I received an advance review copy of this from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kensington Books/Lyrical Underground has been re-issuing the horror works of the great pulp writer William Johnstone. I have been re-reading many titles that I am sure that I read back in the 80’s or earlier with varying degrees of enjoyment. Some of Johnstone’s work seems rushed while others touch a nerve and are quite effective. Cat’s Cradle is one of the latter—so much so that I have the sequel on hand to read because I am interested in seeing where this story goes.

Cat’s Cradle is really quite a monster mash. I counted at least 6 monsters (some single, some in groups) in this story. I confess that at the halfway point I was a bit frustrated and thought it was going to be like “Rocking Horse” which was re-released recently and was plagued by a lack of focus and too much going on (and too many “monsters”). However, where “Rocking Horse” just goes off the rails, Cat’s Cradle gels quite nicely into a really exciting story and sets up a sequel quite well.

4 stars. Really enjoyed this one.

Things that are pretty much true in all Johnstone horror stories

1. The government is bad. Politicians are bad. So are cats.
2. Good guys have lots of guns. And they own dogs. And are very attractive to women.
3. The press is pretty much bad, but there are exceptions. Just not very many.
4. Satan and Satanists are everywhere. All bad things are there because of Satan and he makes an appearance or is mentioned in all the Johnstone novels. Satanists are apparently usually politicians or pharmacists.
5. There are also secret government agencies that are at least as bad as Satanists.
6. If you look at Satan you die or go mad. However, if he calls you on the phone, you only sort of freak out and it is only temporary. And this surprises no one in the story. Obviously this story is pre caller id….
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A hilariously haphazard horror romp, with lots of blood and guts, hideously transformed people, killer housecats, demons, secret government organizations, and even a Russian spy or two. Also, I think Johnstone really hates cats. I wasn't disappointed that I read it, but I wasn't enthused about more of the same.

The good: It's decently creepy, and definitely gory. Nothing like a little girl and her cat, cannibalizing people. It's reasonably well-written, and has a distinctive style.

The not-so-good: Too much crammed into one book - very over-the-top. Mostly non-likeable characters, many of which were overexplained or preached about. And there's always that one badass Catholic Priest who saves the day. Always.

Other things: I suppose the Devil is scary to Christians. Maybe not so much to anyone else. ( )

A hilariously haphazard horror romp, with lots of blood and guts, hideously transformed people, killer housecats, demons, secret government organizations, and even a Russian spy or two. Also, I think Johnstone really hates cats. I wasn't disappointed that I read it, but I wasn't enthused about more of the same.

The good: It's decently creepy, and definitely gory. Nothing like a little girl and her cat, cannibalizing people. It's reasonably well-written, and has a distinctive style.

The not-so-good: Too much crammed into one book - very over-the-top. Mostly non-likeable characters, many of which were overexplained or preached about. And there's always that one badass Catholic Priest who saves the day. Always.

Other things: I suppose the Devil is scary to Christians. Maybe not so much to anyone else. ( )

2.5 stars

This B-style horror novel, which spawned a sequel I own and plan to read soon, was read years ago when I was a teen. Having forgotten the plot completely but recognizing the cover instantly when passing it by in a used bookstore, I'm sad to say it hasn't aged well. The plot is a cheesy dish, serving up atrocious dialogue at times, too many characters to keep track of, bizarre government goals against the Russians, and of course a strange war with Satan.

The back cover blurb doesn't do the plot justice, as they make the girl almost sound like a vampire staying around the towns residents. Instead her and her cat half, Pet, stay hidden once awakened, not just walking around confusing the common townsfolk. The opening of the story is especially bad, focusing on a silly sounding ritual that doesn't add up and seems to be aimed more toward shock effect.

Character wise, Dan as a main man was actually anjoyable, even if when he spoke to his son it became even cornier. I'm not sure why the dialogue I.Q. level dropped at least 10 points during these discussions, but no matter. His straight arrow conviction was almost cardboardish, but it was still a fun accompaniment to a B-story scenario. The villains were hokey and a bit over the top, but also creepy in a way. Gore is not served lightly, with plenty of violence and killing scenes. I wouldn't say anything happened that was too disturbing for the seasoned horror buff, but the book wouldn't please the light of heart.

Pace wise, it's swift, although because of the hustle and bustle in so many directions I sometimes have the urge to skim through several scenes. It's not a book that bores you, yet it doesn't compliment your mind in any way, demanding to be read. Johnstone writes in a talented manner, using mainly short and swift sentences. Some of his phrasing is adequately beautiful, meriting a pause and re-read of the line, while other times it seems forced and out of place. This slight inconsistency wasn't enough to bring the rating down or interrupt the flow, but with all the faults above it's not a book I would highly recommend. It did end with a dramatic bang that did justice to the story, even if the middle could have been tightened to deliver a better product. Still, if you're in the mood for campy fiction without a serious bite, this is the way to go.

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Reviewed April 2004

From Caspian's English class, told in the first person by an unnamed man, chapters are at the most 2 pages long. This makes for quick reading, pushing you farther into the story. This book is required reading for Caspian's 10th grade York class. So of course I had to read it. While reading it - I am reminded of Holden in "Catcher in the Rye" where I was given so much personal information about the main character, but still felt no symphony for him thusly ruining my enjoyment in the book. Vonnegut is a very detailed writer but the chapter "as it happened" was so badly described I had to read it twice to understand that the whole building fell into the ocean. I'm still not clear why. I didn't care for Vonnegut's treatment of the natives of San Lorenzo as stupid, primitive people. The beautiful and shallow Mona is a bad diversion from what could have been a well done character. I also was not happy to be told what the Cat's Cradle so early in the story is, and when used twice near the end it was too close together. I didn't like the characters of the 3 children of Dr. Hoenikker nor the predicable ending of ice-nine and the end of everything. Guess I had lots of problems with this story very interested in what Caspian thinks of it. ( )