Fat Cat

By Robin Brande

An experiment so bold, anyone might think it was a little crazy...

Catherine Locke is smart, ambitious, and--okay, not the slimmest girl around.  But she's always cared more about her brain than her body.  So far that's gotten her where she wanted:  into the most advanced, competitive science class at her high school, where she'll once again face her fiercest rival, Matt McKinney.

The guy who broke her heart.

If Cat's plan works, she'll win it all:  a huge improvement in her body and her lifestyle, first prize at the science fair, admission to the college of her choice, and best of all, revenge on Matt McKinney.

But as every scientist knows, even the best experiments can go wildly out of control...

"Fat Cat was AWESOME.  I couldn't stop reading it!"  Meg Cabot, New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries & more

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ryer Publishing
• Release date: Jun 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781946627032

Robin Brande

Award-winning author Robin Brande is a former trial attorney, entrepreneur, martial artist, law instructor, yoga teacher, wilderness adventurer, and certified wilderness medic. Her novels have been named Best Fiction for Young Adults by the American Library Association. She was selected as the Judy Goddard/Libraries Ltd. Arizona Young Adult Author of the Year in 2013. She writes fantasy, science fiction, contemporary young adult fiction, and romance.   

Book preview

1

"Y ou’re all good little machines," Mr. Fizer told us. He sat there this afternoon in his tweed jacket and his white shirt and plaid bowtie, and glared at us over the top of his half-glasses. Which was a seriously scary sight.

You know how to take tests, he said. "You know how to memorize facts and mimic everything your teachers have taught you—but do any of you really know how to think? We’re about to find out."

I know I should have been concentrating. I should have kept my eyes locked on Mr. Fizer, practically reading his lips to make sure I caught every word. His class is going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever taken in my life.

But sometimes my body parts have a mind of their own. And there my eyes were, straying off to the right, seeking out that one particular face in the crowd the way they always do, no matter how many times I’ve told them to stop. And since this was a crowd of only nine, he was way too easy to find.

Unfortunately, right at that moment Matt McKinney was looking back at me, and our eyes met for just that one split second, and even though I instantly looked away, it was too late. I had to see that subtle little smirk of his, and it made me wish more than anything I had something sharp and heavy to throw at his head.

Here are the rules, Mr. Fizer said.

As if he needed to tell us. Every one of us understood the deal long before today—Fizer’s Special Topics in Research Science class is legendary, not the least because every few years someone has to run out of there on the first day and vomit because of the stress.

I had a light lunch.

When I call your name, Mr. Fizer said, "you will come up, close your eyes, and choose a picture. You will then have one hour in which to devise your topic. You may not use the Internet or any other resources. You may not discuss it with your classmates. You will have only your own creativity to rely upon.

We do it this way, he continued, because true scientific progress comes through innovative thinking, not merely reciting what other scientists have taught us. Albert Einstein believed that imagination is more important than knowledge, and I agree. We must always push ourselves to discover more. Understood?

No one bothered answering. We were all too busy staring at the folder he’d just opened on his desk, revealing this year’s Stack.

The Stack. It’s your whole future resting on a pick of the cards. Only in Mr. Fizer’s case, the deck of cards is actually a stack of pictures he’s gathered throughout the year—pages torn out of magazines like National Geographic and Nature and Science.

If you luck out, you can end up with a picture that applies to a field you’re already interested in—like for me, insects and their co-evolution with plants. It’s what I spent the whole summer helping research in one of the biology labs at the university. I figured if I ended up with a picture even remotely dealing with either plants or bugs, I’d be able to use everything I just learned about fig wasps.

On the other hand, you can also end up with something completely outside your subject field, which is why people like George Garmine had to flee the room last year to puke.

Because if you bomb, you might as well plan a career as a drone in some laboratory at some obscure college in a town nobody’s heard of, because you’re never going to get the premium offers. But if you do well—I mean really well—you can not only get Mr. Fizer’s recommendation for college applications, but you might also win your category at the science fair, and then go on to internationals. Some of Mr. Fizer’s students have done just that. And then you have a great shot at winning scholarships and impressing college recruiters, so that even people like me can end up places like MIT or Duke or Harvard or wherever. So yeah, it’s a big deal.

We all just wanted to get on with it already, but Mr. Fizer still had one more rule to tell us about.

This is not a time for teamwork, he said. This is a competition. This is your chance to show bold thinking and a true commitment to your science. For the next seven months you will work independently and in secret. I am the only person you will share any details with until it is time to reveal your project at the science fair in March. Is that clear? Good. Miss Chang, we will begin with you.

Lindsay wiped her palms against her pants and walked so slowly to the front of the room it was like she’d just been told to come up there and drink poison. She stood in front of Mr. Fizer’s desk, did the palm swipe one more time, then reached into the Stack.

You could tell Mr. Fizer was watching to make sure she kept her eyes closed. Lindsay pulled out a picture, pressed it against her chest, and went back to her seat without even looking at what she’d chosen. That seemed like a good strategy—no point in freaking out in front of everyone if it turned out to be really bad.

Next he called up Farah, Alexandra, Margo, and Nick. Then me.

