and now her CatNet friends may be in danger, too. I really loved this!

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Nov 20, 2019 Katharine (Ventureadlaxre) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favourites, review, recommended, read-2019

If you've read the short story “Cat Pictures Please”, then this may sound a bit familiar to you. It won the Hugo Award and Locus Award and was a finalist for the Nebula, and was such a fantastic read that it's now been expanded into a YA novel.

Set slightly into the future we have a world where robots are seen more and more - in schools, cleaning your house, making sandwiches and cakes upon request. They're also AI -real AI - who have the ability to sound and seem human. So much so, they can If you've read the short story “Cat Pictures Please”, then this may sound a bit familiar to you. It won the Hugo Award and Locus Award and was a finalist for the Nebula, and was such a fantastic read that it's now been expanded into a YA novel.

Set slightly into the future we have a world where robots are seen more and more - in schools, cleaning your house, making sandwiches and cakes upon request. They're also AI - real AI - who have the ability to sound and seem human. So much so, they can become a valuable friend.

We have Steph, who has moved around every few months for the majority of her life. Her mother is paranoid, but doesn't tell Steph much, only that her father burned down their home and they only narrowly escaped. That he's dangerous, and because of this Steph doesn't have an internet-enabled phone, goes by several different names, and is only allowed a laptop because her mother is a specialist in internet security, and as such can properly protect their access, as long as Steph reveals literally nothing about herself online, which includes hiding from having her photo taken and having a very old style phone.

In a new place in a new school, Steph finds she's going to have to study The Scarlet Letter for a third time, that the language class selection is woeful, the art class seems to be full of druggie kids, and the sex ed class is delivered by a robot who teaches abstinence only and 'ask your parents' for anything outside of these parameters.

Well, there's one kid in the art class who doesn't seem like a druggie. Rachel. And she's super amazing at art, and in most of Steph's classes, and soon she hopes she won't have to move in the next month because Rachel seems like someone she doesn't want to leave behind.

We also have an AI. This AI probably had an owner, once, but seems to have been left to their own devices. They really like cat photos, and they run a web chat group that specialises in sorting you into smaller groups, matched with people it thinks you'll get along with.

Steph is in one of these groups, and the people there are her closest friends. They, after all, get to stick with her every move she makes, criss-crossing around the country. And its these friends who instantly pitch in as soon as it looks like Steph's mother may not simply be paranoid for no good reason.

I was approved to review this book quite some time ago... and I kept putting off reading it. I really loved the short story, and though I had no reason to think this wouldn't be any good I was still worried; more like a 'things keep sucking so if I read this and I'm having a bad day, and this sucks, too, I'll be distraught'. But now the book is out there, and I always like to get my reviews out right before the book comes out, so it was finally time to read it. I was late, I couldn't keep putting it off...

Reader, I devoured it in such a short amount of time. As it's a thriller it's hard to put down, and it's also so much more than that. I love that the internet friends are actual friends; they matter, just like anyone else. There are gay characters, non-binary characters, and it touches on racism. It's sassy, and it knows that cats are one of the best things about the internet.

It's also interesting in how much the internet can know about you - I mean, we have smart fridges these days. We give so much of ourselves away online without much thought; and we like to believe it when we're told that our tech, with all its cameras and mics and such will only listen to us when we ask it to; rather than thinking it's on, all the time.

Although Steph is a lovely character who has her doubts and hopes about everything - her mother, her father, her new school, her old friends and new... I really love the AI. It thinks about everything so reasonably and yet is still somewhat robotic in being unable to predict some things... like, if you know someone is unhappy because you can read their emails and see everything about their life, they'll probably still get freaked out if you pilot a drone to dump a whole stack of books and drop them on your car just as you're about to get into it. Silly humans won't necessarily look at the delivery and go 'wow, what a great idea, I should read all these and figure out what changes I need to make to be happier!', no, instead they'll think someone is out to get them.

I love the AI, and I wish I could have them as a friend, too.

