Claws Book Review

I’m a cat lover, but not necessarily a cat book lover. But don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against cat books--good cat books, that is. (You have put your childhood at a disadvantage if you haven’t yet read Erin Hunter’s Warriors series.) Claws, I can tell you, is a good cat book. The tension created within the pages unparalleled any middle grade/YA book I’ve read in a while, and the plot twists and shifts worse than the Deep Forest. Despite having such a large focus on the characters and character connections, action prevails throughout the plot. No one ever does what the reader expects, leaving them in a constant delighted surprise. Even Emma, the protagonist, isn’t sure whether she can trust Cricket or Jack, members of her cat pride despite Emma being a human, until much after she’s forced to place her life into their hands. Grintis’ use of Helena, Emma’s sister, as a MacGuffin (something within the story that doesn’t serve any purpose other than to propel the plot along) allows a strong character development of Emma. Without her persistence, drive, and a knack for trouble, the story would fall through within the first fifty pages. I also love Grintis’ concept of the faeries, that all their beauty reveals to be an illusion and ironic considering their vile nature underneath. A fast-paced, heart-wrenching read sure to make the reader wish they weren’t born human.

“And for just a moment Emma could make out the scent of secrets wafting off of [Jack]. But then she forgot that, too.”

Recommended for anyone getting too old for Erin Hunter but wanting something within the same vein.

--Grace Nask