Tween Tuesday: The Five Lives of Our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin

5 comforting chocolate chip cookies.

Cover Love:  Yes.  I love the colors and the cats.  I love how big the title is.  It is very eye catching.

Why I Wanted to Read This:  I adored One Day and One Amazing Morning on Orange Street also by Joanne Rocklin.  I was excited to read this one!  Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:

In this warmhearted middle-grade novel, Oona and her brother, Fred, love their cat Zook (short for Zucchini), but Zook is sick. As they conspire to break him out of the vet’s office, convinced he can only get better at home with them, Oona tells Fred the story of Zook’s previous lives, ranging in style from fairy tale to grand epic to slice of life. Each of Zook’s lives has echoes in Oona’s own family life, which is going through a transition she’s not yet ready to face. Her father died two years ago, and her mother has started a relationship with a man named Dylan—whom Oona secretly calls “the villain.” The truth about Dylan, and about Zook’s medical condition, drives the drama in this loving family story.

I Kept Reading Because:

I adored Oona.  She had  such a good voice!

Romance?:  Yes, there actually is some.

What I Liked (& Didn't):

Like I said above, I loved Oona.  She was the heart of this book.  She is such a sweet little girl who loves her family, and her cat Zook.  She tries to be honest and good and look out for her brother Fred, but the changes in her life cause her to keep secrets.

I love how she describes telling lies--which she calls "whoppers."  There are different levels of whoppers, color categorized, and there is a justification for every one she tells.

There writing is so pleasant!  It was like sitting down with an old friend each time I picked up the book.

One of the things I have enjoyed about Joanne's books is that in both books the settings were close knit neighborhoods in the midst of a big city.  The feeling of community is so strong!

There were parts of this book that made me laugh and parts that made me cry and parts that made me smile through my tears.  I love it when a book can do all that!

To Sum Up:  I am firmly a Joanne Rocklin fan and will be reading whatever she publishes next!  Read Joanne's guest post from her recent blog tour!

Tween Tuesday was created by Sarah at GreenBeanTeenQueen!  Thanks Sarah!