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Wildcat #1
Land of the Last Wildcat
Discover the children's adventure hit of the year! Shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize and Waterstones Book of the Month.
Adventure and magic collide in Land of the Last Wildcat, Lui Sit's debut children's novel about family, friendship and an adorable wildcat, beautifully illustrated throughout in black and white by David Dean.
'A heart-pounding adventure for young animal lovers . . . You will paws-itively adore this one!' - Carlie Sorosiak, author of I, Cosmo
Puffin Lau has two her beloved scientist mum barely speaks to her . . . and a mythical wildcat called the kuri is depending on her for its survival.
Luckily, Puffin grew up on stories of the kuri and its magical powers, and she will stop at nothing to return it to its rightful home.
But standing in her way is the ominous Professor Smoult, a money-hungry scientist who wants to capture the kuri and steal its magic. Faced with a mammoth journey to the faraway Linger Island, Puffin and her best friend Lance must evade the professor and save the last wildcat before it's too late . . .
Adventure and magic collide in Land of the Last Wildcat, Lui Sit's debut children's novel about family, friendship and an adorable wildcat, beautifully illustrated throughout in black and white by David Dean.
'A heart-pounding adventure for young animal lovers . . . You will paws-itively adore this one!' - Carlie Sorosiak, author of I, Cosmo
Puffin Lau has two her beloved scientist mum barely speaks to her . . . and a mythical wildcat called the kuri is depending on her for its survival.
Luckily, Puffin grew up on stories of the kuri and its magical powers, and she will stop at nothing to return it to its rightful home.
But standing in her way is the ominous Professor Smoult, a money-hungry scientist who wants to capture the kuri and steal its magic. Faced with a mammoth journey to the faraway Linger Island, Puffin and her best friend Lance must evade the professor and save the last wildcat before it's too late . . .
273 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2025
15 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 26, 2025
Land of the Last Wildcat is a fantastic children’s book - an adventure / environmental story that will have young readers hooked from the start.
Puffin Lau’s mum is a scientist - rarely at home and secretive about her work until Puffin discovers the truth. Puffin is fascinated by the mystical Kuri cat - an animal thought to be extinct. Through a chance discovery with her friend Lance, the children find the magical Kiru in a laboratory where her mum works - it has powers to heal. The owner of the lab, the evil Smoult believes he can harness the dna of the cat to create medicine …but all is not well ..the cat is dying and need to be taken back home.
This is a race against time to get the Kuri back to Linger Island ( its birthplace ) and save its life as well as stop the island’s environment from dying.
Puffin and Lance set out a fast paced journey to maintain the survival of the Kuri with Smoult in pursuit
Lui Sit has created a great story for 9-11 year olds - a great upper key stage 2 class read .with a strong message about man’s desire to control for greed and the impact of species nr the environment .
David Dean’s illustrations add further beauty to the story
A great debut in children’s fiction
Puffin Lau’s mum is a scientist - rarely at home and secretive about her work until Puffin discovers the truth. Puffin is fascinated by the mystical Kuri cat - an animal thought to be extinct. Through a chance discovery with her friend Lance, the children find the magical Kiru in a laboratory where her mum works - it has powers to heal. The owner of the lab, the evil Smoult believes he can harness the dna of the cat to create medicine …but all is not well ..the cat is dying and need to be taken back home.
This is a race against time to get the Kuri back to Linger Island ( its birthplace ) and save its life as well as stop the island’s environment from dying.
Puffin and Lance set out a fast paced journey to maintain the survival of the Kuri with Smoult in pursuit
Lui Sit has created a great story for 9-11 year olds - a great upper key stage 2 class read .with a strong message about man’s desire to control for greed and the impact of species nr the environment .
David Dean’s illustrations add further beauty to the story
A great debut in children’s fiction
September 15, 2025
Ach, war das schön! Ein richtig tolles Kinderbuch zu einem sehr wichtigen Thema. Das Hörbuch ist sehr gut gelesen und vor allem die Miaus gehen richtig ans Herz. Eine Geschichte über Freundschaft, Aufrichtigkeit und was wirklich zählt im Leben. Und natürlich darüber, wie wichtig der Schutz unserer Umwelt ist. Ein Buch für alle Katzenfans da draussen. Egal ob gross oder klein.
April 25, 2025
A high action adventure about a young girl who saves a mythical cat called the Kuri from a science laboratory and her mammoth journey to get it home.