Please let there be more in this world coming forth. I really can't leave any of these characters behind. ...more

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Nov 09, 2019 Elle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Rating: 4/5
Source: eARC from Netgalley for review
Genre: YA sci-fi thriller
Pages: 288

Blurb: Steph and her mom are constantly on the run, moving every few months to hide from her stalker dad. She finds friends on CatNet, which it turns out is run by a sentient AI called CheshireCat. CheshireCat starts taking actions to protect Steph from her father, but eventually screws up so that Steph must go rescue CheshireCat.

Overall review:

I really liked this book! I've had a string of not-great reads for ...more

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Oct 23, 2019 Hannah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgally, 2-and-a-half-stars, exposure-books

2.5/5. I downloaded an eARC from NetGalley via Tor Teen in exchange for an honest review. I think this was a very interesting look into what the future could hold for technology and internet privacy, which is always a relevant topic, given how prevalent social media is.

CatNet itself never made much sense to me. The currency of cat pictures was a cute idea, but this "exchange rate" wasn't consistent. Pictures that didn't feature cats were also welcome, but there were restrictions as to what 2.5/5. I downloaded an eARC from NetGalley via Tor Teen in exchange for an honest review. I think this was a very interesting look into what the future could hold for technology and internet privacy, which is always a relevant topic, given how prevalent social media is.

CatNet itself never made much sense to me. The currency of cat pictures was a cute idea, but this "exchange rate" wasn't consistent. Pictures that didn't feature cats were also welcome, but there were restrictions as to what could be uploaded that were never fully explained. It felt like CheshireCat was constantly making up rules as they went along, and as a result it made CatNet feel very flimsy and weak in practice.

The mystery surrounding Steph's past was the main thing that kept me reading. I liked that Kritzer made Steph consider numerous possibilities as to why her mother moved them so much, and that Steph had conflicting feelings about their situation. It would have been easy for her to either forgive her mother or hate her for their constant uprooting, so I appreciate that Steph felt both emotions at once. I'm still not sure how valid the encrypted key to world domination is...I feel like that kind of thing would maybe make news or something, but what do I know?

The pacing was all over the place and it kind of felt like some of the events in the first half of the book were haphazardly strung together to get the plot moving toward the main conflict. Steph and her mother were the most interesting characters for me, and their relationship was the one I cared about the most. Everyone else felt a little underdeveloped; Michael in particular came off as too cartoony for me to take seriously. (There's no way he'd charm everyone he met into believing he was a good guy. That's just unrealistic.) It also felt a little disingenuous to merely mention the sexual orientation of other characters rather than show it. Representation is much more than just labeling a character, and Kritzer assigning different sexualities to the Clowder felt forced and almost like an afterthought.

CheshireCat is the biggest issue I had with this story. The fact that they knew so much and had such omnipotent abilities wasn't endearing, it was something out of a horror film. The ethical and moral issues that are raised with the fact that this AI is so invasive and powerful are brushed aside in the name of treating them like a person. It bothered me that Steph and her Clowder friends were so willing to forget that CheshireCat was pretty much breaking the law the entire time, just because they did things to help them. Annette was right to be wary of letting her creation loose again, and I hate that Kritzer made her look like she was in the wrong for that.

(view spoiler)

From the perspective of someone who suffers from Sexual Orientation OCD, this book was especially triggering for me. I picked up on Steph and Rachel's chemistry right away, and I wasn't surprised at all when (view spoiler). I thought they were cute together, and that made my anxiety even worse; I noticed I was ruminating and trying to reassure myself after every instance where Steph and Rachel had an interaction that leaned toward romance. That's not to say their relationship is a bad thing. Steph makes it clear that she's starved for real friends and a place she can anchor herself to, and she finds that in New Coburg and Rachel. Their friends-to-lovers story is very sweet, and it's because of that that my OCD started acting up.

Overall, this was an okay read. I appreciated the Minnesota shout-outs and a few of the jokes, but overall this wasn't the book for me. ...more

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Nov 21, 2019 Jill rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Stephania Taylor loves bats. It’s a little unusual for a teenage girl to be so taken with bats, but Steph is unusual. She rarely makes friends at school, because she and her mom move around so much. She’s never dated. She hasn’t learned to drive. She’s learned to keep to herself and not make waves. Because the truth is, she has a secret.

Steph and her mother move a lot because of Steph’s father. He once tried to burn their house down, and Steph and her mother are deathly afraid of his finding Stephania Taylor loves bats. It’s a little unusual for a teenage girl to be so taken with bats, but Steph is unusual. She rarely makes friends at school, because she and her mom move around so much. She’s never dated. She hasn’t learned to drive. She’s learned to keep to herself and not make waves. Because the truth is, she has a secret.

Steph and her mother move a lot because of Steph’s father. He once tried to burn their house down, and Steph and her mother are deathly afraid of his finding them again.

But while Steph doesn't usually make friends at school, she does have CatNet. On CatNet, she has a group of friends, also teenagers, who live across the country. They chat together in a Clowder (it’s a group of cats), talking about their schools, families, relationships, and anything that’s bothering them. The chat is monitored by admin CheshireCat, who loves to be paid off in cat photos.

For once, Steph likes her new school. I mean, the school itself isn’t great (she has to read The Scarlet Letter for the third time), but for the first time in ages, Steph has a friend. Rachel is an artist, and her sketches in class make Steph notice. As their friendship grows, Steph is more reluctant to pull up stakes and move again. But her mother’s health is worrisome. After an incident in school and Steph’s mother needing emergency surgery, Steph knows that she could be in danger. And when her friends from CatNet start to help her investigate her background, she learns that her mother has been lying to her, maybe even about her own name.

As Steph starts to piece together the puzzle of her past, she learns that she and her friends are in danger. Even with the help of an A.I. (artificial intelligence), Steph barely makes it away from her father. But where can she go to be safe, and who can she trust?

Catfishing on CatNet wasn’t quite the book I was expecting. The word “Catfishing” in the title made me think of the MTV show with its goofy hosts chasing down liars on the internet. But I kept reading, because I truly came to care about these characters, and I’m so glad I did. Author Naomi Kritzer created a fascinating world of reality and internet where teenagers can be the individuals they want to be, even if they change their mind on who that is from one day to the next. Steph’s story is so compelling, I want to keep following her (and I’m really hoping the slightly open-ended ending to the novel means that there is a sequel in the works!).

I loved Catfishing on CatNet, and I hope that people will open their arms to Steph and her whole Clowder and follow their adventures on the internet and in the meatspace.

Galleys for Catfishing on CatNet were provided by Tor Teen through NetGalley, with many thanks. ...more

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Jul 11, 2019 Jacqie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review.

If you read "Cat Pictures, Please" and wanted more of the AI who just wants to look at cat picture and help people (but can't always navigate the social niceties of what is actually helpful) then here's a whole novel with the same feel. I'm not sure how much catfishing actually takes place in the book, but it makes a cute title.

This is definitely YA. Our heroine, Steph, is about 16 or 17, and hasn't ever lived in the same place Thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book for review.

If you read "Cat Pictures, Please" and wanted more of the AI who just wants to look at cat picture and help people (but can't always navigate the social niceties of what is actually helpful) then here's a whole novel with the same feel. I'm not sure how much catfishing actually takes place in the book, but it makes a cute title.

This is definitely YA. Our heroine, Steph, is about 16 or 17, and hasn't ever lived in the same place long enough to finish a whole year at the same school. Her mom is on the run from her abusive father. Since her mother also works in computer security, this is a good way to handwave that Steph isn't inadvertently leaving tracks online without having to actually explain it, since Steph doesn't know exactly how her mother does it.

While Steph has learned not to get attached to any school or friend, she does have a clandestine online community called Catnet. She is part of a Clowder, which is how Catnet sorts its members according to compatability. Steph's Clowder is all or mostly teenagers who are all or mostly queer. They are also all quite bright, and are Steph's primary resource when she needs advice or help. I have no idea how kids interact online these days and if the conversations were realistic, but they were sweet and entertaining. For a book that's all about hiding from abuse and danger, it's surprisingly light and positive to read.

Inevitably, Steph does become more attached to her new school (and one classmate in particular) than she means to. She also manages to acquire a cat, even though she and her mom have avoided pets for obvious reasons while being on the run. Just so you know, the cat makes it through the book and is not imperiled- I tell you this because animal harm in books is a huge negative for me.