I eased between the lab tables and walked to the front, and that’s when I started to think about my butt. And about how Matt McKinney was no doubt looking at it right at that moment and noticing how much larger it was than the last time he saw it. Seven more pounds over the summer, thank you very much. When you’re working in a lab as intense as the one where I was, all you really have time for every day is the vending machines and the Dairy Queen on the corner. Everyone at that lab was a pudgeball.

So I stood in front of Mr. Fizer’s desk, my hand shaking, thinking about my future and how it was about to change, but really thinking more about my thighs and gigabutt and trying to pull my shirt down a little lower to cover them, and finally I closed my eyes and reached into the Stack. That’s when I heard Matt clear his throat, which sounded like he was suppressing a laugh, and my hand jerked from where it was, and I suppose that makes it fate that I chose the picture I did.

I couldn’t look. I clutched the paper against my chest and went back to my seat and did my best to control my breathing.

Matt was next. Mr. Cocky. Mr. Casual. Mr. I’ve-Won-More-Science-Fairs-Than-Any-Of-You. He pulled out his picture, looked at it, and actually smiled. Smiled. Not a good sign.

Which caused me to peek at my own picture, and OH HOLY CRIPE. No way. I slapped it face down on the table and heard my pulse pounding in my ears.

Because Matt McKinney cannot beat me this year. Please—there has to be a law. I’ve only beaten him once, and that was probably the worst night of my life. It would be nice to win for once and actually get to enjoy it for more than five minutes.

Kiona and Alyssa went last, and they both looked about as sick as I felt. Then it was time.

Go find a corner, Mr. Fizer told us. Your hour begins, he checked his watch, now.

Everyone scattered to find some private space to work. I chose a little nook between the wall and a file cabinet, and scrunched myself down onto the floor. Then I turned the paper over and faced the reality of my situation.

The picture was worse than I thought.

Naked Neanderthals.

No, I take it back. Not Neanderthals, but something even more ancient—Homo erectus, to be exact. Early hominins from 1.8 million years ago, the caption said. Great. Highly relevant to my own life, not to mention my fig wasps.

Whereas Matt, I’m guessing from the smug little smile I saw on his face, must have chosen something that plays directly into his field—astronomy. Probably a picture taken by the Hubble telescope, or something from the Mars expedition, or maybe a computer simulation of a black hole. Something easy and perfect and effortless, because that’s how it always is for Matt.

But I couldn’t worry about him—I had to worry about me. I went back to staring at my picture.

It was an artist’s rendering of how these early humans might have lived. There were three men and a woman out in a meadow of some sort. They were all lean and muscular and tan—and did I mention naked?

They were gathered around a dead deer, guarding it from a pack of saber-toothed hyenas who were trying to move in and snatch it. One of the men was shouting. The woman had the only weapon—a rock—and she stood there poised to pitch it at the hyenas. It was a great action scene if you’re into that sort of thing—the whole anthro-paleo field of studies where you care more about the dead than the living. But it’s not going to be my thing now or ever.

Naked hominins and hyenas. Great. This was going to be my life for the next seven months, I thought. Chalk up another win for Matt and another failure for me.

But that was before I understood just how perfect this whole thing is going to be.

2

Amanda was waiting for me after class. How’d it go?

Great. I need a Snickers.

Oh, yeah? she said, perking up. Does that mean the diet is over?

Um, pretty much. Although I knew the real answer was going to shock her.

Thank goodness, Amanda said. No offense, Kit Cat, but you have been seriously cranky these past few days. I think some people just need their sugar and carbs.

Matt came out of class just then and gave us both a nod. Hey, Amanda. See ya, Cat.

Neither of us answered, of course. Usually Matt’s only that friendly when Amanda’s boyfriend Jordan is around. They’re on the swim team together, and Jordan is always telling us how solid and quality Matt is, whatever that’s supposed to mean. What it really means is Matt continues to fool most people into thinking he’s this sweet, charming guy who happens to be a brilliant scientist on top of it.

But Amanda and I know the truth. And unfortunately, it’s not something we can share with Jordan or anyone else. So people go right on believing what they want to about Matt.

He is looking slightly better than normal, Amanda said, watching him disappear down the hall. I think he’s discovered the comb.

Can we talk about something else, please?

Sure, she said. I wrote a new poem last period. Want to hear it?

She recited it for me as we headed toward the vending machines. It was another in her series of poems exploring the secret thoughts of inanimate objects. This one was about a blender.

Don’t laugh. Or do. The poems are supposed to be funny, but they’re also sweet and sometimes a little sad in their own way. The blender, so the poem goes, can touch food, but never actually taste it. By the time it swirls everything around into a liquid form it can ingest, someone pours it out and takes it away.

Ever chewing, Amanda concluded, never satisfied.

We both nodded in silent appreciation.

I really love it, I told her. But no offense—I still like the La-Z-Boy one best.

Yeah, Amanda agreed, that was a classic.

We hit the vending machines, and I bought not only a Snickers, but also a Butterfinger and some peanut M&Ms.

Wow, Amanda said. You weren’t kidding.

