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A review by dreizehn
The Turning: What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis
3.0
I’ll admit, I picked this book up because of the cover. It’s pretty, colorful, she has a cat eye… Once I confirmed my suspicions that What Curiosity Kills was a story about a girl turning into a cat, I knew I had to read it. After finishing the novel, I must say that it reminds me a lot of the show (I’ve never read the novels) The Nine Lives of Chloe King, except the protagonist literally turns into a cat, not a person with cat features. What Curiosity Kills had some definite strengths. While the casual narrative style Ellis adopts may turn off some readers, I found the witty dialogue and thoughts refreshing and very funny. Mary’s internal narration, the banter between her and her sister and the other characters, and the things that happen to Mary as she slowly turns into a cat had me smiling constantly as the pages flew by.
Sure, the novel has flaws. It’s short, a little absurd at times, possibly offensive to some in parts, some of the characters lack depth, the mythology is not thoroughly explained, and Mary and Nick’s relationship kind of comes out of left field. However, it’s a fast, fun read — especially for cat lovers like me. I hope Ellis does plan to release the sequel, because I look forward to spending more time with these wacky characters and seeing what happens next.
Sure, the novel has flaws. It’s short, a little absurd at times, possibly offensive to some in parts, some of the characters lack depth, the mythology is not thoroughly explained, and Mary and Nick’s relationship kind of comes out of left field. However, it’s a fast, fun read — especially for cat lovers like me. I hope Ellis does plan to release the sequel, because I look forward to spending more time with these wacky characters and seeing what happens next.