This YA book was wonderful! I have not read enough YA books to generalize but FAT CAT offers the reader a strong teenage female lead which is always a good role model for the age group reached by this book (Unusual back in the day when I was reading YA because I was a YA.) Cat is a bright high school junior trying to win a science fair. The topic was randomly assigned by picking a picture from a group the teacher provided. Cat was hoping for insects but instead ended up researching Hominids (female cave dwellers). To personalize the project she decides to live as much like a Hominid as possible in the 21st century. During the 7 months it takes to complete the project Cat not only transforms herself, but learns some important life lessons along the way. Cat and her best friend Amanda are smart, creative, talented, and just sassy enough to make them believable teenagers. This book does deal with some issues like being overweight, friendships and dating/family/sibling relationships but does so in a positive way. For myself as a reader, the only negative was that the book “preached” a little with regards to the benefits of a vegetarian diet. There is nothing wrong with that per se, but seeing the target reading audience is impressionable young people (girls) who may be battling weight issues of their own (be they real or perceived) … I felt the message just a little too strong.
