Review Detail

A wildly unique tale that will surely delight readers with its witty dialogue and unexpected twists and dark turns.

A bit of a slow starter, Deathcat Sally doesn’t hit its stride until Zachary the cat enters the picture. Thankfully, it’s not a long wait. From the first moment of his appearance, I was a major Zachary fan. If he ever needs a home, I’ll take him.

“I’ve woken up to find myself fused to my murderer – best of all, I don’t even have a butt anymore!”

It’s that kind of tongue-in-cheek humor that will win over even the most skeptical readers. And I was a skeptic at first. Based on the premise of the synopsis, the cover and lovely illustrations, my first impression of the book was completely wrong. I assumed I was about to read a cute Middle Grade story about a cat. Deathcat Sally is not MG, although it would definitely appeal to a younger audience, some parents might want to check it out first as there are some very mild questionable moments here and there. Sally’s story seems more suitable for Young Adult readers who aren’t into romance but enjoy a good fantasy read.

Story, plot and character development were superb and the dialogue was incredible. Some minor issues with point of view and excessive use of passive voice made for an awkward reading experience at times, but once I got used to the author’s writing style it didn’t bother me as much. However, the sudden, brief changes in point of view just didn’t seem necessary.

On the whole, Deathcat Sally is NOT what you would expect. It is not what it appears to be. It is so much more. There is something here for everyone: a really awesome cat, an enjoyable heroine (with a boyfriend you’ll want to strangle), mystery, a bit of horror, fantasy, and a great lesson about how to treat animals.