Catalyst was a reread for me. At first, I was hesitant about rereading it, mostly because I am not a fan of rereading in general, but I remembered how much I enjoyed reading it the first time, so I decided to give it another shot. The first time I read it, I really connected with the main character, Kate Malone. Being in a different spot in my life now, I wasn't sure if I would connect with her this time around, but I found that I was still able to connect to her. Even though I had a general idea of what would happen in the novel, I was still caught by surprise at the course of events.
About the Book:
Kate Malone is a shoe-in for MIT. She's a straight-A student, loves chemistry, is a star member of both the track and cross country teams, and balances a part-time job. Kate's deceased mother was even an alumnus of MIT. Confident that she will get accepted, Kate applies to just the one school. Unfortunately for Kate, things do not go as planned, both at school and at home. MIT waitlists Kate, and Teri Litch, Kate's mortal enemy and neighbor moves in, along with her little brother, Mikey, after their house burns down. While waiting to hear from MIT, Kate helps to rebuild the Litch's home, learning a lot about herself, Teri, and her future in the process.
On Teaching:
Like Anderson's other young adult novels, Catalyst deals with some pretty heavy and emotional stuff. However, I think it is one of her more milder novels, and could potentially be taught in a classroom. I think I would try it out as a lit circle book first, to see what students think of the book, and depending on how that goes, use it as a whole class novel the next year.
Other Books by the Author:
Speak
Fever 1793
Wintergirls
Twisted
Chains
Prom
Forge
Author's Website:
http://madwomanintheforest.com/
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