Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Running Press
Pages
143
Description
Cathy, an aspiring artist who is still getting over her father's death, becomes embroiled in a mystery after discovering that her ex-boyfriend--who appears only a few years older than herself--is actually more than two hundred years old.
Description
The publishing phenomenon Cathy's Book redefined the way teens approach novels and set a new standard for interactivity, using the most popular kids' technology to enhance the experience of reading a really good story. As a new chapter is about to unfold with the publication of the sequel, Cathy's Key later this spring, the original novel is available in trade paperback. All of the supplementary items from the “evidence pack” are reproduced on pages in the back of the book, making this edition more accessible and portable. All of the original websites, phone numbers, and secret codes are still operational. Part romance, part thriller, part mystery, Cathy's Book stands on its own beyond the interactive angle and the intense marketing campaign that made it a bestseller. Readers identify with Cathy, they read her story, listen to her phone messages, check out the websites she mentions, and they leave her messages on her MySpace.com page and on a special voicemail. Fans have even created their own videos on YouTube, demonstrating their comfort and familiarity with this level of interactivity and technology. Reviewers and awards committees have also recognized the unique phenomenon that reset the bar for engaging teen novels. Don't miss this opportunity to get caught up in Cathy's world all over again! Included in the paperback edition only is a special, teaser chapter from the sequel (which pubs two months later), to whet the appetite of the thousands of readers who have gotten caught up in the web of Cathy's story!
Series
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2006
Physical description
143 p.; 9 inches
ISBN
9780762433469
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User reviews
LibraryThing member librarymeg
This book is unusual, to say the least. It's composed of journal entries, IM sessions, drawings, photographs, and clippings, all of which relate to the mystery facing Cathy Vickers, our main character. Cathy is an independent spirit, an artist, and sometimes a meddler. She gets herself into more
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than her share of scrapes through her excessive curiosity, but without it we'd have a very dull story! The uniqueness of the book, with its doodles and IM-speak, is its real strength, and should appeal to a lot of teens who don't normally like reading, and with a sequel it could start up a reading habit. Although the style of writing and the plot weren't completely compelling, I still felt this had a lot to offer the right reader. Show Less
LibraryThing member eduscapes
Cathy's Book by Sean Stewart and Jordan Weisman has all the trappings of a typical young adult novel including just enough romantic, intrigue, and rebellious behavior to keep teen readers engaged. When you combine the social technology with the attractive journal format, this otherwise
From Personal Effects: Dark Arts for adults to The 39 Clues series for kids, I've been reading lots of multi-format books lately. This new genre of trans-media storytelling involves a written text along with additional resources. In this case, the book includes a packet of materials along with websites, phone numbers, and other materials that supplement the experience. Although not essential to the story, they add a personal touch that helps immerse readers in the story. The same is true for the doodling throughout the book. It's the first journal-style book I've read the truly feels like a real teenager's sketchbook/journal.
From the beginning, I felt connected to Cathy. She seemed unlike other female characters I've seen in young adult novels. Her thirst for answers, quirky personality, and poorly thought out decisions felt just like a teenager. The use of cell phones and computers offset her love of pens and sketchbooks making her a real-world 21st century character.
From the hard-working mother to the honor student friend, Stewart and Weisman developed well-rounded characters with both depth and breadth. The addition of a small science fiction element turned a traditional teen story into an intriguing mystery.
While many young adult novels have pushed the limit in terms of adult themes, Cathy's Book did a nice job providing enough dabbling with alcohol, romantic love, and light violence to keep teens interested without overdoing it.
I recommend this book and look forward to reading the other books in the series.
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run-of-the-mill story becomes even more compelling. From Personal Effects: Dark Arts for adults to The 39 Clues series for kids, I've been reading lots of multi-format books lately. This new genre of trans-media storytelling involves a written text along with additional resources. In this case, the book includes a packet of materials along with websites, phone numbers, and other materials that supplement the experience. Although not essential to the story, they add a personal touch that helps immerse readers in the story. The same is true for the doodling throughout the book. It's the first journal-style book I've read the truly feels like a real teenager's sketchbook/journal.
From the beginning, I felt connected to Cathy. She seemed unlike other female characters I've seen in young adult novels. Her thirst for answers, quirky personality, and poorly thought out decisions felt just like a teenager. The use of cell phones and computers offset her love of pens and sketchbooks making her a real-world 21st century character.
