*****PLEASE NOTE THAT I WON THIS BOOK IN A GOODREADS GIVEAWAY*****

This review was originally posted on Melissa's Midnight Musings on August 6 2012.

I loved this book. The characters are loveable, the wordplay is fun, there are tons of interesting theories told only the way a child would tell them. I loved it for the variety in perspective. It was such a nice change from all the YA and Adult fiction that I normally read.

In this story we meet Freddy and Oona, brother and sister who are being raised by their mother after their father's death. They have a cat, named Zook, who has become a beloved member of their family. When Zook suddenly gets sick, it brings back memories for Oona of the time when her father is sick too, so she has to deal with all of those memories and emotions that she's kept hidden for so long.

This book is full of stories within stories. It's told from Oona's perspective, and man is she one smart kiddo. She has very creative and inventive theories. One is the Big Whopper theory, where all the lies people tell are color coded for the kind of lie that they are. Black Whoppers are meant to hurt someone, White Whoppers are meant to make someone feel better.

Or, there's the name theory, in which Oona declares that everyone's name is perfect for them, no matter what. Here's a quote to explain the theory:
"Gramma Dee's name is easy Dee RW (rhymes with) bee=honey=sweet like candy. Gramma Dee likes to make Russian taffy, which she learned from her Russian grandmother, who was born in Russia." (pg. 49)
I think what she's trying to say is that people grow into their name, or the meaning of it. They personify that meaning. I think to some extent that becomes true after a while.

I love the wordplay in this book. The play on words with Zook (the cat's) name. Then there's the fact that the kids get paid in fried Zuchinni and pizza is great, and so are the cute word games that Oona plays with Freddy to teach him to read. I love when authors take the time to add these small but important touches to their stories because it helps you become that more attached to the characters.

Oona also has a lot of responsibility for such a little girl. She picks her brother up from school, she's teaching him to read, (with rhyming games and pictures, which I loved) and she even has an after school job. She gets paid in food, but still. For someone so young, that's a lot to handle, but Oona handles most of what comes her way pretty well. She isn't too fond of her mother's new boyfriend, but for a girl whose beloved father passed away that's not a surprise.

Among all these inventive theories and stories about cats who have 9 lives there are a lot of real life observations and lessons which are told in only the way a child can see them. Children have such a different view of the world than adults. There's such innocence, and yet such depth, as well as insight. It's easy to forget how much insight kids have until you read a story like this. And when you do, boy can it pack a punch.

I feel a bit silly admitting this, but I found myself tearing up at the end of this novel, not because of what happens to the characters, but because of the depth and richness of the lessons that Oona learns and the changes that she goes through throughout the course of the book. Now, it takes a lot for me to cry at a book. I have to be really invested in the story, and this was definitely a story that I was invested in. It's got a little bit of everything. It's a sweet story about family, love, loss, friendships, and growing up. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys heartfelt stories.

What about you, do you have any interesting theories that you'd like to share?
( )

For cat lovers especially, this story is of Oona, an older sister desperately trying to protect her younger brother from the harsh realities of life, through the inventive telling of whoopers and lies. All the while putting on a brave face instead of grieving over the death of their father, Oona tries to find redemption in the adoption (some would say abduction) of a bb-bullet riddled cat, christened Zook. When Zook suddenly gets sick, can Oona spin a lie that will not only give comfort to her brother, but help save Zook's life? ( )

***Listened to audiobook***

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-7

Plot Summary: Oona has a lot of problems. She is responsible for taking care of Fred, who is still having a hard time getting over the loss of their dad. She's teaching him to read, and also telling him stories about the first five lives of their beloved cat, who is in the vet hospital. While working for Mario and Maria, Fred and Oona earn money from the people walking by. Their mom seems to be interested in Dylan, AKA the Villian, whom Oona is convinced is the one that previously owned their cat. That's another problem: she's living with a big secret. When she found Zook in the alley, she took off the tag with the address of his owner and pretended it didn't exist because she was appalled someone would let Zook go, plus she was concerned about the the BB gun pellet stuck in Zook's skin. Suddenly though, it all seems like too much. Will Oona's problems work themselves out?

Setting: city with alleys

Characters:
Oona - has a Secret Love who doesn't notice her, storyteller, rebus-maker, and whopper teller like her dad
Zook - AKA Zucchini, has 26 toes, meows loudly
Fred - doesn't want to eat often after his dad died, learning to read with the rebus' that Oona makes,
Mom - AKA Terri
Dad - died from cancer two years ago
The Villian - AKA Dylan, lives in the same apartment as Mud's owner
Mario and Maria - owners of O'Lear's Pizzeria, hire Oona and Fred to sing and dance to gain customers
Riya - Oona's friend, lives in the same building, half Indian and half Swedish, inspiration for Oona's theory of multie-culties
Gramma Dee - speaks Yiddish sometimes, friends with Riya's grandmother, lives nearby and frequently babysits
Phin - used to live in Dylan's apartment, owner of Mud, plays in a band

Recurring Themes: Rebus, lies, band, family, garden, loss, learning to read, gardening

Controversial Issues: none that I remember

Personal Thoughts: I think this book has a lot of personality in the writing, but I didn't like the reader of the audiobook. She paused in awkward places as she was reading the story and made it seem slower. I'm not sure if I would have liked it if I read it.

Genre: realistic fiction

Pacing: slow, no narrative arc and there isn't one big problem in the story, but as you continue you learn of a bunch of little problems
Characters: well developed
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity: whoppers (types of lies) each one has a different color, teaching someone how to read ( )