My Review
Cat is another one of those books that just seemed to take me forever to sit down and write a review for. I’m not sure why; it was a really good book, and I enjoyed Cat’s story, much like the others, but for some reason, reviewing these books has just been kind of difficult. I honestly think that it might be because I obviously don’t want to spoil anything for potential readers (you all know how I am about spoilers in my reviews by now), but it’s kind of hard, since so much of the previous stories lead into the next one, and so on.
“How is a garden prepared and cultivated to grow black flowers full of thorns and poison? That was where I had found myself planted.”
Cat is the last story in the miniseries before we get to the final book – she is the girl who sat down patiently and quietly, listening to the other three girls tell their stories first.
In the synopsis for Cat, we learn that out of all the girls’ secrets, Cat’s is going to be the darkest. I will definitely give the book credit for that – Cat’s secret is really, really dark. It was fitting that her secret was so dark, though, because it added a new depth to the entire series. I don’t want to go into everything in too much detail, but it isn’t something that I saw coming!
“When you can lie to yourself, you can hide behind a mask and go out into the world. You don’t feel as naked or as exposed.”
Cat is number four out of the group of girls to tell her story: the other three have already told theirs to each other and to Doctor Marlowe, while Cat was the quiet and observant one. Now, she is beginning her tale.
At first, it begins innocently enough – her parents, especially her mother, are strict, not allowing Cat to wear makeup or any clothing that might be revealing in any way, nor is she permitted to have friends over or do anything social (including dances and dates). Her father, however, is always paying special attention to Cat, going against her mother’s wishes and helping her live like her peers. As time goes on, Cat’s father’s intentions no longer seem quite as innocent, and Cat has a hard time talking about it to the other girls. She does feel safe with them, though, and eventually tells her entire story – even the worst parts imaginable.
“We were doing what Doctor Marlow had intended: we were changing each other as we changed ourselves. Like sisters related not through blood but through adversity and turmoil, we gathers around each other and warmed each other with our mutual pain and fear. Together, we would help each other kill the demons.”
Cat’s story was probably my second favorite out of the four – I really love Jade’s, but this one was good, too. It was incredibly dark, though, and I didn’t really realize that it was going to go the route that it did before I started the book. Sure, it made for an interesting story, and because of how deep it went I felt like I was really able to get to know Cat better, to hear her problems and really feel for her. She was a very interesting character, very complex and well written.
Cat’s story was a great addition to the others, and I felt the tension building throughout the entire book until we got to the revelation of what was happening in Cat’s life. Secrets (oh the secrets!) were unveiled, and it was such a drama filled novel that I couldn’t put this down. I finished it in one sitting and was completely shocked by that ending.
Have you followed my reviews of the rest of the Wildflowers series? If not, check out my reviews for Misty, Star, and Jade!
