"White Cat" by Holly Black

Black, Holly. White Cat. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2011. Print (Reprint edition). 336 pp. ISBN 10: 1416963979

Summary:

Imagine you live in a world where certain people have the genetic ability to do magic. It’s called “curse work” for several reasons. First, because a person with the ability can come up to you and, with a single touch, change what you remember about your life, manipulate your emotions, or even kill you. The second reason it’s called curse work is because the person casting the spell gets a metaphysical “blow back” from working the curse; depending on the type of curse being performed, it can be temporary or permanent. Lastly, it got its name because it’s highly illegal to practice it – anyone caught doing so is “cursed” to spend some time in prison.

This ability runs in families. Now imagine that you are a teenage boy in a family consisting of generations of powerful curse workers, and you are the only one who doesn’t have any magic at all. This is Cassel’s story, the only non-curse worker in a family so powerful that it ranks highly among the country’s curse worker mafia. Cassel is an outcast, but not only because he can’t do magic. Several years ago, he killed his best friend, Lila, but he doesn’t remember how. His family banishes him to a series of boarding schools where he can be tucked away out of sight with “normal” students. Except now Cassel is sleepwalking and plagued by nightmares about a white cat stalking him. When he wakes up, he finds himself teetering on the edge of a precipice.

Cassel’s family starts acting strangely, keeping secrets and only telling him half-truths. He begins to suspect his brothers of something sinister, but he can’t quite put his finger on it. He knows they are members of the curse workers mafia, and suspects that they are using him somehow to pull off an elaborate con. But what good would a non-magical brother do them in this game? How does he fit in? And why is he being plagued by visions of a white cat?

Review:

I have long been a fan of Holly Black’s work, having read The Spiderwick Chronicles, Tithe, Ironside, and Valiant. When I saw her name on the list for this group of books, I immediately knew that was the one I wanted to read. In the past I have found her books engaging, clever and often with unexpected twists and turns. This book did not disappoint!

White Cat is, at its heart, a mystery. However, it is a mystery that incorporates fantasy and spy thriller elements. As I was reading, the movie in my head played out much like the best of film noir. The mythology and history of this alternate world is fully realized and fleshed out without taking away from the immediacy of the main story line. Black also incorporates a coming of age story as Cassel grows up and realizes he can no longer cling to his childhood as a blind defense against becoming a responsible adult.

From start to finish, I could not put this book down. I read it in less than three hours, then immediately got on Amazon.com to order the next two books in the Curse Workers series. The book is witty, intelligent and leaves the reader wondering at times who is on who’s side. The only complaint I have about the book is that one of the key mysteries in the book was fairly obvious to me fairly early on in the book; however, other mysteries related to it were well concealed and left me guessing up to nearly the last page. It could be that Black wanted readers to figure out that first mystery early so that they could wonder just “how” that mystery came to be. Overall, this book will be a pleasure for anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre.

Awards:

 While this particular book has not (yet) won any awards, Holly Black has been the recipient of several awards and honors for her writing. Awards won for each book are listed below:

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale

ALA Top Ten Book for Teens

Valiant

ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Locus Magazine Recommended Read
Andre Norton Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

Ironside (sequel to Tithe)

New York Times bestseller

Teaching Extensions:

Before having students read the book, show them the book trailer at http://videos.simonandschuster.com/The-Curse-Workers/1431765717001. Have the students predict what they think the book will have in store for them. Explore the rest of the Holly Black page on Simon and Schuster’s website to get an idea of her body of work. http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Holly-Black/17038352.

After students have finished the book, have them reflect on their earlier predictions. What surprised them most? Was the book at all what they expected?

The world Holly Black has created for this series is very rich and diverse. As part of their follow up and reflection on this book, schedule time in the school’s computer lab to explore one of several websites devoted to this world.

The official Curse Workers website is http://thecurseworkers.com/author.php. Here, one can read more about Holly Black, read excerpts from the sequels to White Cat, even copy and paste promotional banners for the books for one to use on his/her own blogs or websites.

Holly Black’s official website is http://blackholly.com/. Here students can read more about her other works, upcoming events, author appearances and read her livejournal (blog). Black has included an extensive list of online resources for writers. This would be a good list for any teacher to bookmark for future use!