I bit off about half of the Snickers and said with my mouth full, You’ll understand in a minute.

I made her wait until we were safely in her car, since I couldn’t let Mr. Fizer or anyone else see me showing her the picture. His secrecy rule is fine—in fact, I’m grateful for it, since it means no one will know what I’m doing until I unveil the whole thing next March—but there was no way I was going to keep it secret from Amanda.

As soon as we were settled I pulled the picture out of my backpack.

Oh, Amanda said.

Right, I said.

Amanda pointed to the guy closest to the dead deer. He’s sort of hot.

Are you kidding me?

What? she said. Nice butt, nice legs—I’d go for it.

Good to know.

Don’t tell Jordan.

I finished my Snickers, started in on the Butterfinger, and explained to Amanda how the whole thing came about—how with time running out my brain finally came to understand exactly what I should do.

People always want to know how scientific discoveries are made.

They like the stories about the apple falling on Newton’s head (myth) or Archimedes leaping out of the bathtub and running naked through the streets shouting, Eureka! (I found it!) (True.) (Unfortunately for the neighbors.)

For me, it was the hominin’s killer butt.

Not the guy’s, like Amanda noticed, but the woman’s.

Ten minutes, Mr. Fizer had called out. I was in full-on, meltdown panic. I didn’t have a single idea in my head.

Meanwhile everyone else was furiously scribbling away in their notebooks. Everyone except for Matt, of course, who was already done and just sat there reading what he’d written.

I squeezed my eyes shut. This was horrible. Silently I pleaded with my new naked friends to give me inspiration—any sort of inspiration at all.

When I opened my eyes again, there was the woman’s butt. And the rest of the woman. And for some reason, it occurred to me in that moment that she was actually kind of cool in her prehistoric way—strong, determined-looking, ready to haul off and hurl that rock while the guys just shouted and looked concerned.

And she was thin. Not emaciated, fashion-model-thin, but that good muscular thin like you see on women athletes. She looked like she could run and hunt and fight just as well as the men—maybe even better.

And that’s when I realized: I wanted to be her.

Not her in the sense that I wish I had to fight saber-toothed hyenas just to get a decent meal, but her in looks. I want—and I know this sounds incredibly shallow, but science requires the truth—I wouldn’t mind for once in my life seeing what it’s like to actually look ... good. Or at least better than I do right now. Maybe even pretty, if that’s possible.

It’s not that I’m hideous, but I’m also not stupid. I know how people see me. I might spend an hour every day straightening my hair and getting my makeup just right and picking out clothes that camouflage at least some of my rolls, but the truth is I’m still fat and everyone knows it. When I wake up in the morning it’s like I’m wearing this giant fat suit, and if only I could find the zipper I could step out of it and finally go start living my real life.

And that was my Eureka.

Because seeing the hominin woman, just out there in all her glory, naked boobs and butt and stomach and everything, and noticing how lean and fit and strong she looked, made me realize something.

When anthropologists or forensic paleontologists find a skeleton, they bring it back to the lab and build a clay model over it, to see what the person might have looked like. They have to decide how much muscle and flesh to give the person to make it look like a real body, but here’s the thing: they never ever make the person fat.

Because obviously each person’s skeleton is made to hold a specific amount of weight, right? A small skeleton gets a little bit of weight, a big one gets a lot more.

And that made me think about what some scientist would do with my bones if she found them thousands of years from now. She’d build a body that looked normal for my skeleton, and she’d think that’s what I looked like. But she’d be wrong. Because she wouldn’t have factored in all the pizza and ice cream and chocolate and everything else I’ve been using as materials over the years to sculpt this particular version of me.

That’s when I knew what I should do. I knew if I made this my project, I’d really have to take it seriously. I couldn’t back out. I couldn’t cheat. This would be for a grade and for the science fair, so I’d have to do it for real. Once I committed to it—once I wrote my idea on a piece of paper this afternoon and turned it in alongside everyone else’s research topics—I’d have no choice but to take it all the way.

Mr. Fizer said he wants big ideas. He wants us to be creative and to really push ourselves. He wants us to throw ourselves into our projects, mind and body and soul.

Well, you can’t get more committed than this.

I’m going to do it, I told Amanda. I’m going to become prehistoric.

3

"O kay, so ... what exactly does that mean?" Amanda asked.

No more candy, for one thing, I said, polishing off my Butterfinger. I stuffed the M&Ms in my backpack for later. No modern food of any kind—only natural foods they could have found back then, like nuts, berries—

You’re only going to eat nuts and berries for seven months? Amanda said. Are you insane?

I’m sure they had other things, I said. There was that dead deer.

Amanda made a face. Awesome.

And probably vegetables and a bunch of really healthy stuff.

So what you’re telling me, Amanda said, is you’re going on another diet.

No! It’s not that at all. I mean ... not entirely. This is going to be an actual science experiment. On myself. It’s not just the food—I’m going to give up everything modern. Computer, telephone, car, TV—

And this is supposed to prove what? Amanda broke in. Other than that you’re crazy?

