We spend a lot of time wondering about human ghosts — if they exist, where they appear, if they mean us any harm. But we never really stop to think about animals and their departed friends. Author Kara LaReau’s middle-grade reader Licorice asks that question when newly-adopted “Kitty” senses another presence in her home, prompting an already-frightened feline to prove herself and fight for her survival in a place that once belonged to another.
A young, and frightened kitten is brought starry-eyed into a new household. A boy named Max is trying desperately to get over the loss of his former beloved pet. But ghosts donโt always enjoy being forgotten. Sometimes they have to make their presence known.
Licorice, Amazon
Kitty began her life on the streets, feral and frightened. After losing her mother and siblings during a storm, she is whisked away to the local shelter, befriended by a rather narcissistic rabbit. One day, a boy named Max — saddened by his last cat’s passing — decided to give Kitty a try. As Kitty is brought to her new home, she is greeted by Max’s other pets: a turtle, a hamster, and a pompous and proud African Grey parrot by the name of Duchess. As Kitty slowly — and fearfully — learns the ropes and rules of her new home, she can’t get over the feeling of something else watching her. Max’s last cat, Licorice, died under mysterious circumstances, leaving her presence roaming the home and keeping Kitty on the perpetual edge. But the more Kitty grows closer to Max, the more confident she becomes… and the more she learns about the feisty feline, Licorice.
First and foremost, I found Licorice very fun, being able to put myself in the shoes of a cat rather than a person. You would think that it would be hard to empathize with an animal, but Licorice actually spoke to my inner child, someone who was also anxious and scared when trying new things and going to new places. Kitty was on one hand naรฏve, but also a great stand-in for kids both outwardly shy and inwardly scared.
Licorice is written simply, but not plainly, ensuring that the story would be easily digested but still entertaining. This is especially true with parts relying on our senses: smell, sight, and sound. Again, we’re reading this through the lens of a cat, so smells like Licorice’s “spicy” scent and sounds like Duchess’ squawking and the claps of thunder outside are amplified, while colors like vivid reds are explained from the different vantage points of all the other pets.
Funnily enough, the human characters — Max, his mom, and his friends — are on the duller side. That said, Licorice is definitely letting the animals shine through, just using the humans as a means to further the story. And I like that, because we don’t get mucked up in human emotions, letting us truly see a situation from a different point of view.
Speaking of humans, there is a crazy plot point that comes up at the end of the book. I won’t spoil it here, but I was not expecting such a wild turn of events, and it actually left my mouth open wide at what actually happened, so much so that I’m hoping there will be a second book or continuation of the story one day. On that same note of suspicious situations, Licorice does have some tense moments of ghostly activity involving the titular cat. We’re left to imagine a Licorice stalking the halls of her former home, gliding wispfully around Max’s room and scaring Kitty to pieces. Licorice’s demise happens before the events of the book, so we’re fed bits and pieces until the final few chapters where all is revealed. Licorice keeps you guessing and still surprises you in the end.
I really enjoyed this book. I do love cats, and it does bring up the question of what animals experience when another one dies. As someone who has had many pets in her lifetime, Licorice was a nice way to remember them and our time together, as well as understand that they too are sentient beings with emotions, wants, and needs. Making the story of a once-feral-now-adopted cat into a mysterious paranormal occurrence through the eyes of our pets isn’t something I ever thought I’d read, but I’m glad I did. With a son approaching pet-having age (with an eye for cats in general), I think Licorice would be a great book to introduce him to.
Licorice is available to purchase now. For more on author Kara Lareau, visit her on web and Instagram.
