2 out of 4 stars
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Christmas is quickly approaching, but all is not well in Kensington, London. Solo, the great detective, has traveled to the Himalayas with his trusty assistant, Hobbs, and loyal detective dog, Terrance, to search for their missing friend. But, back in Kensington, their services are needed!
Inca, a Siberian cat who has successfully solved one case, is eager for her next challenge. That challenge is met when Boss, an unfriendly Rottweiler with an unpopular reputation amongst cats, needs her help. He is on the verge of losing everything he has ever known and loved, including his owner. Time is running out! Will Inca be able to solve the case and become the most famous detective-animal in town? Will Solo, Hobbs, and Terrance be successful on their mission in the Himalayas? Will Inca’s first Christmas in London turn out to be a merry one for all? Find out from Inca herself as she shares her diary on her quest to become ‘Detective Cat Par Excellence.’
The Diary of a Snoopy Cat by R. F. Kristi is the fifth book in the Inca Book Series. Even though it’s part of a series, it can easily be enjoyed without having read the previous books. In fact, the author did such a good job introducing the characters and keeping the storyline separate from the other books that I didn’t know this was a series until I finished this book.
Though I liked the book, I didn’t love it. It was pleasant to read, but the story didn’t stick with me. The plot was extremely simple and the turnout of events were obvious. I don’t feel compelled to read the rest of the series, but if one of the other books crossed my path, I would read it.
What I found most distasteful about the story was that there were ongoing comments about the antagonist’s obesity. He was given the code name ‘The Stinky Porkster’ when he was introduced, and he was described as extremely mean and very fat. At first, it appeared to be just to add some humor to the story, but then the characters commented on his weight so much that reading it became rather upsetting. His meanness was secondary to his weight, giving the impression that it’s worse to be overweight than to be mean. The weight jokes became so excessive that I dreaded turning the page.
Overall, I feel like I can only rate this book 2 out of 4 stars. If it wasn’t for the obsession over the character’s weight, I could have given it a better rating.
This could be a good introduction to mystery novels. The book has no chapters and it includes pictures, so it is a nice transitional book for readers preparing for chapter books. The paragraphs are also very short - often only being one sentence (reflecting a personal-diary writing style). However, that means the targeted audience is very narrow.
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Diary of a Snoopy Cat
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