A magical adventure that kids will love.
A magical adventure that kids will love.
October 15, 2025
Okay, one star is pretty harsh. I explain later on in my review why. I have a pretty big issue with the ethics of how the villain is treated (see below).
But I struggled with other parts too.
Though I must say the cover is gorgeous and the illustrations are wonderful! They would be 5/5 for me!
So, it takes over half the book for them to actually get to the land of the last wild cat, so your kids will need to be patient, but I worry they would also be disappointed when they eventually get there. To me, the story never lives up to the cover. So the explorer vibe feels like a bit of a bait and switch. There's a lot more time spent in a lab and a museum and a hospital and the mc's home, evading capture. I think the title and the cover imply a lot more adventure, discovery and excitement than the story and plot holds. There's more focus on keeping animals in captivity, animal experimentation and corrupt organisations, as well as illness and death. So it feels a bit heavy and depressing.
There is also the very popular 'the kids are always right, and the adults are either stupid, weak or evil' kind of storyline, which is a plague on middle-grade writing, in my opinion. The mum even says 'How is it that we are taught by our children?' (My question entirely!)
My biggest problem with the story is the author's treatment of the villain. I went from 3* to 1* after it.
He's not given a redemptive story arc or a chance to repent and change. He instead gets his mind wiped of all his adulthood, teenage years and most of his childhood and is literally left with the mind of a toddler. He loses everything mentally, all that time, all those skills, all those relationships. He's never given the opportunity to turn his life around and make amends. And the characters describe this mind manipulation as 'healing'. He was 'cured' of all the bad stuff and so was taken back to a time when he was 'more innocent'. The fact that the characters don't find this disturbing worries me. The man is now literally a baby/toddler walking around in a man's body. To play around with someone's mind like this is horrifying. And to justify it all by saying he's healed is naiive and wrong. Wiping someone's mind and experiences is a punishment not a mercy or a kindness, so the framing of this is totally wrong. (To be clear, it is the kuri and the stone that do this to him, not the characters themselves.)
When he runs off into the jungle wanting to cuddle the kuri because he thinks she is a teddy, Puffin's concern is over him getting the kuri again, not over the fact that he is now as vulnerable as a toddler and needs protecting. She only cares for the kuri's safety, even though this is where she is most safe, she has no thought for Smoult. And we're left with the line: 'Smoult was...gone...' Great *sarcasm*. They've literally abandoned him. And if having what amounts to a serious brain injury wasn't punishment enough, all the characters leave him in the wilderness, alone, with the mental age of a toddler. A ranger might start a search for him if he doesn't turn up, and the ranger has let Smoult's daughter know. I'm not sure what exactly he's told her, but as bad as her dad was, she has now lost him entirely. He has no memories of his life with her, raising her, her first steps, her growing up, him being a father. It's all gone. They will be strangers to each other, and she will have to raise him and care for him as if he is her child.
And we're supposed to think the main characters, including the kuri, are heroes. Pretty sure they've done the exact opposite of what heroes do. But the author tries to remind you of all the bad stuff Smoult has done or threatened to do, all to try and make this okay. But it's really not.
I know 1 star is harsh, but I genuinely could not believe this happened and wasn't something the villain does to someone.
Lance sums the whole ending up as a 'miracle'. I think I'd call it something different.
Puffin does have one last thought about Smoult, thinking, 'Despite all he has done, she hoped he was OK, wherever he was'. To me though, it just highlights more and more how disturbing this part of the story is. Her mum gets his old job, while he is either lost in a jungle, entirely helpless or back to learning how to tie his shoelaces and count to 10 and being raised by his own daughter, no idea who she is.
Messing with people's mind to me would be such a severe punishment for a crime that would only be found in a dystopian novel where human rights are non-existent. And yet, we're told that this man is healed. This is not redemption, this is the opposite, punishment with no way back, no second chance to make things right, your life erased and never able to be reclaimed or redeemed.
The human characters in this story should not have been okay with what the kuri did, they should have looked for Smoult, cared for him and tried to undo what had happened to him. This lovely cat character should not have taken wicked revenge on the villain, and the author call it 'healing'.
I actually think this author will go on to write good kids' book, but the ethics in this one, both in the kids justifying doing illegal things and the treatment of the villain is a problem for me.