From the hard-working mother to the honor student friend, Stewart and Weisman developed well-rounded characters with both depth and breadth. The addition of a small science fiction element turned a traditional teen story into an intriguing mystery.
While many young adult novels have pushed the limit in terms of adult themes, Cathy's Book did a nice job providing enough dabbling with alcohol, romantic love, and light violence to keep teens interested without overdoing it.
I recommend this book and look forward to reading the other books in the series.
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LibraryThing member lilwolfmisty
has lots of cool stuff to "find" in the book so you feel as if you are on the adventure with the characters
LibraryThing member EKAnderson
Cathy Vickers has had a tough year. Her dad passed away unexpectedly and her mom is always working weird shifts at the hospital. She's not doing great in school, but she did meet a nice guy, Victor, a Chinese-American man who, okay, might be a little too old for Cathy. But things were fine until
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Victor dumped her, and she woke up with a weird mark on her arm. Since he won't talk to her, Cathy has launched an investigation. Suddenly she's in over her head in the part of Chinatown you don't visit as a tourist. Just in case, Cathy is putting together a book of her her thoughts and some (stolen) evidence. It's for Emma, her best friend, and if Cathy goes missing, she can only hope what she's found can lead to the parties responsible. This is a well-planned novel, complete with interactive web components, phone numbers to call, and evidence to inspect. While at times far-fetched, the characters are sympathetic and intriguing enough to keep the reader hooked through to the twist ending. Definitely a series worth continuing. Show Less
LibraryThing member avhacker
wow you could not guess what this book is about by just picking it up or glancing at ita really good plot and a fast read.
LibraryThing member chibimajo
I was expecting some pretty bad writing for this book, but surprisingly, it was good writing! Cathy was pretty believable as a teen girl (from what I remember from being a teen), she seemed normal enough, and the mystery was pretty good and interesting too, for the first part of the book. Then…
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the ending… well, in my opinion, it was rather lame. It didn’t really fit in with the rest of the book, and I was trying to pretend it didn’t happen. The first half of the book was really good though! Much better than I thought it would be. Show Less
LibraryThing member verbafacio
Cathy'y book is a very enjoyable read, though mostly for its unique interactivity. The book includes an envelope filled with primary source materials that can help the reader figure out what is going on in the story. Unfortunately, the story is overly simple and a little too fantastic for my taste.
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I do really appreciate the book's embrace of multiple technologies -- all phone numbers and web sites provide more depth to the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member Librarygirl66
Things weren't so peachy in Cathy's life before Victor broke up with her. Her father died unexpectedly, she's failing school, and her best friend is mad at her. But now things have suddenly gone from bad to very, very, very, bad. Take Victor, for instance. Sure he looks like he's around Cathy's
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age, or at least young enough not to make her mother freak out, but what if he's older than he appears? Like maybe 200 years older. And what does the death of Victor's co-worker, the strange mark that appeared on Cathy's arm, and the surreal behavior of several Chinese elders have to do with it? Through Cathy's unique and irresistible voice-and lots of proof in the form of letters, photographs, date book entries, telephone numbers readers can call, websites they can access, as well as secrets only a careful reader will be able to decipher-readers will enter a strange and fascinating world where things often aren't how they appea Show Less
LibraryThing member booksandbosox
Very strange little book. Compelling and quick read but not at all what I was expecting. I mean, if it's going to be a little fantastical there should be some sort of indication of that right? Plan on reading the sequel just because the whole idea behind the book was too bizarre to stop after the
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first. I'm kind of at a loss for words. Show Less
LibraryThing member amjansen
A very interesting blend of writing and real-life interaction. The story includes phone numbers and websites for various characters or places/information they discover, and when you call the numbers or visit the sites, there is actually information there. Brings new meaning to the phrase "mixed
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media" and fresh potential to the experience of reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member vampirefreak
Cathy's adventure is a funny but cute adventure. Cathy ends up stalking her boyfriend that drugged her and than dumped her. With her diary, wit and a sharpened pencil, she soon finds out that Victor isn't just some amazing asian american that looks hot without a shirt. :P
I couldn't put this book
I couldn't put this book
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down. It was worth to read Show Less
LibraryThing member ljpage
Here's a book that's impossible to put down! When Cathy's boyfriend breaks up with her, she starts wondering about the last time they were together. She ended up with a mysterious needle mark on her arm, and some time unaccounted for. Can these events be related to Victor's biotech career? The book
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is full of Cathy's notes and drawings. An envelope at the front of the book is filled with documents (clues). Show Less
LibraryThing member LibraryCin
17-year old Cathy's boyfriend Victor has just broken up with her. She tries to find him (there seems to be weird things going on with him), but runs into some trouble along the way.
