May 6, 2025 by Roaring Brook Press
E ARC provided by Netgalley
Oliver Bakh and his mother Annie have struggled to find housing after the death of his father, a chef who moved to the US from the country of Georgia to open a restaurant. They have inherited an apartment from Great Aunt Barb, and the mother has taken a job as a custodian as a posh private school so that Oliver can attend. The apartment is a bit quirky, and they have to clean out Barb’s collection of insects and newspaper, and deal with Eliza, an older neighbor who is a social worker and claims to have been good friends with Barb. Whittle Academy is filled with rich kids like Lucas, who looks down on Oliver’s off brand shoes and cobbled together uniform, and even posts unflattering pictures on the Darkwhittle web that go viral. The school is fairly high tech and impressive, and Annie works another job at the school after hours to make ends meet, which means that Oliver often goes home alone (he is ten) and cooks dinner. He does make one friend, Collette, whose wealthy parents are never home, leaving her in the care of her nannyguard, Jimmy. Collette is not allowed to have sugar, and in an effort to get access to homemade goodies, sets up a “playdate” for Oliver to teach her to cook. Oliver has uncovered an odd statue of a cat, and a mail slot, in the apartment, which seem to be magical. Pushing a note into the slot out of frustration, he finds that he gets back typed, mint scented replies that tell him to do things like buy a pack of gum, chew it all, and plug up all of the water fountains but one. This assures that Lucas, the bully, puts his mouth directly on the fountain where a child has recently thrown up, which makes him vomit when he is punched in an arranged fight with Oliver. This elevates Oliver’s social standing, but doesn’t lessen his general frustration with life. He shares the secret with Collette, and the wishes escalate from simple things like new shoes to a katana for Collette, and eventually an invisible airplane. At the same time, neighbor Eliza threatens him with a Child Protective Service visit unless he and his mother give the apartment to her. What Oliver really wants is his father and the way life used to be. Can the magical cat deliver and save the day?
Strengths: I’d love to see more illustrated middle grade novels, and Brosgol’s artistic talents are well used here. The apartment is certainly eclectic, and seeing the cat in its home helps the reader to believe that it could be magical. Eliza’s portrait is also very telling; it’s easy to believe that she’s capable of threatening Oliver. Oliver and his mother are doing the best they can to survive after life changing events, and Oliver’s attempts to do everything by himself and not bother his mother are realistic. Collette is an amusing sidekick, along with Jimmy. This starts out as a slightly magical book but quickly elevates the fantasy elements while also showing some satisfying character development for Oliver.
Weaknesses: This had a bit of a 1960s, over-the-top Roald Dahl-esque fantasy feel to it that surprised me a little. I think it is very hard to write a villain in 2025; Eliza blackmailing Oliver by using her position as a social worker was troubling.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked Thayer’s The Talent Thief, Snyder’s Bigger than a Breadbox or Whitesides’ Magic Most Wanted, or are fans of Brosgol’s graphic novels.
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