CW:
-Lang - knackered, holy moly, get lost, geroff, chunder, you little rotter, shurrup
-references to animal experimentation, the fear of an animal being cut open to understand its power
-repeated reference to internal organs of animals being exposed
-reference to not knowing the cat's gender, the protagonist says they could refer to the cat as 'she, he, they or it'. Seemed a bit odd considering the cat will only be one of the first two. It sounded like the author was trying to be very politically correct.
-the kids do some dubious things including stealing and getting a cabbie to drive them around when they've no intention of paying him.
-you find out the grandad was an activist who engaged in criminal activity. So you see where the kids get it from.
-her dad used to say 'In an unjust society, the only place for a just man is in prison.' The mc uses this to justify doing something illegal.
-scene where a man's eyes roll back into his head as he's overwhelmed with energy
-man gets reduced to the mental age of a baby/toddler, with all his memories and experiences and relationships wiped. We are told this is because he's 'healed' of all the bad stuff. It's pretty disturbing.
-then they leave him in the wilderness and have no idea what happens to him
But I struggled with other parts too.
Though I must say the cover is gorgeous and the illustrations are wonderful! They would be 5/5 for me!
So, it takes over half the book for them to actually get to the land of the last wild cat, so your kids will need to be patient, but I worry they would also be disappointed when they eventually get there. To me, the story never lives up to the cover. So the explorer vibe feels like a bit of a bait and switch. There's a lot more time spent in a lab and a museum and a hospital and the mc's home, evading capture. I think the title and the cover imply a lot more adventure, discovery and excitement than the story and plot holds. There's more focus on keeping animals in captivity, animal experimentation and corrupt organisations, as well as illness and death. So it feels a bit heavy and depressing.
There is also the very popular 'the kids are always right, and the adults are either stupid, weak or evil' kind of storyline, which is a plague on middle-grade writing, in my opinion. The mum even says 'How is it that we are taught by our children?' (My question entirely!)
My biggest problem with the story is the author's treatment of the villain. I went from 3* to 1* after it.
He's not given a redemptive story arc or a chance to repent and change. He instead gets his mind wiped of all his adulthood, teenage years and most of his childhood and is literally left with the mind of a toddler. He loses everything mentally, all that time, all those skills, all those relationships. He's never given the opportunity to turn his life around and make amends. And the characters describe this mind manipulation as 'healing'. He was 'cured' of all the bad stuff and so was taken back to a time when he was 'more innocent'. The fact that the characters don't find this disturbing worries me. The man is now literally a baby/toddler walking around in a man's body. To play around with someone's mind like this is horrifying. And to justify it all by saying he's healed is naiive and wrong. Wiping someone's mind and experiences is a punishment not a mercy or a kindness, so the framing of this is totally wrong. (To be clear, it is the kuri and the stone that do this to him, not the characters themselves.)
When he runs off into the jungle wanting to cuddle the kuri because he thinks she is a teddy, Puffin's concern is over him getting the kuri again, not over the fact that he is now as vulnerable as a toddler and needs protecting. She only cares for the kuri's safety, even though this is where she is most safe, she has no thought for Smoult. And we're left with the line: 'Smoult was...gone...' Great *sarcasm*. They've literally abandoned him. And if having what amounts to a serious brain injury wasn't punishment enough, all the characters leave him in the wilderness, alone, with the mental age of a toddler. A ranger might start a search for him if he doesn't turn up, and the ranger has let Smoult's daughter know. I'm not sure what exactly he's told her, but as bad as her dad was, she has now lost him entirely. He has no memories of his life with her, raising her, her first steps, her growing up, him being a father. It's all gone. They will be strangers to each other, and she will have to raise him and care for him as if he is her child.
And we're supposed to think the main characters, including the kuri, are heroes. Pretty sure they've done the exact opposite of what heroes do. But the author tries to remind you of all the bad stuff Smoult has done or threatened to do, all to try and make this okay. But it's really not.
I know 1 star is harsh, but I genuinely could not believe this happened and wasn't something the villain does to someone.
Lance sums the whole ending up as a 'miracle'. I think I'd call it something different.
Puffin does have one last thought about Smoult, thinking, 'Despite all he has done, she hoped he was OK, wherever he was'. To me though, it just highlights more and more how disturbing this part of the story is. Her mum gets his old job, while he is either lost in a jungle, entirely helpless or back to learning how to tie his shoelaces and count to 10 and being raised by his own daughter, no idea who she is.
