A review by kerveros
Blitzcat by Robert Westall

2.0

So, I actually read this book yesterday but have only just gotten around to writing a review, so my thoughts may not be as fresh as they were.

This is one of those books from my childhood that I swear I put in a pile to give to charity years ago, how it ended up in a bag of books from a friend of my Mum's that she thought my Mum (and I) would like I'm not sure (especially as a number of the books in that bag are historical romance, or period romance or some such!)

Now, re-reading this book I did remember that I wasn't overly impressed with it as a child. It was okay but not really stand out - I'd say the same now re-reading it as an adult. That said, the interactions with the people of war-torn Britain were interesting - especially as I have been reading a lot of memoirs of soldiers from WW2.

The story of the cat itself is sweet, and a nice idea but it is almost too unrealistic to be believable. There are some saccharine moments, some upsetting imagery but never anything really gut-wrenching - I suppose because it is a child's book. Possibly I read it too late in my childhood to appreciate it, I knew of the horrors of war and this was almost too sanitised? That said, there is a scene of soldiers returning traumatised from war which is somewhat harrowing but almost... dealt with far too quickly.

As such I'm not sure who this is recommended for really - certainly not adults or teenagers, and I think most pre-teens would find it dull. It's not a book I'd remember for any future children or recommend to friends with children already.