The Story of Fester Cat by Paul Magrs – Review

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Description:
I always knew that the rest of my story is gonna be a good one. I don’t know how I knew that, but I always did. Ungow! I am Fester the cat. Welcome to my book, everyone!

From when he first ambled into Paul Magrs’s yard—skinny, covered in flea bites, and missing all but one and a half teeth—Fester knew he’d found his family. Paul and his partner, Jeremy, thought it was the ragged black-and-white stray, tired from a rough life on the streets, who was in desperate need of support. But clever Fester knew better. He understood that it was his newfound owners who needed the help.

Over the course of seven years, the feisty feline turned the quaint Manchester house into a loving home. Through his fierce spirit, strong will, and calming energy, Fester taught Paul and Jeremy how to listen and breathe, how to appreciate the joys of simply sitting and singing (what Fester’s purrs sounded like to his silly humans), and how to find joy and contentment in life, even when dealing with hardship.

This is the true story of an extraordinary little cat whose gentle charm and trusting soul turned two young men into a family.

Review:

When I was offered to read The Story of Fester Cat by Paul Magrs, I wasn’t sure if this was something that would fit into our reviews at TRC. I am a cat lover, and have enjoyed some cat mystery books, especially Shirley Rousseau Murphy and her Joe Grey series. But The Story of Fester Cat was a true story, which I knew would also be an emotional read.

The description above tells it all. Fester was a stray cat and found his home at the age of 12. Unusual for a stray to live in the outside world so long, but Fester was destined to meet his family in Paul and Jeremy. There is no question that Fester adopted them when he innocently walked into their lives, and this story is told by Fester’s point of view. Very well done, with lots of humor.

The story starts in an unusual way, which took me by surprise. It starts at the end, when Fester is not feeling well, can’t understand why he can’t do the things he normally could. He is after all 18 y ears old. We get to know Fester, and his love of his family and share the moment we all dread, saying goodbye. This left me sad, and wondering how this story would play out. But have no fear, it then starts at the beginning, when Fester was a stray, and his friends in the wild. We see how he finds Paul and Jeremy, and from there on in, I was happy to follow this fun, humorous and enjoyable story. We learn about the hairdresser (the vet), who fixes up Fester from the things he endured living outside, like fleas, skin disorders, gum disease, etc. Watching how he bonds with his family, the love they felt for each other, and how Fester meets their friends and family. Through hard times, and good times, it is Fester who keeps Paul and Jeremy together, as they equally love him. You also get a glimpse at some other cats who are friends of Fester, like Bessie, and Korky. The Story of Fester Cat is also about Paul and Jeremy, and their own family issues.

Fester manages to give us the joy of following his tale of life in a home filled with love; meeting the friends and family, some he liked and some he did not. At the end of the book, Paul gives a beautiful eulogy for Fester, who changed his life. This is a different read, but a really nice story, filled with humor, love, and sadness. You don’t have to be a cat lover to enjoy this book, but if you are, it’s a do not miss.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher