7.25.2011 | Monday

The Tribe

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The Tribetitle: The Tribe
author: McCarty Griffin
published: 1 May 2011
publisher: self-published
genre(s): contemporary
pages: 154
source: author
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | BookHype | Goodreads

rating: four-stars

the blurb

The tribe has been alone on the farm for many seasons, struggling to survive by their wits and will, unaided by the humans who abandoned them there years ago. Few members of the tribe outside of Tia, the eldest, and her fiercely loyal companion Bella, remember a time when two-legs--the cats' name for humans--lived in the farmhouse. Suddenly, the tribe's territory is invaded by a young two-legs couple, and the frightened cats ask themselves why have two-legs come to live there after so many seasons and what will happen to the tribe at the hands of these often cruel creatures?


my review

The Tribe was unlike anything I have read and was a fun read.  When the story opened and I realized that the initial conversation was taking place between cats, I was intrigued.  Well over half of the story is told from the point of view of the cats.  Abandoned years ago on a rural farm, the tribe of cats has survived by their wits, with no “two-legs” help.  Over the years, the tribe has grown out of control and few of the cats remember “two-legs” as being anything but cruel.  So when a young couple moves into the farmhouse, the entire tribe is scared and confused.  Tia, as the oldest cat, is the tribe’s elder and, with her best friend Bella, rules the tribe.  But even Tia is out of her league when it comes to the humans, so she turns to Daca, a formerly domesticated house cat, for help.

Being an owner of two very particular cats, I really liked this book.  It was eye-opening in spots, to think of what my cats must think of the things I do or say.  The banter between the cats was often light and funny, but there were definately some poignant moments as well.  The author created an entire society within this tribe of cats.  It was different, being emotionally involved with the cats, but as you followed their story as they learned about their new “two-legs” and began to trust them, you truly did become invested in them.

The Tribe is a VERY different book, but I really enjoyed it.  This is definitely a book for anyone who loves cats!

About McCarty Griffin

McCarty Griffin lives in the Pacific Northwest, at the foot of the Cascades, with her husband, two children and several nonhuman family members. She is a transplanted hillbilly, born in Texas, but raised in the hollows and hills of West Virginia, where most of her works are set. She does not limit her creative efforts to any particular genre, although she does have a special love for horror, which she traces back to a childhood of Saturday nights eating Chef Boyardee pizza and watching Chiller Theatre with her mother. Before beginning her second life with her current husband, and settling in to raise her daughter and son, she served in the United States Army, went home to earn her undergraduate and law degrees, and then practiced criminal defense law for more than ten years. After half a lifetime spent doing everything but what she truly wanted to do, she finally just sat down and started writing, and she hasn’t stopped since.

::spread the love::

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