The author manages to generate suspense while also getting in some humor about AIs and how they perceive human society. There's a sex education robot in Steph's school, and when her Clowder decides to hack the robot so that it will actually answer detailed questions instead of referring students to their parents for anything R rated, this sets in motion a chain of events that leads to an upset of Steph and her mother's lifestyle. I don't want to say much more, but I did enjoy the book, felt it balanced its YA perspective with thriller content well. Steph and her friends are all nice people, and it's nice to read something with basically good people in this age of grimdark. That means that some things are handwaved a bit at the end, but that's okay too. I expect a sequel. ...more

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Oct 31, 2019 Mari Johnston rated it really liked it

This review and many others can also be found at Musings of a (Book) Girl.

Content Warnings: discussion of genitalia, queerphobia, ableism, abuse, racism, police misconduct, kidnapping, mutilation, torture, hospitals, medical procedures, house fire

Catfishing on Catnet was so much better than I ever imagined it could be and you should 100% read it as soon as you can!! There are so many incredible things about this story.

Having a ton of prominent characters in a book can get confusing quickly but ...more

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Nov 19, 2019 Sherwood Smith added it · review of another edition

Shelves: sf

Steph Taylor has never really learned to make friends after she was yanked from her first at age seven. Even before then she has always been on the move, and always in the middle of the night. Never with a destination named. Her mother says it’s for their own safety, as Steph's father is a psychopath and convicted arsonist, and if they show up on the grid in any way, he will find them.

Steph has always accepted this, but of late she’s begun to question details that don’t add up. Especially as her Steph Taylor has never really learned to make friends after she was yanked from her first at age seven. Even before then she has always been on the move, and always in the middle of the night. Never with a destination named. Her mother says it’s for their own safety, as Steph's father is a psychopath and convicted arsonist, and if they show up on the grid in any way, he will find them.

Steph has always accepted this, but of late she’s begun to question details that don’t add up. Especially as her mother shuts her down whenever she asks questions, and barricades herself in her room. Quite literally.

The only social outlet in Steph's life is CatNet, a social network site where cat (or any other animal picture at a pinch) pictures serve as a currency and where everybody is put in big chat groups called Clowders. Steph (or Little Brown Bat /LBB) feels her Clowder are the only people who can understand and relate to her. To be fair, they are supportive and respectful of each other, despite a wide variety of interests and pronoun choices, as they all experiment with identity. Then, she notices that one of the permanent members of the group is always online, around the time a really weird thing happens: a package arrives in the neck of time, sent anonymously.

The story alternates between Steph’s POV, that of her Clowder chat, and an AI. Meanwhile Steph begins to make friends at her new high school over reprogramming a sex ed robot with hilarious results . . . until the news sources pick up on the story.

Kritzer deftly sets up the characters and situations, and gives us one hilarious scene before the second half of the story, which ramps up the tension. At the same time, Steph is learning about AIs and the weird world of cyber geniuses.

I really enjoyed this novel—I know it would have grabbed my teenage self from the outset, becoming one of those books I checked out again and again.

As it is, old me is hoping there will be another, as some tantalizing threads were left dangling . . .

Copy provided by NetGalley
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Nov 21, 2019 Maria Haskins rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I've loved Naomi Kritzer's short fiction for years. She has a remarkable talent for writing sharply observed, subtly funny, and quietly profound stories that show a deep appreciation for the human condition. Her Hugo Award winning story "Cat Pictures, Please", about a kind and considerate AI that wants to do the best it can for people (and also really, really likes cat pictures) is one such story. Out of that piece of short fiction grew this wonderful, near-future science fiction novel about ...more

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Oct 20, 2019 Kathy Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a near future science fiction thriller about a girl on the run and a computer network that is her one constant. Steph has been on the run with her mother since she was a small child. Her mother has told her that her father is a psychopath who tried to burn down their house, had her mother kidnapped, and tortured her. He is also very computer savvy and can track them down if they give the slightest hint of their presence online.

