Catalyst

Very well written book. It helps you see that multiple people in the book were going through hard times, and through the perspective of the characters you can see that having an (I) attitude only hurts you. Allowing yourself to see that there are people enduring things that are just as difficult, if not harder can be eye opening. Of course to achieve that mental state is way easier said then done. Overall a great book.

Catalyst is not a perfect book. No book is. That said, it kept me spellbound into all hours of the night, because I just had to know what happened to Kate and Terri. I somewhat agree with the reader that said the novel follows a progression from a self-centered Kate to a less self-centered Kate, EXCEPT that I see Kate as more self-protective than self-centered. Don't any of you adults out there remember what it was like to be a teenager? When you felt like your entire life was out of your control and hung by the thread of other people's decisions? As a chronic overachiever who struggles with performance anxiety, I could relate A LOT to Kate.There were times that I thought she should have felt a little guiltier about focusing on the MIT rejection instead of on Terri, BUT then again, Terri's situation was so horrifying it would be difficult for someone as young as Kate to process. In fact, that was one of my few gripes with the book--that what happens to Terri seems a bit over the top. Yes, there are people out there with even worse stories, but I wondered if there was any way to simplify the plot line to include just one or two of those events. But that still didn't take away from the overall power of the book for me, and I wound up by the end liking both Terri and Kate very much.And as for the reviewer who said she was appalled at the choice of this for a summer reading list, well, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, yes, this deals with some very taboo subjects that parents may not want their children exposed to. But I think it really depends on the age of the child. Would I want my fourteen year old to read this? Perhaps not. My sixteen or seventeen year old? Most likely. Ultimately, though, I am glad books like this exist. Wouldn't you rather your teenager navigate the waters of difficult subjects through a sensitive, well-written book like this than through watching any number of television shows or YouTube videos? This stuff is out there. People do struggle with issues like this. At some point, your child WILL be exposed to these subjects, whether or not they are in a public school. By the time most teens read a book like this, there's a good chance they will have ALREADY encountered them.

Love it

Catalyst is a decent story, readable and a few twists you don't expect. But, I definitely thought the other books I've read by this author ("Speak" and "Chains") were far better and superior books. There is a lot mentioned about a character from "Speak" making an appearance in this book too - and she does. But....it's such a throw away. It's like the editor and/or author was like...."Uh-oh...we gotta fit Melinda in this book somehow...no matter how random!" I think they shot themselves in the foot with that too, because if you love the Melinda character and relate to her as I did, you won't like Kate as much, and you'll just be waiting for Melinda to show up. When she finally does, it's quick and a let-down. I also really just thought this missed at the ending - not to destroy the book for anyone - but it didn't seem believable, and the character needing redemption never really did anything to earn it.

As many have said, Laurie Halse Anderson is a great author, and she has many excellent books. That being said, this is not one of the best examples of this. This book is about Kate, an overachieving minister's daughter that just wants to get into MIT. This story is all about how her neighbor's house is destroyed in a fire and her neighbor whom she cannot stand and her family lives with Kate.I wasn't sure what to expect when I was reading, because most of Anderson's books had to do with disturbed teens. From what I heard about Catalyst, this didn't seem very dark. But, that doesn't stop Kate. I really liked the other main characters in many of Anderson's books, but Kate is just not likable. Also, she goes into a LOT of detail about her brother's, er, habits for no particular reason. Her friends seem as if taken out of a bad teen sitcom, and then, there's the ending. Let's just say you probably will be disappointed.Overall, This book was ok. It was good at times, and bad at times, but mediocre overall. I recommend simply sticking to Speak, or maybe Wintergirls.

Book has a slow start but morphed into an unexpected twist. The ending could have been much better. I felt as though she got tired of writing and threw an ending in. Good overall though.

I absolutely love this book! It's been one of my favorites for about 10 years and I finally bought my very own copy! Laurie Halse Anderson is a phenomenal author

Please parents, it would be a wise thing for you to read through this book before you allow your precious young person to do so in my opinion.This was a required summer reading book for one of my children's public schools. I feel it was definitely not a choice I would have made at all, and I wish I had read it through before my child had read it. It was described to me by my child as a "pointless" and "time-wasting" book. There was no plot or ending. It includes masturbation and incest issues within its pages. As there is so much great and edifying literature available for young people, I personally would have chosen very differently for my child.On the other hand, I am also grateful for this book in two ways. First, it helped "seal the deal" that our children will not attend public school again where supposed "experts" can control what my children read and/or learn. Secondly, this book made me even more thankful than ever that we have a freedom of choice in education for our children in this country. So, all is not lost, and there truly has been something good that came out of this book for my family. Yet, I still wish I had read through this first rather than trusting someone else to make a such a choice for my child.

I have read speak and wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. I thought that these books were very good, so I bought this book. The topic of the book is very interestig and it's very nice how the chemistry is brought in by the author.When you have finished the book, you will understand the title.I would recommend everybody who read and likes the other books by Laurie Halse Anderson.Fiore