Messing with people's mind to me would be such a severe punishment for a crime that would only be found in a dystopian novel where human rights are non-existent. And yet, we're told that this man is healed. This is not redemption, this is the opposite, punishment with no way back, no second chance to make things right, your life erased and never able to be reclaimed or redeemed.
The human characters in this story should not have been okay with what the kuri did, they should have looked for Smoult, cared for him and tried to undo what had happened to him. This lovely cat character should not have taken wicked revenge on the villain, and the author call it 'healing'.
I actually think this author will go on to write good kids' book, but the ethics in this one, both in the kids justifying doing illegal things and the treatment of the villain is a problem for me.
CW:
-Lang - knackered, holy moly, get lost, geroff, chunder, you little rotter, shurrup
-references to animal experimentation, the fear of an animal being cut open to understand its power
-repeated reference to internal organs of animals being exposed
-reference to not knowing the cat's gender, the protagonist says they could refer to the cat as 'she, he, they or it'. Seemed a bit odd considering the cat will only be one of the first two. It sounded like the author was trying to be very politically correct.
-the kids do some dubious things including stealing and getting a cabbie to drive them around when they've no intention of paying him.
-you find out the grandad was an activist who engaged in criminal activity. So you see where the kids get it from.
-her dad used to say 'In an unjust society, the only place for a just man is in prison.' The mc uses this to justify doing something illegal.
-scene where a man's eyes roll back into his head as he's overwhelmed with energy
-man gets reduced to the mental age of a baby/toddler, with all his memories and experiences and relationships wiped. We are told this is because he's 'healed' of all the bad stuff. It's pretty disturbing.
-then they leave him in the wilderness and have no idea what happens to him
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2025
Favourite bit: (about the until now intimidating villain) ‘“Why is he acting like a child?”… “They took away all the bad stuff inside. So now he’s back to when he was more innocent.”’
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2025
loved this very much a brilliant book with a great message. I hope there's a sequel!
May 27, 2025
Feb 2025: Land of the Last Wildcat
Yeay! I finally got out of my reading slump with this delightful Lui Sit's children's book debut!
Meet Puffin Lau a 10-year-old girl with a brilliant scientist Mum, Allegra and a best friend, Lance. Puffin has a huge passion for the kuri; magical wildcats found only on Linger Island. It’s said that these incredible creatures have the power to heal humans and because of that, greed blinds the boss of the lab where her mom works.
I can see why the author wrote Be Brave on my signed copy (thanks Sasha!). The main character, Puffin, is extremely brave! It is a fast-paced, heart-racing reading experience for me. I didn't expect the rush it took to rescue Trouble, the kuri!
At first, I admit I was suspicious of Allegra - where is she when her daughter needs her? The mother-daughter drama adds the juicy to this expedition. I'm touched when Allegra eventually explains that life is not just black and white - I find it too heartbreaking to reveal to an innocent child, but that's how the world is.
The story also highlights the importance of natural habitats to animals. A kuri cannot leave the azarines (wildcat statues made of azarites) and Linger Island, or else it will affect the kuri and the island adversely. This is the same scenario of having invasive species on your native land, it will disturb the natural ecosystem. I hope this message gets across to everyone - think twice before adopting invasive species.
A huge shoutout to the author @lui.land and illustrator @daviddeanillustration for their boundless creativity! The fratercula flower—a fragrant, stunning mix of orange, white, and black, resembling a puffin —is just one of the inventive ideas that filled readers with joy!
Thank you so much, #Pansing @definitelybookskids , for this copy! This enchanting book is available at all good bookstores!
Yeay! I finally got out of my reading slump with this delightful Lui Sit's children's book debut!
Meet Puffin Lau a 10-year-old girl with a brilliant scientist Mum, Allegra and a best friend, Lance. Puffin has a huge passion for the kuri; magical wildcats found only on Linger Island. It’s said that these incredible creatures have the power to heal humans and because of that, greed blinds the boss of the lab where her mom works.
I can see why the author wrote Be Brave on my signed copy (thanks Sasha!). The main character, Puffin, is extremely brave! It is a fast-paced, heart-racing reading experience for me. I didn't expect the rush it took to rescue Trouble, the kuri!
At first, I admit I was suspicious of Allegra - where is she when her daughter needs her? The mother-daughter drama adds the juicy to this expedition. I'm touched when Allegra eventually explains that life is not just black and white - I find it too heartbreaking to reveal to an innocent child, but that's how the world is.
The story also highlights the importance of natural habitats to animals. A kuri cannot leave the azarines (wildcat statues made of azarites) and Linger Island, or else it will affect the kuri and the island adversely. This is the same scenario of having invasive species on your native land, it will disturb the natural ecosystem. I hope this message gets across to everyone - think twice before adopting invasive species.
A huge shoutout to the author @lui.land and illustrator @daviddeanillustration for their boundless creativity! The fratercula flower—a fragrant, stunning mix of orange, white, and black, resembling a puffin —is just one of the inventive ideas that filled readers with joy!
Thank you so much, #Pansing @definitelybookskids , for this copy! This enchanting book is available at all good bookstores!
March 20, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Book for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
It definitely reminded me of Hannah Gold's book, which are beautiful, and this was right up there. It's got that same warmth, that feeling of friendship and love and respect between humans and nature.
A a 31 year old, it can be difficult to identify with a child protagonist, but Puffin (great name) was absolutely fabulous. The children absolutely run this story. Professor Smoult is a proper pantomime villain and I mean that in the best way, he's so much fun.
It is a children's book first and foremost; it's also an adventure story, it's about family and friends, caring for nature, respect, love and greed, with fantasy and magical elements.
It's aimed at 9-11 year olds and I think it's perfect for that age. But I also think older children and adults (like me) would really enjoy it too. The different age groups would get something different out of it.
I loved illustrations too. I wonder if they'll be in colour in the finished book as they were in black and white in my e-copy. I will have to check it out because they were lovely.
It doesn't warrant a sequel, but like Hannah Gold's books, I could see a series of animal and nature related stories being successful.
It definitely reminded me of Hannah Gold's book, which are beautiful, and this was right up there. It's got that same warmth, that feeling of friendship and love and respect between humans and nature.
A a 31 year old, it can be difficult to identify with a child protagonist, but Puffin (great name) was absolutely fabulous. The children absolutely run this story. Professor Smoult is a proper pantomime villain and I mean that in the best way, he's so much fun.
It is a children's book first and foremost; it's also an adventure story, it's about family and friends, caring for nature, respect, love and greed, with fantasy and magical elements.
It's aimed at 9-11 year olds and I think it's perfect for that age. But I also think older children and adults (like me) would really enjoy it too. The different age groups would get something different out of it.
I loved illustrations too. I wonder if they'll be in colour in the finished book as they were in black and white in my e-copy. I will have to check it out because they were lovely.
It doesn't warrant a sequel, but like Hannah Gold's books, I could see a series of animal and nature related stories being successful.
February 23, 2025
Ten-year-old Puffin Lau grew up enchanted by stories of the kuri, an orange wildcat from Linger Island said to possess magical powers. Though believed to be extinct, Puffin's world is turned upside down when she discovers a captive kuri at the lab where her mother works. Joined by her friend Lance, Puffin embarks on a daring rescue mission. Together, with the support of unexpected allies and pursued by a nefarious scientist, they must return the kuri to Linger Island to save its life.
This delightful adventure captures the reader’s heart with Puffin, a determined and brave young protagonist, who also grapples with feelings of neglect from her busy scientist mother, while missing her deceased father. The story offers not just an exciting journey, but also a touching exploration of family bonds and friendship. I enjoyed meeting the mythical kuri and visiting the enchanting Linger Island, a fascinating backdrop to this heartwarming tale.
Thank you Definitely Books Kids (Pansing) for the signed uncorrected proof copy.
This delightful adventure captures the reader’s heart with Puffin, a determined and brave young protagonist, who also grapples with feelings of neglect from her busy scientist mother, while missing her deceased father. The story offers not just an exciting journey, but also a touching exploration of family bonds and friendship. I enjoyed meeting the mythical kuri and visiting the enchanting Linger Island, a fascinating backdrop to this heartwarming tale.
Thank you Definitely Books Kids (Pansing) for the signed uncorrected proof copy.
May 12, 2025
Land of the Last Wildcat is a brilliant mixture of fast-paced adventure and a strong environmental message. The main character, Puffin (amazing name), makes a great protagonist, bold and brave, with her friend Lance the more cautious foil for some of her actions. I loved the central conflict between exploitation and conservation - sending young readers an important message without beating them over the head with it - and of course the mysterious and powerful kuri itself.
Also, such a beautiful cover! It's really eye-catching and matches the story perfectly, with its nature/environment themes and the magic of the kuri. The internal illustrations are gorgeous too.
I think my daughter will really enjoy this one.
Also, such a beautiful cover! It's really eye-catching and matches the story perfectly, with its nature/environment themes and the magic of the kuri. The internal illustrations are gorgeous too.
I think my daughter will really enjoy this one.
August 24, 2025
Gigantic title bait + annoyingly 2D main characters (ok we get it: she's claustrophobic, stands up for others, and her last name is Lau) = doesn't change the fact that this is a dreadfully flat story. We never really get to know the wildcat OR THE LAND OF THE WILDCAT, except for one or two chapters near the end.
There's more time spent crawling through tunnels + internal monologues like "how could Smoult do this" + Lau being "omfg I can't do this anymore but my parents say I stand up when everyone else doesn't—I must be special frfr 🥹🥹🥹😌😌😩😩😩" than on anything substantial actually happening.
Would've given this a one-star if I were 10, but alas I'm a decent person now (no)
There's more time spent crawling through tunnels + internal monologues like "how could Smoult do this" + Lau being "omfg I can't do this anymore but my parents say I stand up when everyone else doesn't—I must be special frfr 🥹🥹🥹😌😌😩😩😩" than on anything substantial actually happening.
Would've given this a one-star if I were 10, but alas I'm a decent person now (no)
February 3, 2025
I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley of this book.
This is a really heartfelt and tender story about a girl going to all the lengths she can to right a perceived wrong. Although it's a middle-grade novel, the themes of the importance of family, ecological conservation, and doing what's right in the face of adversity shine through, to create something that feels very special. The illustrations were absolutely beautiful.
This is a really heartfelt and tender story about a girl going to all the lengths she can to right a perceived wrong. Although it's a middle-grade novel, the themes of the importance of family, ecological conservation, and doing what's right in the face of adversity shine through, to create something that feels very special. The illustrations were absolutely beautiful.
March 13, 2025
Perfect adventure story for young readers, with a bit of magic thrown in. A great story, with some supporting pictures. A young girl and her friends and family, a museum, a villain, a tropical island and a very special endangered wildcat. Yup, all the ingredients for an enjoyable read. I expect the only noise that will be heard is pages turning until the book is finished. Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
June 4, 2025
‘You’re a part of nature. Like me. Like the Kuri. We can all heal each other. If we want’
I couldn’t wait to get a copy of this after watching the online author event on Waterstones. It’s a beautiful read, fast paced and hopeful. Puffin Lau is an inquisitive heroine, desperate to help a failing wildcat whilst trying to understand her family history. This book has an underlying ecological message that makes you want to help heal the world
I couldn’t wait to get a copy of this after watching the online author event on Waterstones. It’s a beautiful read, fast paced and hopeful. Puffin Lau is an inquisitive heroine, desperate to help a failing wildcat whilst trying to understand her family history. This book has an underlying ecological message that makes you want to help heal the world
October 10, 2025
3.5
This is a sweet and wholesome story about the importance of conservation and the environment. Full of magic and action and adventure, I loved how brave our main character Puffin is and how she always stands up for what she believes is right, even against her own family. The illustrations are really lovely too. I think this is important for kids to read, and I’m looking forward to seeing what more is to come from this author.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!
This is a sweet and wholesome story about the importance of conservation and the environment. Full of magic and action and adventure, I loved how brave our main character Puffin is and how she always stands up for what she believes is right, even against her own family. The illustrations are really lovely too. I think this is important for kids to read, and I’m looking forward to seeing what more is to come from this author.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book!
May 13, 2025
I throughly enjoyed reading this book. It was fast paced humorous and heartfelt. A true that celebration of friendship, trusting your gut and standing up for what you believe in.
As not to give any spoilers I will just say that I especially loved how the characters were woven together- so much care and meaning put into the details.
A must read for any cat lover.
As not to give any spoilers I will just say that I especially loved how the characters were woven together- so much care and meaning put into the details.
A must read for any cat lover.
April 28, 2025
This added a twist to the overdone (imo) "child has to save an endangered animal" - the cat has magic powers! So it was almost magical realism for kids and I liked that. Not the best writing ever but entertaining.
December 29, 2025
This had a good pace as the girl sneaks into the staff scientific section in her mother's lab behind the museum & finds herself face to face with the mythical cat she's heard so much about. can she help it escape?
A very good adventure.
A very good adventure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2026
Really good, how the Kuri can heal, and puffin goes on a mission to save the kuri, escaping smoult on her way to linger island where the azarine is (kuris source) and where the kuri live. I recommend this book to everyone.
May 6, 2025
cute
July 8, 2025
A charming story with a strong environmental message at its heart.
October 23, 2025
a children's book i read "with" ny daughters (they flew through it and I hobbled to the finish line weeks later!). Lovely story.
November 20, 2025
One of the best books I have EVER read 100% recommend for all ages especially for young teens, you won't get bored of it, i can't stop reading it!!
July 8, 2025
(This is my 9 year old rating. If it was me, I would say 3.5. The book has a good heart but it required more editing as I spotted mistakes throughout as well as awkward sentence structure.)
May 23, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is the perfect story for adventure and animal loving young readers! It’s a story all about bravery, friendship, family and saving our wildlife. There are stunning illustrations throughout which really add to the magic of the story and bring our characters to life. I’d 100% recommend this if you’ve enjoyed Hannah Gold, S.F. Said or Katherine Rundell before because you’re bound to love this too.
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This is the perfect story for adventure and animal loving young readers! It’s a story all about bravery, friendship, family and saving our wildlife. There are stunning illustrations throughout which really add to the magic of the story and bring our characters to life. I’d 100% recommend this if you’ve enjoyed Hannah Gold, S.F. Said or Katherine Rundell before because you’re bound to love this too.
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December 30, 2025
I was lucky enough to win an ARC of this middle-grade book at the ESEA Lit Festival. This story is about a girl's mission to save a rare and mystic cat from the clutches of an ambitious scientist.
Puffin is looking forward to her mother's presentation on the Kuri, a legendary wildcat, on a school trip to her mother's research centre. But when her mother does not give the talk as expected, Puffin sneaks into her laboratory, and discovers the Kuri, far from its natural habitat. It seems to form a connection with her, and Puffin decides to follow her instinct. She disobeys her mother, rescues the cat and finds a way to return it to the island.
I enjoyed the adventure Puffin took me on, from the visitor centre to the the imposing research labs. Puffin's antics have kept the pace in the book and the pages turned very easily.
I like the subtle message this book sends out. Whilst most scientists are not like Professor Smoult, he makes a good evil antagonist, in his pursuit of fame and fortune at all costs. He reminds me of the man who killed the goose to get all its golden eggs at once.
Puffin is looking forward to her mother's presentation on the Kuri, a legendary wildcat, on a school trip to her mother's research centre. But when her mother does not give the talk as expected, Puffin sneaks into her laboratory, and discovers the Kuri, far from its natural habitat. It seems to form a connection with her, and Puffin decides to follow her instinct. She disobeys her mother, rescues the cat and finds a way to return it to the island.
I enjoyed the adventure Puffin took me on, from the visitor centre to the the imposing research labs. Puffin's antics have kept the pace in the book and the pages turned very easily.
I like the subtle message this book sends out. Whilst most scientists are not like Professor Smoult, he makes a good evil antagonist, in his pursuit of fame and fortune at all costs. He reminds me of the man who killed the goose to get all its golden eggs at once.
May 11, 2025
Lovely, adorable environmental message for a 9-12 audience.
Puffin and her friend Lance get unexpectedly thrown into a race to rescue the mysterious Kuri, a legendary wildcat said to have healing abilities. But when Puffin discovers her mum's involvement in the Kuri's capture she must work with Lance against the clock to fight for the truth and return the Kuri to its natural habitat.
Puffin and her friend Lance get unexpectedly thrown into a race to rescue the mysterious Kuri, a legendary wildcat said to have healing abilities. But when Puffin discovers her mum's involvement in the Kuri's capture she must work with Lance against the clock to fight for the truth and return the Kuri to its natural habitat.
July 3, 2025
A special cat with healing abilities that needs to go home from a lab where she's examined to her natural habitat in order to live. A sweet story about friendship, bond between an animal and human and doing the right thing.
May 2, 2025
Great adventure story, packed with excitement and action. Fun read!
May 25, 2025
Stunning book. Had my heart both thumping and breaking, had me laughing and crying. Beautifully well written, and would love to see a sequel.
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