Steph has one online home - CatNet - and a bunch of good ...more

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Oct 05, 2019 Rebecca Davis rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Thank you for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The way the description of the book started and the AI pov chapters made it seem like this book would go off in an entirely different direction. I liked how it ended up, but I felt like I was expecting something different and it took about 160 pages for the "thriller" aspect to begin unfolding. The first part of it was more youthful drama that I get is marketed towards younger readers, but I felt it was TV high school drama and Thank you for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The way the description of the book started and the AI pov chapters made it seem like this book would go off in an entirely different direction. I liked how it ended up, but I felt like I was expecting something different and it took about 160 pages for the "thriller" aspect to begin unfolding. The first part of it was more youthful drama that I get is marketed towards younger readers, but I felt it was TV high school drama and not real life drama.

There were two aspects in this book that played out: one was the storyline with the kidnapping father and the other was with CatNet and the AI. I felt that these storylines were disconnected from each other. I wanted more to connect the two than Steph's friends wanting to help her out and protect her from her father. If Steph's parents were the ones to create the AI and that was what the dad was after then that would have been better, in my opinion, because it creates stakes for the rest of the characters involved in the group to help out Steph and the AI.

I really loved the twist with the dad actually being the kidnapper, but I felt like that ended too quickly. There was not major confrontation (other than with the AI's creator, but the AI was the one to finish the fight and I feel like Steph should have had some part in his downfall because that was a major plot in the story.

Why is a hospital more likely to take a threat to a patient's life seriously than the police? It does not seem that realistic to have a minor that had, according to the father, run away from home cross country, to have been left on the side of the road, with said father, and not at least call some form of CPS or any other adult to at least verify the story.

Also, the entire relationship between Steph and Rachel seemed to move very fast. Their friendship seemed very obsessive on both ends.

All in all, I did enjoy the plot of the book, but there were just a lot of things that intrinsically just did not make sense to me (and not just because of the futuristic aspects). Loved the cat pictures though. And bats are adorable. ...more

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Nov 19, 2019 The Captain rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult

Ahoy there me mateys! I received this young adult sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .

I have only read two of Naomi Kritzer's shorter length stories. One was the "The Thing About Ghost Stories” which was nominated for the 2019 Hugo for novelettes. The other was "Cat Pictures Please" which won the 2016 Locus and Hugo awards for best short story. This book ties into the 2016 story.

Steph and her mom have been on the run from her father for ...more

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Jul 13, 2019 Jen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

*DRC review thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for dropping the review copy on my Kindle.*
Considering that the plot is pretty dark, this was a fun, light read. It'll be perfect for curling up with when it's November release rolls around, and you can read it with some warm drink curled up on the sofa. I found the plot unguessable and was pretty much on the edge of my seat up until the end of the book. I was worried that it would be too wrapped up for a sequel, which I started hoping for pretty ...more

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Nov 07, 2019 Courtney Lavallee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't 100% sure what to expect in this novel. This was a pleasant surprise and I loved every minute of it.

I loved how in this novel it discuss technology. Especially since yes this is a futuristic book, in my opinion, we aren't far off from this being modern day. The way technology is advancing tells me that in a day not to far in the future we will have all of this and more.

The writing was ...more

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Oct 09, 2019 Kayla Mckinney rated it really liked it

With thanks to Net Galley and McMillan for allowing me to review this ARC!

Catfishing on Catnet by Naomi Kritzer is a difficult book to review - because it’s a difficult book to read... and that’s a good thing.

The novel centers on the adventures and misadventures of high schooler Steph. Her life is continually in turmoil because her mother insists on constantly moving from town to town - for reasons Steph doesn’t precisely trust. In an effort to create a safe, stable space, Steph joins a “ ...more

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Oct 12, 2019 Cheryl rated it really liked it

Stephanie's mother has explained that she is terrified of Stephanie's father and that's why they move constantly, and why they've changed names. A computer whiz, Stephanie's mom can work anywhere and has managed to put up enough firewalls to permit Steph to use the computer at home. Because she never stays in one place long, most of Stephanie's friends are online, in a group called CatNet. She doesn't have any consistent human contacts outside of her mother. So, when mom ends up hospitalized ...more

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