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A review by haletostilinski1
Catch a Tiger by the Tail by Charlie Cochet
4.0
So I thought the last one would be the filler book, but then it wasn't. But this? This was basically filler, except for the end that makes you go
And for the most part I kinda loved that about this book. There wasn't complete danger and craziness at every turn, there were relaxing moments where we got to see our faves just be and see them having fun and reading some funny moments - this series always manages to make me laugh, and I love that about it.
Plus, Calvin and Ethan were a pretty strong couple. They were about on par with Ash and Cael for me, as in I liked them a lot, they were enjoyable and sweet (and also pretty hot) but they still aren't like Dex and Sloane for me, they still didn't grab at me like they do. And I found myself relishing more in the few Dex/Sloane tidbits we got more than I was relishing in Calvin and Ethan. Not to say I didn't enjoy them together, but I didn't love them together, is all I'm saying.
And I tagged this as both happy ending and a cliffhanger because Calvin and Ethan get their happy ending, they get together and are pretty damn solid, but what happens in the end is setting up the next book, which goes back to Dex and Sloane (i'm so freaking excited, I've mostly just wanted to get back to these two, even as I have been enjoying the break from them as well with two lovely couples).
It also starts the set up of book 9, which I did see is Seb and Hudson's book, as big stuff happens with them in this even though they aren't the main focus.
So, if I enjoyed this as much as Ash and Cael's story, then why am I not also giving it 4.5 stars? Well, because of the discourse that happens in this book that made me slightly uncomfortable.
Because even though this is dealing with humans and therians, what happens with Calvin is obviously an allusion to racism in America and racial prejudices POC face, and suddenly a debate on police violence was happening through the events of a paranormal novel. Because Calvin kills a (hispanic) man who has hostages, killed someone, and was about to kill someone else when he killed him, but the man's wife isn't given all the facts, and the media manipulates the story so that people are outraged with Calvin and the THIRDS in general (the wife even refers to Calvin as a "THIRDS pig" which is so blatant I was like woahhh okay) and there is a protest. This is so similar to what has been happening today, but only in a paranormal lens. I think the book tries to be sympathetic to both, but it kind of feels a little like...well, because we're dealing with the Destructive Delta team, it has to be sympathetic towards them, and it came out looking like the wife and the protesters were in the wrong, because they didn't know the facts.
Which, the outcome with what happens is a lot better then what happens in real life, and of course our heroes end up being way better than any real cop in these situations ever turns out to be, but I was a little like...okay, this is pretty blatant commentary about real world issues and it makes real life cops who murder unarmed black people look a little more sympathetic, even if it doesn't mean to be because the situation with Calvin is completely different to real life situations, and it was warranted, but it still...made me a little uncomfortable, especially with how the family of the man was portrayed. idk idk, it just bothered me overall. Because in a story that is mostly filler and getting Calvin and Ethan together, I don't know if that sudden discourse in the middle was needed, ya know?
And the story does not outright say "you should side with cops because they're needed" buttt at times it kinda felt like it to me. The situation in this book is not the exact same as in real life, but the discourse that happened because of it felt a lot like debates happening in real life and I just...didn't think it needed to be in here. And who the fuck knows, maybe the author didn't intend for it to come off that way and wasn't thinking of todays political climate, but that's how it came off to me, anyhow.
Anyway, enough of that, it wasn't detrimental to my overall enjoyment of the book, and I think it should be read if nothing else for the funny moments and the sweet moments - there's this one super sweet moment between Calvin and Ethan that just made me go "awww." Also, super hot sex ;)
And for the most part I kinda loved that about this book. There wasn't complete danger and craziness at every turn, there were relaxing moments where we got to see our faves just be and see them having fun and reading some funny moments - this series always manages to make me laugh, and I love that about it.
Plus, Calvin and Ethan were a pretty strong couple. They were about on par with Ash and Cael for me, as in I liked them a lot, they were enjoyable and sweet (and also pretty hot) but they still aren't like Dex and Sloane for me, they still didn't grab at me like they do. And I found myself relishing more in the few Dex/Sloane tidbits we got more than I was relishing in Calvin and Ethan. Not to say I didn't enjoy them together, but I didn't love them together, is all I'm saying.
And I tagged this as both happy ending and a cliffhanger because Calvin and Ethan get their happy ending, they get together and are pretty damn solid, but what happens in the end is setting up the next book, which goes back to Dex and Sloane (i'm so freaking excited, I've mostly just wanted to get back to these two, even as I have been enjoying the break from them as well with two lovely couples).
It also starts the set up of book 9, which I did see is Seb and Hudson's book, as big stuff happens with them in this even though they aren't the main focus.
So, if I enjoyed this as much as Ash and Cael's story, then why am I not also giving it 4.5 stars? Well, because of the discourse that happens in this book that made me slightly uncomfortable.
Because even though this is dealing with humans and therians, what happens with Calvin is obviously an allusion to racism in America and racial prejudices POC face, and suddenly a debate on police violence was happening through the events of a paranormal novel. Because Calvin kills a (hispanic) man who has hostages, killed someone, and was about to kill someone else when he killed him, but the man's wife isn't given all the facts, and the media manipulates the story so that people are outraged with Calvin and the THIRDS in general (the wife even refers to Calvin as a "THIRDS pig" which is so blatant I was like woahhh okay) and there is a protest. This is so similar to what has been happening today, but only in a paranormal lens. I think the book tries to be sympathetic to both, but it kind of feels a little like...well, because we're dealing with the Destructive Delta team, it has to be sympathetic towards them, and it came out looking like the wife and the protesters were in the wrong, because they didn't know the facts.
Which, the outcome with what happens is a lot better then what happens in real life, and of course our heroes end up being way better than any real cop in these situations ever turns out to be, but I was a little like...okay, this is pretty blatant commentary about real world issues and it makes real life cops who murder unarmed black people look a little more sympathetic, even if it doesn't mean to be because the situation with Calvin is completely different to real life situations, and it was warranted, but it still...made me a little uncomfortable, especially with how the family of the man was portrayed. idk idk, it just bothered me overall. Because in a story that is mostly filler and getting Calvin and Ethan together, I don't know if that sudden discourse in the middle was needed, ya know?
And the story does not outright say "you should side with cops because they're needed" buttt at times it kinda felt like it to me. The situation in this book is not the exact same as in real life, but the discourse that happened because of it felt a lot like debates happening in real life and I just...didn't think it needed to be in here. And who the fuck knows, maybe the author didn't intend for it to come off that way and wasn't thinking of todays political climate, but that's how it came off to me, anyhow.
Anyway, enough of that, it wasn't detrimental to my overall enjoyment of the book, and I think it should be read if nothing else for the funny moments and the sweet moments - there's this one super sweet moment between Calvin and Ethan that just made me go "awww." Also, super hot sex ;)