Majestica and Woe: A Housecat's Story of Despair

Tolcser, Sarah. Majestica

July 2, 2024 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Hattie Swift has been raised at the Hotel Majestica by the staff, after her mother died when she was small and her father was killed protecting the owner, Clive Ridgewell, from a dragon attack. She hopes to one day be an actual maid and get to wear the traditional black and white uniform, so helps out around the premises and learns about the magical animals that find safety there from the various groundskeepers and trainers. When Evelyn, the demanding niece of Ridgewell shows up and is going to go on the wilderness tour, Hattie is dragged along as her maid after she sees Evelyn poison her companion just enough to make her too ill to go on the trip! Hattie is somewhat interested in seeing more of Ruava, and also glad to get a uniform, even if it is too big, but Evelyn is NOT happy and lets everyone know. Also on the tour is MR. Foxfire, a reporter who was trying to get information from Hattie about the Caretaker of the Hotel Majestica. The hotel had had some problems in the past, but the Caretaker has kept up the grounds and made sure that the animals are not a danger. No one knows quite what the Caretaker is, where it is located, or how it controls the facilities. There's also Jacob Threadborne, apprentice to the Secretary of the Interior, Wing, and Miss Richardson, a professor. Evelyn overhears two men talking about poaching animals and selling them, which is highly illegal, but no one believes her, especially when she publically rifles through their luggage and does not turn up the weapons she says they have. She and Hattie do manage to identify the men, although Hattie doesn't think that Dowson, the Majestica groundskeeper, would be part of such a plot. This is not the worst part of the trip; when the train stalls over a gorge, everyone is endangered, and Hattie and Evelyn barely survive when it plunges into the river below. Evelyn's uncle is killed, but some travelers survive, including Secretary Wing, who insists that Hattie make her way back to the hotel to get help. Most people want to wait for help to come to them, and the poachers have taken the opportunity to go forward with their evil plans. They have even captured a rare unicorn and want to remove its horn, which can only be done by the light of a full moon. Agatha, a dragon who has been seen in the area, seems to be protecting Hattie, Evelyn, and Jacob, who have banded together. Hattie is worried about this at first, since it was Alfred, Agatha's mate, who was responsible for her father's death and was killed as a result. They manage to find out more information about the Caretaker, and think it might be a magical stone that has ties to the incarceration of Evelyn's mother. Eventually, Agatha offers to transport the children back to the hotel. Things are dangerous there are well. Will the trio be able to find the source of the Caretaker and make the Hotel Majestica a continued source of refuge for magical animals?

Strengths: For ardent fantasy fans, this not only includes a map, but drawings of the magical creatures and a list of the cast of characters. This had an Edwardian era feel to it, with trains and radio, but also ladies' maids, muckraking journalists, and sumptous travel into the wilderness. The cover supports that. There is good world building for the hotel, and it seems reasonable that Hattie would have not only been raised there by the staff, but that she had an emotional attachment to the place that informs her actions in regards to saving it. Evelyn is a very entitled character at first, but does experience some emotional growth as the journey turns perilous. The mystery of the Caretaker is not only well developed, but has a surprising resolution. 
Weaknesses: Hattie's father's name was Tom Swift, which fits with the era, but is obviously unrelated to the long running book series. Young readers will not know this. 
What I really think: This is a great choice for readers who enjoyed books like Gale's The Zoo at the Edge of the World, Beatty's Serafina and the Black Cloak, or George's The Rose Legacy. This would be a big hit with Harry Potter fans who like the Hogwarts Express, or readers who enjoyed the magical creatures in Sutherland's The Menagerie. 

Knisley, Lucy. Woe: A Housecat's Story of Despair
July 2, 2024 by Random House Graphic
E ARC provided by Netgalley 

Linney was Knisley's cat for over ten years, and was amusing and frustrating in turn, as many pets are. Knisley posted cartoons detailing Linney's foibles on Instagram as a way of remembering her, knowing that as her pet aged, there would eventually come a time when she would have to say goodbye. We see Linney be picky about food, shed strategically, monopolize spaces, demand to be petted but then require being left alone, have visits from a dog, and interact with Knisley's small child. Eventually, we see Linney loose weight, have to go on special kidney food (this is never a good sign), and eventually pass away.

This isn't quite a graphic novel; it's got a squarer format (like a social media post) and less dialog, but tells a story just the same. It is beautifully done, like all of Knisley's work, but is also very sad, since Linney's last moments are with the vet. Having just lost my dog, this was definitely heart wrenching.

Middle school and high school libraries with lots of cat fans or fans of Knisley's work will definitely want to purchase this, and I see a lot of copies being sold as as consolation gifts when a beloved pet passes away. I just wish that Knisley was a dog person, but I guess dog people have Matt Nelson's Thoughts of Dog, which has some similarities, although Woe is mainly from Knisley's perspective.