"White Cat" First Impressions *no spoilers*

[Brad]

Our obligatory opening topic wherein to put your initial thoughts. Anyone interested in jumping in as the discussion leader?

[Marsha]

After a good opening that caught my attention, the next couple are rather slow with mostly creative ways to drop backstory. I expect/hope the action will pick up shortly. I'd like to see the curse workers in action, rather than be told about them.

Marsha
http://MarshaAMoore.com

[Marissa]

I just wanted to note that I loved the audio recording of this book - wonderfully read. I'd highly recommend it!

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

I really enjoyed this book the first time I read it. Will be curious to see how well it holds up the second time.

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

I read it fairly recently so I probably won't read it again, but I am curious to see what others thought of the book.

Overall, the concept was interesting, one I hadn't read before. A male protag is always a nice switch, especially in YA where it's not always as common.

[Meera]

I started this as an audiobook and wasn't getting into it but will be continuing it from the paperback of it.

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

Huh. I have the audiobook and the paperback from the library right now. I've started listening to Thud! and this will either be the next one or the one after that.

[Michelle]

i'm very much liking the unique magic system, and the clever little historical touches in here (e.g., everybody wearing gloves all the time), but I agree, Marsha, some of these backstory dumps are a bit too obvious.

[Marsha]

I'm 60+ pages in and the only real action to move the story along is when Cassel has a second dream. Everything between the opening dream and that one involved introducing characters with lots of backstory about each one and how Cassel felt about them, past and present. The pace feels too for this far into the novel, but I'm still hoping it will take off soon because I like the magical details that have been explained. I just want to see them happen in real time, not hear about the past events.

Marsha
http://MarshaAMoore.com

[pauliree]

Loved this book and am hanging to read the rest of them. I thought the idea of how having curse workers affected history and the fact that Australia was settled by curse worker criminals :)

[Ami]

So far I'm enjoying it. It's a really quick and easy read. Looking forward to the ending.

[Sarah]

I read White Cat earlier this year, and it just didn't work for me. I didn't buy the characters and the lies they told.

[Sandy]

I finished this with mixed feelings. I actually think this was a wonderful, interesting plot, and the magic system was a fascinating one. I debated giving it 4 stars, but settled on 3 because I thought it didn't really work as a story. In retrospect, I think that Marsha was right to suggest the key weakness: it would be better to see the curse workers in action, rather than be told about them. The book did get more interesting when it shifted tone and the characters started to interact.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

I started this yesterday afternoon and am almost finished - so it's a quick read, at the very least.

The magic system is pretty interesting, but I'm not really connecting with any of the characters and the writing seems to be sort of all over the place. Conversations are clipped and awkward - and I just keep feeling like people don't actually talk/interact the way they do in this book.

[Rick]

I finished the book last night and i will agree with the comments that it's heavy on the description of the curse workers. it does feel like you need a little more action to keep the reader entertained. As a stand alone book i would not rate it very highly but since it was the first of a trilogy i think it was necessary to be heavy on the description and introduction and background development of the characters. Hopefully this will allow her to focus more on the plot and action in the following books.

[[deleted user]]

I enjoyed this and didn't find it too slow (granted I read it on a sick day after a 600-page epic fantasy). The magic system was more appealing to me than the characters or plot, though. I kept reading to find out more about how it worked. The plot itself was fairly predictable.

[♥Xeni♥]

First impression, just from reading the blurb (and Kim's review, shhhh):

I think the runner-up, Firebird, should have been picked. That story has depths and highs, a really great plot, and a romance that isn't all that straightforward and 'classic'.

This book has nothing in it that makes it even a bit interesting... sounds like a regular Urban Fantasy book, sadly. :S (and then there's a line from Kim's review that I really identified with, which makes me not want to even go near the protagonist.)

But you can all enjoy reading it. I'll wait for next month's books.

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

Who's Kim. >.> More seriously, is this the review you mean? If so, I'm guessing that (view spoiler)["Even the so-called romance was not romantic at all, but the work of manipulation and/or cruelty." (hide spoiler)] was the line you meant.

If you are not in the mood for a book with dark elements, then yeah, you should probably skip this. But that line has probably given you a false impression of the protagonist — he's not responsible for the (view spoiler)[manipulation and cruelty in that department. (hide spoiler)] But it seems pretty dubious to say that there's nothing that makes it even a bit interesting based on the blurb. Having actually read that, I'd disagree strongly.

But in a way, I can relate — if the Mercedes Lackey book had won, I'd have chosen to sit out this month. (Have read plenty of her books and would be surprised if another one, well, surprised me at this point.) I don't think comparing what is apparently a standalone to the first book of a trilogy is really fair. The trilogy will leave various things hanging until the end, whereas the standalone has to neatly wrap things up.

[♥Xeni♥]

Huh... you know, I've been reading so many reviews today of friends, I think I got something confused. Let me go back and check that...

EDIT: Isn't there a place to go where I can see all the recent comments I made on other people's reviews? *is so lost atm*

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

I think that's on your profile page, Xeni? But it only shows the last n so ... if it's fallen off your profile you may be out of luck. *not sure*

[♥Xeni♥]

Yeah, it definitely fell off. I do too much on here. >.>

But I did find it: This review. It contains spoilers, though.

Essentially I just went to the book page and read the reviews my friends left :P

Sorry if the whole 'Kim' thing was confusing. I thought that he was THE Kim, seeing as how he comments here a lot, sorta like how it's THE Ala and THE Brad!

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

We must not be reading the same threads, or something, because I feel like I've never seen one of his comments here. Nor does his avatar look familiar! :)

[Kim]

I am THE Kim :P But I've been rather quiet here of late :)

[Kim]

I've also been waiting for a *Spoiler* allowed thread

[♥Xeni♥]

You can make one. :p

[Gewbook]

At about 100 pages in I'm really enjoying this book. I can see why people are frustrated about being told more about the curse workers than actually seeing them. But I think some of that comes from being dropped into a world that so closely resembles our current one, but with this major addition of something magical that has become fact for the characters. I am actually reminded of reading Sunshine by Robin McKinley and really wanting to know more backstory about how there came to be hot spots and vampires and magic talismans to protect people from them. There is the hint that it wasn't always there, or at least not overtly, but no real explanation of how it came to be so the reader just has to accept it as part of this world. I find myself both liking that and having it drive me crazy. I am having some of the same reaction to White Cat.

[Melanie, the neutral party]

I'm starting this book today. Who else is participating in the reread?

[Jen]

I started this on Saturday and will likely finish it today, it pulled me right in

[Bonnie]

Yes, I have started, a few chapters in. Mildly curious to learn more about the family, how curses/ cons / lack of curses or cons, work.
Is the "sleepwalking" or being a bookie at boarding school important, or just color?
We shall see.

[Netanella]

I just started this morning, on chapter 3 already. I agree that the curse work element is very interesting, and I like the family dynamics, especially considering how we are introduced to the mom.