BOOK REVIEW: Mousetrapped by Catherine Ryan Howard

I "met" Catherine Ryan Howard on Twitter (where I spend most of my life) and was lucky enough to win a copy of her debut book, Mousetrapped, on GoodReads. (I totally would have bought one anyway.)

Subtitled 'A Year and A Bit in Orlando, Florida', Mousetrapped is the story of what happened when Catherine decided to "swap the grey clouds of Ireland for the clear skies of the Sunshine State." Just typing that makes me want to emigrate and the sun is actually shining here (for once), but the idea of taking off on an adventure always appeals. 

Catherine's dream was to work in Disney World and to see a Space Shuttle launch, but, inevitably, things don't immediately work out as she hoped. Her apartment (and roommates) are grim, she can't drive and so is forced to walk to work (no one walks in Florida) and get taxis home (which uses up a good portion of her pay). But eventually Catherine realises things need to change if she's going to enjoy her new life and change they do. 

The first part of the book is memoir and the second is a series of essays about different aspects of living in Florida. Like Celebration, i.e. 'The Town That Disney Built', which sounds like a fascinating (and odd) place. The essays about Kennedy Space Centre and seeing a Space Shuttle Launch are just gorgeous... and made me cry. 

It's hard to pick out anything because I loved the whole book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me want to go to Florida (for a looooong holiday). I can't wait to read what Catherine Ryan Howard writes next. 

Comments

[diane]

I loved this book too! (And will be doing a bite-sized review of my own before too long, I promise, Catherine.)

I'm longing to go back to Florida since reading it, and this time I'll have to make it to Kennedy. I LOVED the chapter on the shuttle launch (it made me cry) and I'm not even very interesting in space travel.

[Catherine]

Thanks Keris for such a lovely review! Made my day. :)

And thanks Diane! I don't even like to flick through it myself because it just makes me sad I'm not there. Going in October for a short visit though so at least there's that! Counting down the days..