That we’ve screwed ourselves up, I said. That somewhere along the way all of our modern advances have gone too far and we’ve let ourselves get lazy and soft.

Excuse me, Amanda said, but I happen to think my iPod is a brilliant piece of evolution.

No, but look at our bodies. By which I really meant look at mine. We have all these modern problems like obesity and diabetes and cancer and heart disease—

That’s because nobody used to live long enough to get those, Amanda pointed out. They were all getting chomped by wild beasts.

Yeah, but I think if we just went back to living a simpler life, we’d all be a lot better off.

I’m sorry, Amanda said, but I think it’s my job to tell you that you’ve finally gone too far.

But I just smiled. Because the more we talked about it, the more radical it sounded, and that’s exactly what I need. Nothing ordinary is going to impress Mr. Fizer or the science fair judges—especially not with Matt in the game. I really need to bring it.

Besides, Amanda said, starting up her ancient yellow Mazda, you can’t just give up everything. Some of our advances are actually pretty important.

Like what? I said.

Like running water, hello? Electricity? Soap? Are you just going to sit in the dark at night and rub yourself with dirt? And do you get to sleep in a bed anymore or do you have to sleep on the floor? Is carpeting allowed?

This is good, I said, fishing for my notebook as Amanda pulled out of the parking lot. I need to make a list. Keep going. I had approximately 47 hours until my next class with Mr. Fizer. We were supposed to use that time to do as much preliminary research as possible before turning in our formal research proposals. I had a lot of work to do.

Okay, Amanda said, getting into it now. You said no car—but they had the wheel back then, right? Can’t you improvise? Maybe you could ride your bike.

"Right, and let Mr. Fizer catch me? ‘I wasn’t aware Homo erectus had the bicycle, Miss Locke.’ Forget it—I’m going to have to walk everywhere."

Everywhere? Amanda said. What if it’s dark out? Or it’s like twenty miles away and it’s raining and lightning outside? You can’t put yourself in danger.

Okay, good point. Maybe I need to make a few safety exceptions.

Yeah, like your cell phone, she said. I can see not talking on it in general, but you have to have it for emergencies, right?

Right, I said, jotting that down. Hold on. The ideas were really flowing now. The whole thing was a lot more complicated than I thought—issues of safety, practicality, unavoidable conveniences like showers—

So when does all this insanity begin? Amanda asked. This eating of leaves and berries and such?

I don’t know, Wednesday night. Maybe Thursday. Soap, shampoo, toothpaste—I want to make sure Mr. Fizer approves my proposal first.

Great, Amanda said, because Jordan and I were just talking about you last class.

She said it in a

Reviews for Fat Cat

[beckymmoe_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I picked this book up because Meg Cabot praised it on her blog, and I was glad I did! Cat's struggles as an overweight but ambitious teen really struck home for me--and her struggle to survive (literally, at times!) her science project was riveting! I wish I could demonstrate the strength she shows in "living like a primiative homo erectus" for a year, but I just love my Pepsi Max a little bit too much....

[taleofnight · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read a review for this book more than 2 years ago that pretty much said great things. So, when I saw this at my library, I immediately picked it up. I'm so happy I did because I absolutely loved this book!The book starts out with Cat getting an assignment, an assignment that is known around the school to give students a meltdown for how important it is for their grade. At the end of the year the students take their project to a science fair. For the assignment the students have to draw a picture and come up with a project from the picture. Cat draws a picture of early hominids. So she decides that she is going to start living like the early hominids did. No processed food, no soda, no internet or TV. This is going to be hard for Cat because all she eats seems to be junk food. But she's determined because this year she is going to beat her ex best friend at this science fair.I pretty much loved all the characters. I loved Cat and her best friend, Amanda, and even though Cat defines Matt as a jerk throughout most of the book, I also loved him. This book is mostly about Cat eating healthy and getting back into shape. Since she can't use cars to get her around she ends up walking almost everywhere, and she starts cooking everything for herself. I loved reading about Cat's transformation. I also loved reading about Cat's dating experiences. They're were plenty of time where I found myself laughing out loud. Which pretty much sums up the whole book. It's very funny and lighthearted, but also serious at times. I loved this book and I wish it got a little more attention.

[francescadefreitas · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is so much more splendid than its cover. Cat goes on a diet, becomes hot, finds happiness. Cat is smart and hilarious, and a good friend - she is not a cardboard cut out of a fat girl with a skinny girl waiting to get out. Her weight loss is part of a science experiment about healthy lifestyles - she is awesome before the diet, and has a great life, she's not moping in a corner. I loved Cat, her honesty, her best friend, her complicated relationship with her ex-best friend a ex-crush - the whole book was delightful. I love that Cat was powerful, and the change in her appearance has so much more depth than a girl gets makeover and life changes story. I'd give this book to people looking for a funny teen school story or romance.

