Uncle Catfish

by Chandra Borden

I’m a daddy’s girl. But that wasn’t always the case. For years I used to run to my father’s arms, squealing “Daddy, Daddy,” with hopes of stealing his heart. In return, Len Earle Woods would greet me the way he greeted everyone, with a laid back demeanor and a cool-dude smile. I wasn’t a daddy’s girl at that point. I was just another kid.

But it would take one visit from Uncle Catfish, the summer before my eighth grade year, to change all of that...

159 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 31, 2012

Reviews

[Brittney G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely book about a young girl named Bud who is trying to find acceptance. She isn't getting the love she needs from her mother, whom always seems to be distant and mad. She doesn't get the love from her father, who seems to always be working.

On top of all these things, Bud has a boyfriend named Choo Choo who she constantly breaks up with..so there isn't any love there either.

Bud finally finds her acceptance and love when her Uncle Catfish comes into town. She quickly grows a bond with him like no other. But when a secret is revealed about the family will she lose the bond or will the bond tighten?

Well written story!

[Kathleen Huffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating short tale with an unexpected twist towards the conclusion. I thought this book was decent, but it could have been much better with more editing. In the adrenaline-pumping vehicle escape game Escape Road, quick thinking, quick reflexes, and clever driving are all required. You take control of a fleeing vehicle as you attempt to avoid police pursuit via a maze of winding country roads and narrow streets after a bank heist.

[Rell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little book that had a surprise spin near the end. Bud is an awkward little girl with a mother that is a hoarder because of things that happened to her before Bud was born. No one seems to really speak on why her mother have this problem and why the dad is always at work. One evening, all things changed in Bud's small cluttered world when her uncle Catfish was released from prison and began to occupy a place in the tiny trailer that Bud and her parents shared.

Initially this book read like the typical southern drama that most teenage girls go through in life, but after a brutal fight in Bud's front yard between Uncle catfish's girlfriend and the girlfriend sisters... Bud's life changed and things were revealed that Bud never expected.

I had a very hard time making it through the first few chapters of the book because it seemed as if I was reading a story that was set in the 70'S but as I continued to read little details made me realize that it was closer to today's time. I get the idea that the writer wanted you to feel as if you were in small town Arkansas but some of the details were a bit confusing however the imagery with certain scenes in the book is great. Luckily I continued to read this book and as far-fetched as it seems from reality the story turned into a fairly pleasant read. This book have the potential to be a great read with a bit more editing, but overall it was pretty good...it even gave me a chuckle a couple of times

My favorite line in the book was when "Uncle Catfish" said to Bud..... "If a boy can't value you for who you are, then don’t waste no time chasing or think about him or wondering if he gon' come back."................." Bud the way I see it, if you wasn’t good enough for him the first time, then chances are, you ain't gon' ever be good enough. And it aint really got nothing to do with you being good enough. It got everything to do with his inability to be satisfied- with anything" So when I read that I thought.... dammit I needed to hear that about 15 DAMN YEARS ago, oh well.... I will share it with my children........

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of twists and turns. The only problem I had with it is: It was too short!!! Enjoyed this author's work.