The Cat in the Cradle by Jay Bell

The Cat in the Cradle by Jay Bell
Stars: 4.5/5

Overall
I've had this book on my to-read list for a long time, and I kept promising myself that it would be next. But I kept putting it off because I'd heard such good things and I hate when my fantasies (no pun intended) are dashed. At one point I started it, but was distracted by a sexier, faster-moving book. I didn't know what to expect from this book going in, but I was pleasantly surprised by what I found there. Although the writing isn't amazing, it doesn't distract from the story telling either, which is vital, especially to this story.

Strengths
World building. While everything in the world was relatively simple, it was also in an odd way beautifully constructed. I loved the oligarchies with their primary and secondary abilities. I wish we could have found out more about the world (like how many people have powers? We see Green's workers, but very little else), but I'm also glad the story didn't get bogged down with trying to get too much information across even though I'd love to see more in this world!

Characters/plot. There was nice variety in the types of people that our heroes meet, and there was nice mix among the heroes. In the same vein, we had the main plot (stop the big bad) and then we had some other smaller plots that tied up in the end without overwhelming the rest of the story or distracting from the main purpose.

Resolution. I won't say much, but I like how everything turned out. It felt good.

Weaknesses
The writing is probably the weakest part of this novel, and it's by no stretch of the imagination bad. It's simple and direct, which once and a while came across clunky, but for the majority was fine. I think it worked to give the book a more "young adult" feel, and whether that was intended or not, I don't know. (Note, I'm not implying young adults can only read books with simple language, I'm just saying that it gives this book that feel.)

Points of view. While it didn't bother me like it normally does, we are once again treated to somewhat random head hopping. While I can understand the reasoning behind it, and I by all means enjoyed seeing what was happening, it was inconsistent, which pokes my button. I'm torn on the matter because it was used for some good reasons, but I also wonder if it could have been worked around. And then I think about not meeting the god of cats and I'm torn again, which is why this 'weakness' didn't diminish the score.