[sharonluvscats · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I really wanted to love Fat Cat. When I first read the summary I thought that Fat Cat sounded like a really unique and fun read. While the plot make have been unique, I don’t feel that it was executed very well. I honestly don’t even have much to say about Fat Cat.Fat Cat started off well. I enjoyed reading about Cat and her body image issues. Overall, Cat was a very intelligent and likeable character. In particular I enjoyed reading about her relationship with her little brother. The moments shared between Cat and her brother were very touching and sweet. I also liked how Cat eventually becomes a vegetarian. I’m a vegetarian so I thought it was a nice touch.The biggest problem with Fat Cat was that it really started to get very preachy at some point. I already knew that junk food was bad for me before reading Fat Cat. I didn’t need to be lectured about the negative effects of it! This just annoyed me so much that it keep me from enjoying much of the second half of the book. I eventually started to skim through the second half because I still wanted to see the outcome. Once I started skipping over some of the nutrition advice I actually started to enjoy Fat Cat again.Overall, Fat Cat started off really well but, somewhere along the line it turned into an issues book. I would recommend Fat Cat to anyone thinking about making a change in their diet or wanting to learn more about nutrition. As for everyone else, I would tell them to skip it unless they want to feel guilty for eating Oreos!

[callmecayce · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Recommended to me by a coworker, I was apprehensive, based on the cover photos (measuring tape) and the title. But it turns out I should have trusted my coworker. Robin Brande's novel was pretty damn awesome. It's about being overweight, it's about dealing with it -- and with the people around you. It's all wrapped up a bit too nicely, but sometimes that's exactly what you need.

[yaaddict · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved, loved, loved this one. What a fantastic take on a coming of age story. You've got a strong MC who is also very smart, best friends that truly care for one another, and some fun love interests. When you mix those wonderful characters together with excellent writing and a well thought out plot, you get Fat Cat.Anyone will love Cat. She is very smart and very in to science. But she is also very funny. She is over weight, because she eats junk food as a way to relieve stress. (Who can't relate to that?) She takes on this big science project for school. She will live the life of a Hominine. This means a very natural diet and no modern technology. (For the most part) Through this experiment, Cat's whole life changes. She loses weight, becomes more active, and generally becomes a happier person. I loved the healthy approach to losing weight in Fat Cat. It wasn't the "I hate my body" then crash diet scene. Teens and adults alike can learn to take a healthier approach to their food from this book. I know I couldn't even look at chips while reading. I went for the strawberries. I adored Cat's best friend, Amanda. They were exactly how best friends should be, looking out for one another and rooting each other on. I hope to see more friends like this in YA.When Cats loses the weight, the boys start to notice. This brings in the love interests. I knew very soon who I wanted Cat to be with. Cat had to grow as a person before she could be with the right guy, and this made the story realistic for me. I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. It made me grow not only as a reader, but as a healthier person as well. And Fat Cat did it in a way that kept a smile on my face the whole time. I think Fat Cat is a book that anyone can enjoy. This talented writer has me hooked as a reader. I will definitely be reading more from Brande, no matter what her covers look like.

[gayldashersmith · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Unusual premise: a girl uses the excuse of a science project to live as pre-historic people did, thus eliminated processed food and the over-use of technology. She drops weight and gathers the attention of the boys in her school. Very entertaining and thought-provoking

[euphoria13 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Catherine Locke, a Junior in High School has always loved science and math. Which explains her dreams of becoming a famous scientist one day. This is the reason why she takes Mr. Fizer's Topics in Science Research class, in which participating in the Science Fair is a requirement of the class. Most of all she wants to beat Matt McKinney in the science fair, the boy who broke her heart in Middle School in which we learned they were once the best of friends long before.When Cat is asked to go up to Mr. Fizer's desk to pull out a picture from his file (A folder filled with pictures from a variety of magazines that Mr. Fizer collects)in which the picture determines what your science project will be about, Cat gets the surprise of her life. What seems to be a lousy topic (A picture of two hominims surrounding a dead animal) turns out to be a window of opportunity.And so begins Cat's crazy, funny, ingenious tale of changing her liefstyle to that of the early hominims. No processed food, no technology, and lots and lots of walking! Not to mention that she has a good chance of seeking revenge from Matt McKinney if she wins the Science Fair. With the support of her best friend Amanda, Cat starts to physically evolve into a person completely different then before- She begins to loose weight (Hence the name Fat Cat)Cat was once a physically fit girl. She used to love swimming and she even participated in a few competitions. But once she entered puberty, her body began to have mind of its own and the pounds began to build up. Pretty soon a few people started calling her Fat Cat. But nothing could top off what she overheard Matt McKinney say at the science fair during 7th grade. This being the very reason why to this day Cat is no longer his friend and feels nothing but loathe and hate for him.I love how Cat is so smart, witty, yet insecure. She's so different from most girls we read about in contemporary fiction, let alone in YA fiction. There is nothing artificial in this character, even though she is a work of fiction, many girls who read this book will bond with Catherine. I can't explain just how touched i was reading how Cat dealt with her weight issue. I know how it feels to be ridiculed because of one's weight. But what truly matters is who we are inside and how our minds and intellect can surpass the physical aspect.If there is one thing i have learned when it comes to writing a book or a story, your characters should be as life like as possible and the reader should be able to relate to them, especially the protagonist. Robin Brande does an incredible job with the characters in this book, especially Cat! She truly captures the struggles that many teen girls go through because of their body image!As well as the meaning of true friendship. The dialogue between Cat and Amanda is wonderful and true. While reading this book i felt very connected with Cat. I laughed, i felt heartache and i cried as i read her story. A story of a girl and friendship, heartache, love, ideas, and most of all- Forgiveness.All my girls! Please check out this book! You will not be disappointed!

