BOOK REVIEW: 2 AM at the Cat’s Pajamas

2 AM at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino
Genres: Fiction

I received a copy of this book from Bloggingforbooks.org in exchange of an honest review. And I am so overwhelmed with their gratitude to give this amazing, vivid piece of fiction as a review copy. The book is yet to be released and the expected publication is August, 5, 2014.

The title, 2 A.M. At The Cat’s Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino is as provoking as the book itself. It’s a story set on Christmas Eve’s eve, a day in the lives of three characters: Madeleine, a 9-year-old who is mourning for her mother’s death and just wants to sing. Her teacher, Sarina, who has just moved back to Philadelphia after a divorce, and is nervously hoping to reconnect with people from her past, and Lorca, owner of The Cat’s Pajamas, a legendary jazz club in danger of closing. As these three lost souls search for love, music and hope on the snow-covered streets of Philadelphia, together they discover life’s endless possibilities over the course of one magical night.

Many writers believe in plotting a story with the increase in the number of pages, taking their time such that a reader will find it easy to immerse himself in the story. Though Marie-Helene Bertino debut novel starts with a boom. She defines a plot and her difficult looking storyline consisting majorly three-point of views which might be the difficulty but as you keep on reading, you will understand how wise and essential it is to maintain the connection between all the three characters. It turns out quite enrapturing. After reading it and giving it a brief thought, I, somehow ended up in favor of her style of writing and her sentence formations which are not clichéd. She knows her words well, and with the definite use of them she creates a vivid story that is funny, lively with naturalistic looking characters, and quite pleasing to a reader’s mood no matter whatever the mood you are in before reading it. This book will try to cheer you up. That’s how I also ended up reading it in one day.

However, at a point, the theme ending becomes predictive since there is no other possible outcome of this story but that does not disrupts the interest a reader immerse in this book.

It’s definitely an urban fairy tale.

I am enthusiastic about Bertino’s future works will definitely be looking forward.

4 out of 5