This was written in a sort of diary form. The other thing with this book is that it is supposed to have an
The book was ok – the story, I mean. It sounded kind of interesting, but I think I wasn't crazy about the writing style or something. It didn't feel like it was actually written by a 17-year old girl – at least I didn't think it did. I did like the “look” of it, though. There were doodles, scribbles, and drawings as if it was an actual diary. It was ok, and there are other books in the series, but I don't think I liked it enough to want to continue.
This was written in a sort of diary form. The other thing with this book is that it is supposed to have an
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“evidence” bag that includes a bunch of extra things in it. I had a library book, and the evidence bag was ripped open and nothing was in it. I wonder if I would have liked the book more if I'd had the entire “experience” of it? I think – from what I've read – the extra stuff is supposed to make the book more interactive. Apparently there are websites to look at and things one can look up, etc. The book was ok – the story, I mean. It sounded kind of interesting, but I think I wasn't crazy about the writing style or something. It didn't feel like it was actually written by a 17-year old girl – at least I didn't think it did. I did like the “look” of it, though. There were doodles, scribbles, and drawings as if it was an actual diary. It was ok, and there are other books in the series, but I don't think I liked it enough to want to continue.
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LibraryThing member ylin.0621
Cathy’s Book was something that took me by surprise. It was a mixture of many things wrapped up into one—there was fantasy, contemporary, sass, snark, humor, and many other things that escape my mind for now.
Right off the bat I noticed how this book focuses on the friendship. Emma and Cathy
Speaking of which. The strongest point of this book has to be the artwork. The reason why it took so long to read was because I ended up staring at the doodles everywhere. So intricate and random! I just love it. Some makes me laugh, others make me amazed, and together I just stare for an endless amount of time. It was also on the front and back cover of the book. In just the right light you can see the other sketches. However there was this one part that I felt threw me off the loop. In the middle of the book there is this section with this actual photograph of Victor and his previous wife. Honestly, I wish they never would have put it there. He did not appear in his early 20s, “cute”, or how Cathy described him. In fact he reminded me of my own father which was beyond creepy.
The relationship between Victor and Cathy leaves a lot to be desired. We do not actually read much of him, just his mere impact on Cathy. We raid through his belongings, his past events with Cathy, but nothing else. So I really cannot say about their relationship, and I expect to explore on that in the later series.
On Victor and Cathy separately only I must say I am not fond of them. Victor flips flops continuously and Cathy is a tad selfish. But again, we’ll see how this will progress in the later series.
There’s just so many things I cannot say! The plot is filled with holes, the details not exact, the characters not fully developed. It’s frustrating as a reviewer that I cannot review this book only.
Overall: Next book in series please. Needs to find out what the heck is going on!
Right off the bat I noticed how this book focuses on the friendship. Emma and Cathy
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have a tight bond that definitely shows throughout the book. Cathy always tells Emma everything, whether it may be the bad, the good, or the don’t-hate-me-because-I’m-stupid phrases. You can also get a few hints from the little doodles and notes on the margins of Cathy’s book. Speaking of which. The strongest point of this book has to be the artwork. The reason why it took so long to read was because I ended up staring at the doodles everywhere. So intricate and random! I just love it. Some makes me laugh, others make me amazed, and together I just stare for an endless amount of time. It was also on the front and back cover of the book. In just the right light you can see the other sketches. However there was this one part that I felt threw me off the loop. In the middle of the book there is this section with this actual photograph of Victor and his previous wife. Honestly, I wish they never would have put it there. He did not appear in his early 20s, “cute”, or how Cathy described him. In fact he reminded me of my own father which was beyond creepy.
The relationship between Victor and Cathy leaves a lot to be desired. We do not actually read much of him, just his mere impact on Cathy. We raid through his belongings, his past events with Cathy, but nothing else. So I really cannot say about their relationship, and I expect to explore on that in the later series.
On Victor and Cathy separately only I must say I am not fond of them. Victor flips flops continuously and Cathy is a tad selfish. But again, we’ll see how this will progress in the later series.
There’s just so many things I cannot say! The plot is filled with holes, the details not exact, the characters not fully developed. It’s frustrating as a reviewer that I cannot review this book only.
Overall: Next book in series please. Needs to find out what the heck is going on!
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LibraryThing member KatieCarella
Interesting format with a pocket of "evidence" in the front for readers to look through. BUT, the format made it hard to hold the book, and the "evidence" wasn't necessary to the plot's outcome. A fast read nonetheless.
LibraryThing member yougotamber
The concept of this book... calling numbers, investigating websites and utilizing the evidence packet enclosed, is fantastic. The story, the mystery, the characters and the writing were terrible. The best thing about this book was the artwork. I was impressed with the amount of effort that went
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into the little details surrounding the story. I just wish the writing had been even slightly close to the artworks level. I am hoping the concept of this book catches on and I hear about an author who can pull it off... and make it interesting. Show Less
LibraryThing member mrsdanaalbasha
I bought this book because the art is amazing, but now that I begun reading it, the story is actually gripping! But the best thing about this book is the design art and the gifts. Every illustration is related to what Cathy is writing in her journal. And the gifts are all clues to solving what is
When you begin reading you just have to know everything that will happen. What is great about the book is that it is fast paced and you can finish it in one sitting, and it is very exciting. You just have to know what Victor and the paper man and Tsao are. That was a great first book, though Cathy and Victor are not your average heroes, they are not heroic, they are very flawed but very human.
At the end you see Emma telling Cathy at her 18th birthday that the police will come questioning her now that Victor and Lu have fled, Cathy asked her what should she do, Emma said print out all your diary with every single evidence you've collected and show them everything, otherwise they won't believe anything.
I think they won't buy it even with everything inside the diary, they might think it's a young girl's fantasy.
Anyway the war of the immortals has just begun, all in order to stop death and time.
Can't wait to read book 2: Cathy's Key!
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the nature of Victor.When you begin reading you just have to know everything that will happen. What is great about the book is that it is fast paced and you can finish it in one sitting, and it is very exciting. You just have to know what Victor and the paper man and Tsao are. That was a great first book, though Cathy and Victor are not your average heroes, they are not heroic, they are very flawed but very human.
At the end you see Emma telling Cathy at her 18th birthday that the police will come questioning her now that Victor and Lu have fled, Cathy asked her what should she do, Emma said print out all your diary with every single evidence you've collected and show them everything, otherwise they won't believe anything.
I think they won't buy it even with everything inside the diary, they might think it's a young girl's fantasy.
Anyway the war of the immortals has just begun, all in order to stop death and time.
Can't wait to read book 2: Cathy's Key!
Show Less
LibraryThing member mrsdanaalbasha
I bought this book because the art is amazing, but now that I begun reading it, the story is actually gripping! But the best thing about this book is the design art and the gifts. Every illustration is related to what Cathy is writing in her journal. And the gifts are all clues to solving what is
When you begin reading you just have to know everything that will happen. What is great about the book is that it is fast paced and you can finish it in one sitting, and it is very exciting. You just have to know what Victor and the paper man and Tsao are. That was a great first book, though Cathy and Victor are not your average heroes, they are not heroic, they are very flawed but very human.
At the end you see Emma telling Cathy at her 18th birthday that the police will come questioning her now that Victor and Lu have fled, Cathy asked her what should she do, Emma said print out all your diary with every single evidence you've collected and show them everything, otherwise they won't believe anything.
I think they won't buy it even with everything inside the diary, they might think it's a young girl's fantasy.
Anyway the war of the immortals has just begun, all in order to stop death and time.
Can't wait to read book 2: Cathy's Key!
Show More
the nature of Victor.When you begin reading you just have to know everything that will happen. What is great about the book is that it is fast paced and you can finish it in one sitting, and it is very exciting. You just have to know what Victor and the paper man and Tsao are. That was a great first book, though Cathy and Victor are not your average heroes, they are not heroic, they are very flawed but very human.
At the end you see Emma telling Cathy at her 18th birthday that the police will come questioning her now that Victor and Lu have fled, Cathy asked her what should she do, Emma said print out all your diary with every single evidence you've collected and show them everything, otherwise they won't believe anything.
I think they won't buy it even with everything inside the diary, they might think it's a young girl's fantasy.
Anyway the war of the immortals has just begun, all in order to stop death and time.
Can't wait to read book 2: Cathy's Key!