[jac8604_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This young adult novel is one of my all-time favorites. It's funny, sweet and meaningful. Cat is an amazing heroine and her journey can be enjoyed by anyone.

[lisagibson_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book a lot. Cat is smart and realizes by the end that the changes she has made were for herself. I think that’s a valuable lesson for teen girls. All too often this is where the framework is laid for women to become pleasers, side-lining our own desires and needs. She re-discovers some of her interests that she had given up long ago. Her parents were involved, present and had a healthy outlook. (It seems as soon I started to remark on the lack of presence of parents in YA books, I bombarded with books of parents very involved. Lol) She approaches her diet changes in a healthy manner also. She consults a dietician and monitors all aspects of her experiment. The only thing that frustrated me at times were Cat’s ability to hold a grudge. I’m not the grudge bearing type of person, so I was shocked by her tenacity in that manner. Her devotion to her family and friends was exemplary. The cover was unique and beautiful (you had to know I’d love that purple). I would say this is a read for 15 and up.

[wsquared_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Overachieving high schooler Cat is determined to ace her science project and beat her ex-best friend Matt McKinney at the science fair. Since the competition is so intense, Cat knows she has to do something drastic -- she will use herself as a test subject. She has always struggled with her weight, so decides to essentially live like a caveman by eating unprocessed foods and walking everywhere. What starts as an experiment changes Cat in unexpected ways and may just change her long-strained relationship with Matt.Cat's transformation is inspiring, especially since it comes from a healthy relationship with food. The ending is fairly predictable, but the journey is fun and full of characters that you can't help but love.

[larsthelibrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had a lot of problems with this book, and I would have easily overlooked them if I had otherwise been enchanted. I wasn't. I enjoyed reading it while I was reading it, but I would not recommend it to people.I appreciated that no actual numbers are used, as they really can be triggering, and I certainly don't want to read about someone overweight and then find out that they supposedly weigh a good twenty pounds less than me. I grew angry with the best friend character (bfc), when Cat says she does not want to date right now, the bfc yells at her, tells her she will die alone as a dried up old hag, and kind of tricks her into meeting the blind date guy anyway.The plot is pretty predictable, and I guess I don't mind that, since what I really mind is the depiction of overweight people as unhappy slobs who got fat by eating three candy bars in a sitting and then Doritos for dinner. Cat makes a giant discovery that eating no/less meat, whole grains, and lots of veggies while also walking everywhere instead of driving will make you lose weight. ALERT THE MEDIA. While this is all true stuff, many of the overweight kids who would be drawn to this book are the ones who have tried to lose weight before and are frustrated, I don't think there is anything about this book that would have interested me if it weren't for my lifelong struggles with weight. So, the ease with which the fat "melts" off her body somewhat alienates the audience, I think. She suffers from cravings and caffeine withdrawal, but never backslides or "falls off the wagon".

[dasuzuki · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Cat is smart and funny but she struggles with her weight. For a science project she decides to do an experiment with herself as the subject. She decides she is going to eat as close to the diet as the early hominids did as she can and see the effect it has on her health and body. She is also hoping this experiment will be enough to beat her rival, Matt McKinney, who was once her best friend and long time crush, in the annual science fair competition.Despite being somewhat predictable I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read that I finished in one day. Once Cat dropped junk food from her diet, started walking everywhere and disconnecting herself from technology as much as possible the pounds started melting off. She soon finds herself the attention of several guys including Matt. Watching her various dates with a wide range of guys was funny and listening to Cat’s thoughts throughout this process was intriguing. There was also a cute side story regarding Cat’s younger brother and his own self-esteem. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

[lilibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For her science research project, Cat decides to live as a hominum did, reverting to as natural a diet and way of life as possible. Within a few months, the nickname Fat Cat no longer fits her, and her relationships and self image begin to change.

