Mehitabel Is No Fool - Georgia Zola - ★★★

-
AUTHOR: Georgia Zola
ILLUSTRATOR: Mira Amaya
GENRE: MG Fiction, Animals.
RATING: 3 stars.

In a Nutshell: A nice chapter book for tween-aged beginner readers. Needs more fine-tuning to serve its purpose better.


The story focusses on the titular Mehitabel, a “dainty and dignified” black cat who knows that she is in charge of the Donnely household, where 5th grader Henry resides with his parents. Mehitabel has tried her best to train the humans into following her orders, but humans, unfortunately, can be quite silly and tough to manage. When Mehitabel persuades her friend Thomas—an orange marmalade cat from next door—to get her a pet, Thomas brings her a little mouse, whom Mehitabel christens ‘Rose’. Thus begin the new adventures in the Donnely house, with Henry watching out for his pet Mehitabel, who in turn is watching out for her pet Rose.

The cat’s perspective is the highlight of the book, and provides a lot of humour through the disdainful way in which she talks about humans and dogs, who are, by far, the most horrible creatures in her mind. Cat lovers will have fun reading Mehitabel’s comments on the world around her.

The book starts off well, with Mehitabel’s disparaging remarks working wonderfully to give us an insight into her personality. But more than 3/4th of the book is focussed on Rose the mouse, how the Donnely family discovers Rose and their reaction to the knowledge of their pet’s having a pet, and of course, Mehitabel’s own attempts to keep her pet safe. I was hoping that Mehitabel’s perspective would be more like that of Humphrey in the brilliant Humphrey the hamster series by Betty G. Birney, but her character doesn’t reach that level of development and appeal.

The story is quite basic, and ought to work for beginner readers looking to try out a full-length chapter book. However, a simple story doesn’t indicate simple comprehension as well. There are quite a few difficult words, and also some uncommon alternate spellings (e.g.: ‘galavant’ instead of ‘gallivant’) Moreover, I am not sure how to feel about the cat’s name. While it is a biblical name (for a very minor character), it is too complex for the young age group to remember, or even pronounce.

The book is officially aimed at readers aged 8-12, but I feel it may be too basic for the 10+ age group. Readers aged younger than 8 would have enjoyed the story but the vocabulary in the book might be too difficult for them. Thus targeting the accurate readership for this book is tricky. Because of the premise and writing style, it will work better for younger kids if read under (or read aloud by) a guiding adult.

There are some basic illustrations in the book, but these don’t add on to the story. Rather, they just show us a sketch of some key characters such as Mehitabel, Rose and Thomas. This was disappointing, especially after seeing that stunning cover.

Overall, it is a decent indie work, but needed some more polishing to convert that interesting premise into a more memorable storyline. But it’s quick and cute, which is always an advantage for beginner MG readers.

This is the first book in the planned ‘The Adventures of Mehitabel’ series, so I hope the subsequent books work on making the product better suitable to the right age group, either by simplifying its vocabulary for the younger MG crowd or by adding deeper nuances to the plot to suit the older MG crowd. It can’t do a bit of both and get away with it. More and better quality illustrations would also be welcome.

My thanks to author Georgia Zola, BookBuzz.net, and NetGalley for the DRC of “Mehitabel Is No Fool”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The book is available for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Violent Advents: A Christmas Horror Anthology - Edited by L. Stephenson - ★★★.¼

-
Image
  EDITOR: L. Stephenson GENRE: Christmas Horror Anthology PUBLICATION DATE:  December 12, 2024 RATING: 3.3 stars. In a Nutshell: A short-fiction anthology filled with Christmassy horror. Some really good stories here, though I wish there had been more variety in the “source of the evil.” A good option for those who are fed up of saccharine seasonal stories. This is the time of the year when readers are torn between spooky season and Christmas season. Here's a book that combines both. 😉 This indie anthology contains twenty-six stories by twenty-six writers. There’s no editor’s note, but the title and the tagline make the theme clear – it is a “Christmas horror” anthology. The stories are mostly fast-paced, which works well in this genre. After the first few stories, I wondered why a majority of them were using the Christmas tree as the horror device-of-choice. It occurred frequently enough for me to start eyeing every Christmas tree in the stories suspiciously. Only after...
Read More»

The Little Christmas Library - David M. Barnett - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: David M. Barnett GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 10, 2024 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A character-oriented contemporary fiction with a strong Christmas spirit and a dash of Christmas magic. Excellent characters and a well-connected narrative linking them all. True to contemporary times in every way. Might get a bit too sugary, but works well for the genre. A fabulous and heartwarming option for the festive season. Plot Preview: When Molly McGinley moves from London to her Northern hometown of Merry-le-Moors, she feels like an utter failure. Ten years in the big city, and all she has to show is a broken relationship and no job. Her widower dad Jack is more than happy to have his daughter home, especially as he is still missing his wife who passed away a decade back. Jack now whiles away his time driving the town’s mobile library and he insists that Molly accompany him on his rounds instead of moping alone at home. As the two take the library bus t...
Read More»

Somebody I Used to Know - Wendy Mitchell - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Wendy Mitchell GENRE: Memoir PUBLICATION DATE: June 5, 2018 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: The memoir of a woman who unexpectedly became the face of young-onset Alzheimer’s in the UK. Ghost-written with the help of a journalist, this book covers her diagnosis, reaction, coping strategies, everyday experiences, and her plans for the future.. The writing is filled with pain and frustration as well as hope. Much recommended. Do note that it might be triggering for Alzheimer’s patients and also caregivers. A reading challenge I am participating in needed a book penned by a ghost-writer. I was very clear that I didn’t want to opt for any celebrity memoir, most of which are sanitised fake versions of their lives. Nor did I want to try fictional novels that straddled the line between pseudonymous and ghost-written. ( The Nancy Drew series, for instance. ) Google led me to Wendy Mitchell’s memoir. One look at this book’s blurb, and I knew I finally found the right option for the...
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis...
Read More»

The Night Counsellor - L.K. Pang - ★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: L.K. Pang GENRE: Historical Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: October 17, 2024 RATING: 4 stars In a Nutshell: A historical mystery with a mental asylum as the dominant setting. Intriguing characters, creepy vibes, good handling of the two timelines. A great option for readers who enjoy gritty historical narratives. Plot Preview: 1953. Jane Galloway, in a new role as a counsellor, has just been assigned a new patient at The Beaumont, a mental asylum trying to shed its dark tag but not doing a great job of it. This patient, dubbed Patient A, was found wandering naked and covered in blood on the outskirts of Yorkshire. She doesn’t talk or respond in any way to anyone. The mystery gets even darker when Jane learns that this patient is a murder suspect. The hospital staff is firmly opposed to this new method of using conversations as therapy, but Jane is determined to make a difference. Can she help Patient A before it is too late? Is Patient A really guilty of such a heinous crime? The...
Read More»