Okay, well if you read reviews on Amazon or whatever for this book then lots of people hate it, but last of people love it too.
So, let's begin with the plot. For this story there are many plots going on at once.
First there is the one of a pregnant calico cat who was loved, then abandoned on the side of the road. The nameless cat hears the baying of a hound, "Won't somebody throw this old dog a bone?" and understands that the dog is looking for a friend. She finds him underneath an old beaten house. There she has two kittens, Puck and Sabine, and the four become as close as family. Ranger's owner whom the animals call Gar Face because of his resemblance to the hideous gar fishes, has abused and neglected Ranger tied to a chain. The kittens must not be seen by Gar Face, so they have to "stay in the underneath." Kittens are curious by nature and Pick finds the opportunity to explore the sunny world. Of course, disobeying the rule comes with awful consequences. Puck and his mother are taken to the river and Gar Face tries to drown them. The calico cat makes Puck promise that he has to go back to Sabine and Ranger, and break Ranger's chain.
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| Here's a gar fish. Ugly little thing, isn't he? |
There's another animal in the bayou. Her story takes place 1,000 years before the other's. Grandmother Moccasin is a giant snake, and a shape shifter. She was once a human, in love with a man who abandoned her. She turned back into a snake, and once a creature comes back to their original form, the change is permanent. Grandmother's daughter meets another shape shifter, Hawk Man, and she leaves Grandmother as a human to run of with Hawk Man, and they fall in love and have a daughter. Grandmother is angry and after a few years she convinces Night Song, her daughter, to turn back into a snake and be with her. Night Song doesn't know that it will be permanent, and she slips into her scaly skin.
Gar Face discovers a giant alligator, over 100 feet long, and he wants to skin it so he can brag to the guys at the bar. Poor old Ranger is used as alligator bait. Grandmother Moccasin is also hungry, and she sees some little kittens to eat. She is jealous of their intense love for their family, as everyone she's loved has only caused her pain. But these animals love is so strong and beautiful. Grandmother can't decide what to do!
Bear with me as I try to put my feelings into words.
The whole book is written so beautifully it literally took my breath away. LITERALLY! I started the book, got 10 chapters in, and started again because it's just beautiful! I had to read it slowly and savor every sentence. No book has ever done that to me. EVER! The writing is so deliciously descriptive, and also poetic in a way. The writing is what made this book. If the plot doesn't sound interesting, the writing is just fun/crazy/amazing to read.Besides, I can't describe everything in the way the author did. Simply. Breathtaking. How does an author create this stuff?
The plot is fascinating! Everything feels so real, even Grandmother's magic seemed like it was possible. Each one of the character's is so well developed. Grandmother Moccasin's story was one that intrigued me, but the one that I found most interesting was Gar Face. Some chapters described his childhood and I seriously felt sick, yet...amazed.
I'm guessing it's obvious that I loved this book. I have my favorite books, but I don't even know how to classify this, you know? It's one of the most amazing things I've ever read. The kind of thing where you put it down and just... Cry. Animal books will do that to me. I'm a softy for those. If you like books like Shiloh, or one of my favorites, Because of Win-Dixie, or any book like that, I highly suggest that. If you don't like those books, I suggest it also, because it is like nothing you will ever read. A+
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