[stephxsu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cat has the best plan for her science class research and experimentation project. It’s practically guaranteed that she’ll beat Matt McKinney, her intellectual rival and ex-best friend who betrayed her in middle school on account of her weight. Using herself as a test subject, Cat plans to return to the days of the early Homo erectus and live a similar lifestyle: no processed foods, no modern utilities, no transportation except on foot.Her plan needs a bit of tweaking, but the thing that really needs to change is Cat’s attitude towards herself. She’s doing this for the grade and to beat Matt…or does she also want to not be fat anymore? And as more and more mediocre guys begin to pay attention to her, will Cat realize that the lack of spark may not be because she’s not interested in love…but rather that her heart was stolen already years before?Brilliance like this unfortunately still rarely exists in YA lit, and it’s a real shame, because YA lit needs more authors like Robin Brande. FAT CAT is funny, wise, super-intelligent, and heart-stoppingly romantic. It’s the kind of book that makes you smile weeks after reading it as you remember why you still enjoy and read YA contemporary realistic fiction.Readers of all shapes and sizes (body and brain) will be able to connect with Cat. Hers is the voice of a levelheaded, smart, yet insecure teenager. Brande does not dumb down her fictional teenagers, with the surprising yet joyful result that they will end up appealing to everyone. How often do we get to read about smart girls who are good at and into math and science? Not often enough; my inner physicist is jumping with happiness even as I write this and reflect on FAT CAT.Cat—and thus, us readers—learns an important lesson without sounding aggressively moralistic. The theme of FAT CAT is a powerful one, hinting at the harmful effects of our modern-day materialistic, processed consumerist culture. Cat’s development from bitter girl with a low body image to a happier, healthier, more energetic, and more creative young woman may just about turn smart readers off of junk food. I honestly laid off the Oreos for several weeks after reading this book, so unappealing the thought of sweets were to me. Rarely does a book have so strong a hold on me in the rest of my life!The first half of the story focuses on Cat’s science project, while the second half discusses more her relationships with other people. The change of scope is a little bizarre and disconcerting, most likely because the science part is so wonderful to read, but I appreciated the character development of this book. The main “cast” of characters is great, particularly Cat’s best friend, as well as Cat’s romance.FAT CAT is a story you catch yourself thinking about randomly even weeks after reading it. It’s also the book you’ll want to talk about to your friends, your mother, your teacher, that random middle-aged lady sitting next to you at the bus stop….It’s the book that you’ll hold up and say, “See? This is what quality YA literature is like. Now excuse me while I reread it; you may get your own copy elsewhere, if you’d like.”

[thebookcellar · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a great book, I read straight through in 2.5 hours. I couldn't put it down. Brande's writing really took you into Cat's world, and kept you there. I haven't read any of Robin Brande's other books, but I thought this was a great book with a unique idea. So many chick-lit books are the same thing over and over, but this had an interesting new twist on it. The main character, Cat goes through a very interesting experiment for her science class. With this experiment she puts on herself, she finds some very drastic changes, mostly postitive but some negative. In Fat Cat, Cat really analyzes herself and is a great example of what would be great if so many girls could do. So much negative image is placed on girls that aren't the perfect size and shape. I really liked the message Brande was sending through her book. The character were written to seem very realistic and all had depth beyond the writing. Cat for example had the thoughts the average teenager would have, and nothing went perfect for her. She had her moments of doubt and such. Cat's best friend was the one who was always there for her and just brought so much more to the story through her compassion and kindness. I must say, just by reading the back of the book, this probably wouldn't have been a book I would've picked up. But after reading it, it was just great. It was different than the usual books I read, and I discovered a great new book. :)

[girlwiththebraids · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At the tender age of 8, Catherine Locke realizes that she is overweight. But her best friend, Matt, has always been there for her. When seventh grade arrives and Cat overhears a conversation between Matt and a different classmate, she’s changed forever. How could she be friends with someone who thinks of her that way? Four years later, Catherine is still trying to get over Matt. She has a different best friend now! Cat doesn’t need Matt anymore. Being a Science ‘geek‘, Catherine decides that her Science experiment will be life-changing. Maybe she can lose a few pounds along the way. After losing a drastic amount of weight, all she needs is a boyfriend. But what if the person she is in love is the one she has been avoiding for four years?Fat Cat is another weight loss book, the theme that is a little over used nowadays. It’s hard for a book like that to seem unique, but with the eye-catching cover and the writing of perfection, I have a feeling this one will make it far in the Reader’s World. Catherine is a likable main character (something every book needs) and the challenges she faces aren’t all due to being overweight, which I find is a nice twist. To make it more interesting, Cat’s logic is completely the opposite of mine so whatever she does or says is surprising for me. I think the author could have done a better job with adding Cat’s relationship with her younger brother into the chapters she’s with her friends and such but, overall, I enjoyed this book. I am sure others will too!Publication date: October 13th, 2009Contains:*sensuality*inappropriate touching (which is portrayed as wrong)*some crude humor

[rosa.mill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cat is obsessed with hating Matt Mckinney. All she wants is to beat him in the science fair. Then she gets the picture and her science fair project takes on a life of it's own. She's eating the way the hominids did and kicking technology out of her life. As she changes her diet and walks everywhere, the pounds start melting off and the male population takes notice.

I really enjoyed reading this. Cat was incredibly funny and I loved the relationship she had with Amanda, Jordan and her parents. The relationship she developed with her brother was just amazing to watch and reminded me of how my relationships with my sister developed.

I also really appreciated that the book was't preachy about the diet and technology give up. Yes Cat clearly felt this was working very well for her but it didn't feel like it was pushing it b/c it was more about Cat's internal change. I was also happy that the author stressed that even though Matt could be considered the catalyst for the change, really Cat did everything for herself.

I did have to giggle a little bit about what Cat would sometimes consider a "technology worthy emergency". They were very much teenage girl type emergencies. Also Amanda was an amazing friend and everyone should be so lucky to have a friend like that in their life.