Show Less
LibraryThing member mrsdanaalbasha
[Sunday, June 26, 2011] I bought this book because the art is amazing, but now that I begun reading it, the story is actually gripping! But the best thing about this book is the design art and the gifts. Every illustration is related to what Cathy is writing in her journal. And the gifts are all
When you begin reading you just have to know everything that will happen. What is great about the book is that it is fast paced and you can finish it in one sitting, and it is very exciting. You just have to know what Victor and the paper man and Tsao are. That was a great first book, though Cathy and Victor are not your average heroes, they are not heroic, they are very flawed but very human.
At the end you see Emma telling Cathy at her 18th birthday that the police will come questioning her now that Victor and Lu have fled, Cathy asked her what should she do, Emma said print out all your diary with every single evidence you've collected and show them everything, otherwise they won't believe anything.
I think they won't buy it even with everything inside the diary, they might think it's a young girl's fantasy.
Anyway the war of the immortals has just begun, all in order to stop death and time.
Can't wait to read book 2: Cathy's Key!
Show More
clues to solving what is the nature of Victor.When you begin reading you just have to know everything that will happen. What is great about the book is that it is fast paced and you can finish it in one sitting, and it is very exciting. You just have to know what Victor and the paper man and Tsao are. That was a great first book, though Cathy and Victor are not your average heroes, they are not heroic, they are very flawed but very human.
At the end you see Emma telling Cathy at her 18th birthday that the police will come questioning her now that Victor and Lu have fled, Cathy asked her what should she do, Emma said print out all your diary with every single evidence you've collected and show them everything, otherwise they won't believe anything.
I think they won't buy it even with everything inside the diary, they might think it's a young girl's fantasy.
Anyway the war of the immortals has just begun, all in order to stop death and time.
Can't wait to read book 2: Cathy's Key!
Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
This is heavily illustrated and with an assortment of items inside the front cover which are some of the items that Cathy takes from Victor.
Cathy is dating an older man, little does she know how much older, but when he ditches her, she has to know more about him. She finds out that a lot of women
It's an interesting story but in some ways it just didn't flow for me, told in diary format with a lot of illustrations supposedly by Cathy it's different but I didn't feel like the story really flowed. While I'm interested to see where it's going I'm not really invested in the characters.
Cathy is dating an older man, little does she know how much older, but when he ditches her, she has to know more about him. She finds out that a lot of women
Show More
associated with him have died, but the truth is stranger than she thought.It's an interesting story but in some ways it just didn't flow for me, told in diary format with a lot of illustrations supposedly by Cathy it's different but I didn't feel like the story really flowed. While I'm interested to see where it's going I'm not really invested in the characters.
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LibraryThing member alanna1122
I'm sort of divided on how I feel about this book.
First off, I like gimmicks to a certain degree - so this whole idea of a concept book appealed to me in a general way. I like that the book included a packet of copies of all the "evidence".
I also thought the plot was engaging enough to encourage
However, I found that the integration of these two elements was not that well performed. The solution to the mystery was not that hard to guess from fairly early in the story (at least in abstract form) and I thought that it would have been nice to have some direction on how to use the evidence... i found myself unsure of whether to plow through it all at the beginning or to wait to look at it piece by piece as it was mentioned in the book...
I realize that the authors didn't want to give too much direction because of the premise of the book is that it is a "found" journal.. but I found myself worrying that i was going to spoil plot twists...
First off, I like gimmicks to a certain degree - so this whole idea of a concept book appealed to me in a general way. I like that the book included a packet of copies of all the "evidence".
I also thought the plot was engaging enough to encourage
Show More
me to read to the end. However, I found that the integration of these two elements was not that well performed. The solution to the mystery was not that hard to guess from fairly early in the story (at least in abstract form) and I thought that it would have been nice to have some direction on how to use the evidence... i found myself unsure of whether to plow through it all at the beginning or to wait to look at it piece by piece as it was mentioned in the book...
I realize that the authors didn't want to give too much direction because of the premise of the book is that it is a "found" journal.. but I found myself worrying that i was going to spoil plot twists...
Show Less
LibraryThing member reader1009
Teen fiction. Though it dawdles on somewhat about the CoverGirl makeup line (they removed the brand name, but all the makeup talk is still in there), this is a suspenseful (and interactive) mystery that reluctant teens will love.
Awards
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (Selection — 2007)
Call number
YA A Ste