Elaine White's Life in Books

Book – Simon's Cat
Author – Lotus Oakes
Star rating - ★★★☆☆
No. of Pages – 116
Cover – V. Nice
POV – 3rd person, multi-character
Would I read it again – Maybe
Genre – LGBT, Fairytale, Fantasy


** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **


I'm a little unsure of what to make of this story. While I enjoyed it, I also felt a little detached from it, somehow. Like there was some fundamental thing missing that should have had me incapable of putting it down for hours and unable to stop thinking about it.

The setting was primarily quite obvious as a fantasy story, in a world with Pets who were built as machines and programmed, in a steampunk element, while having contemporary aspects such as medical care. The miller's part of the story didn't feel quite comfortable alongside trains and King's and Pets that cost a fortune and barcode tattoos. Unfortunately, neither the Pets, the blocks, barcode tattoos or the way the world functioned was really explained at a place where it made sense. Some parts were explained with action or dialogue, but others didn't have any explanation at all, at least not of the time that satisfied my curiosity. Because this was a complex world and the world building only really covered so much of it.

There were three main POV's: Simon and Cat's, with the addition of the brother, George. Now, I get why George was added, to show how snobbish he was and things that happened out of Simon's view/hearing, but I'm not sure it was strictly necessary to include him.

When it comes to the characters, I liked Simon, but it bothered me how often people kept talking about how slow he was, as though it was some mental disability or birth defect that no one cared to acknowledge or mention. It felt a little insulting at time, but perhaps that's because I have a mental handicap that often makes it hard for me to discern people's intentions and meanings, as well. On the other hand, I can't figure out if Simon is supposed to be autistic in some way, just without the author spelling it out. It's confusing, but frustrating the way it's constantly brought up and that even Simon believes he's worthless because of it.

Cat is interesting, but a little too overbearing and pushy, for my liking. And the question of just what Simon's father wanted him for was never answered, which makes the whole romance between him and Simon a little squidgy to me. I also didn't understand how no one ever heard movement in that room before now or that no one ever realised there was an inhabitant in that room, over the last ten years. It just didn't ring believable, to me. Especially not when it's revealed that the father ordered the paperwork to be submitted before the mother died, which begs the question of why? Which is never answered. And for what? Which is also never really answered.

It also bothers me that Cat makes this incredible deal with Simon within hours of meeting him, to gain his freedom in exchange for making the impossible happen. Yet, never in all of his ten years with Simon's father did he think up of a way to do the same with him? And why did the father keep betraying his promise to free Cat? Was it because he was just a Pet and a toy to be used? Was it because he truly loved Cat? Or was it because he wasn't the great man his kids all thought he was and he just didn't want to give up what he considered his property? Either way, surely there was something Cat could have done for him or given him in exchange for his freedom, in the same way he did with Simon, without risking Simon's father shirking the deal. It just felt a little to contrived that only Simon could free him, because Simon was the stupid, slow one that didn't do anything right or know what he was doing.

Not that there was much romance; they held hands and gazed into each other's eyes, with a rare kiss or two, but that was the extent of the romance, which was slightly disappointing. I'd been hoping for a little more, even just in one or two strategic places where an adrenaline fuelled kiss would have been welcome.

I certainly didn't like either of Simon's brothers.

Overall, it was a bit lacking in detail, world building and romance, while relying too heavily on Cat's cleverness and underhanded tactics. It didn't feel like a story that was well balanced between Simon and Cat; it was completely and wholly about Cat's adventure through fulfilling his agreement and the consequences of that. Simon was simply a catalyst to get Cat starts and that didn't make it feel like a very authentic or original retelling of the Puss in Boots story.