[christineellei · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This YA book was wonderful! I have not read enough YA books to generalize but FAT CAT offers the reader a strong teenage female lead which is always a good role model for the age group reached by this book (Unusual back in the day when I was reading YA because I was a YA.) Cat is a bright high school junior trying to win a science fair. The topic was randomly assigned by picking a picture from a group the teacher provided. Cat was hoping for insects but instead ended up researching Hominids (female cave dwellers). To personalize the project she decides to live as much like a Hominid as possible in the 21st century. During the 7 months it takes to complete the project Cat not only transforms herself, but learns some important life lessons along the way. Cat and her best friend Amanda are smart, creative, talented, and just sassy enough to make them believable teenagers. This book does deal with some issues like being overweight, friendships and dating/family/sibling relationships but does so in a positive way. For myself as a reader, the only negative was that the book “preached” a little with regards to the benefits of a vegetarian diet. There is nothing wrong with that per se, but seeing the target reading audience is impressionable young people (girls) who may be battling weight issues of their own (be they real or perceived) … I felt the message just a little too strong.

[abbylibrarian_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Cat has to choose a science project for school, she embarks on an incredible mission - to give up technology and live (as closely as she can) like the early hominids. That means no soda, no processed food (including sugar), no TV, no cell phones (or any phones, for that matter)... Cat aims to win the annual science fair and rub it in the face of her arch-nemesis (and ex-best friend) Matt McKinley, but she's also hoping to see some changes in herself. As Cat loses weight, she gains self-confidence. I liked the story, but I felt like there was too much going on. The novel would have been better with a little more focus. That said, it's an original concept that's sure to inspire some teens to examine their own diets and possibly try to eat healthier. It does this, for the most part, without getting too preachy.

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.I’m grateful that Rose recommended Fat Cat by Robin Brande, because I’m not sure if I would have ever gotten around to it otherwise. Somehow it had been almost entirely off of my radar, which is a shame because this book is pretty damn awesome. It’s one of those books very driven by narrative voice, and I happen to love Cat’s voice. Brande tackles some sensitive issues, like weight and diet, thoughtfully and with an eye towards making healthy choices, not to conforming to society.Fat Cat is one of those books where the fat heroine does lose a lot of the weight by the end, so if that’s not what you want be warned. However, I do think it happens in a really great way. Cat doesn’t lose the weight through a crash diet or anything and she does so for herself with lifestyle changes. I love that at the end it’s stressed that Cat lost the weight for herself and not so that people will think of her differently. She also really considers the behavior of people towards her, and looks askance at those that only liked her after she lost the weight. Brande definitely does not come across as fat-shaming Cat, which I think is the most important thing.Cat’s got a really great voice. She’s funny and a little judgmental. She’s also inquisitive and set in her ways. She has a lot of trouble looking past her own viewpoint, which is completely accurate. Fat Cat is Cat’s emotional journey to self-awareness and self-acceptance. One of the things she learns, that I also learned and continue to learn even at 26, is that a lot of beauty lies in confidence. If you feel ugly and uncomfortable, you project that and people are more likely to perceive you that way. Looking back at my high school photos, all of my smiles look pained, because, though I’d gotten cuter than in middle school, I still felt ugly and unwanted; in my middle school photos, I mostly just glowered. If you hate yourself, it shows and makes other people more tempted to do the same. That’s hackneyed, but it also happens to be true. Brande really stresses the fact that it’s your opinion of yourself that matters more than any other.In addition to Cat, I love Amanda, and their friendship. She and Amanda are very different people in a lot of ways, but they have one of the best YA friendships. Amanda and Cat support each other, even if it’s sometimes inconvenient. Cat agrees to give dating a try because Amanda thinks it might be good for her. She also agrees to help Amanda keep a restaurant going. In turn, Amanda’s fully supportive of Cat’s project to live like a hominin, despite believing the project to be overambitious. What’s great is that they don’t always agree but they do help out as much as they can; they express dissenting opinions but agree on a course of action together and have each other’s back all through the process.The romance was really well done too, with Cat getting to date a couple of different guys before hooking up with the ship, who I totally called by the way and, yes, I ship it. I love the YA novels where the heroine doesn’t HEA with the first guy she ever dates. Even better, Cat very clearly has difficult handling emotions and figuring out whether she’s interested in a particular guy. Then there’s the divide between emotional and physical attraction; I loved the way she was carried away by lust with Nick, despite herself. Such things do not happen enough in YA novels.The one aspect I didn’t super love was the science fair thing. First of all, this school sounded ridiculous to me, because it’s public but has all of these classes I don’t think most public schools offer, like this advanced science course all geared towards the science fair or sign language. There were a few more, but they escape me at the moment. Anyway, the science fair projects that both she and Matt do don’t really seem particularly original, which would be fine if Cat didn’t make them out to be the best teen scientists to ever happen. The ending helped with this a bit, but I got bored of this aspect really quickly.Fat Cat made me laugh and smile many times. It’s a fluffy, heart-warming book full of humor and great attitudes. This is a book that I think needs a whole lot more buzz. I’ll definitely be looking for more Robin Brande, because this was fabulous.