The Fire Cats of London

I can't describe how much I loved this book!Already a big fan of Anna Fargher's, I was so excited to read 'The Fire Cats of London' and of course it did not disappoint.This book may be aimed at people younger than myself but at 32 the storyline is just as interesting and captivating for me.An action-packed historical fiction, it shines light upon a topic close to my heart - animal welfare.It does a great job of making you emotionally invested in the characters and hopefully makes people think twice about how animals have been used and abused by humans for a whole host of reasons not only in the past but current day too.Gorgeous illustrations accompany this beautiful story making for an absolutely wonderful read.

My daughter has been learning about the great fire of London at school and was super excited about the subject, while shopping in sainsburys she burst with excitement when I read the back of this book to her and she begged me for it. Decided to buy it as a surprise for Christmas from Amazon instead as I don’t just buy when my kids ask. Can’t wait to see her face on Christmas Day

I read this with my 7 year old son who really enjoyed it. There are some words that I needed to explain and there were plenty of opportunities for conversations about different aspects of the story, but it’s a great read that doesn’t patronise it’s younger readers by avoiding the more challenging issues that are presented. The illustrations are lovely but I feel are a little incongruous with the story. The characters should have been done in a more realistic way given how they are portrayed in the book.It was certainly a hit with both myself and my son and we were sad to finish the story this bedtime.

I loved this book, a real page turner, kept me gripped throughout! Would definitely recommend, my nephews loved it also.

The Fire Cats of London by Anna Fargher is a breath-taking adventure which blazes through the historic streets of London like the Great Fire itself. The instantly engaging animal characters and fabulous illustrations from Sam Usher are a delight. The reader is drawn into immediate peril and courageous antics in a story that never burns out. A stunning read.

I wanted to love this book but it was just chapter after chapter of sad traumatic happenings. Deaths and animal hunting and baiting, cat family trauma...on and on.Thankfully had a happy ending but definitely not a joyful read. Wouldn't recommend for sensitive children at all.Very little to do with the fire of london too- mistitled.

I found this book too long and too full of tense scenarios. You need some respite from a never- ending stream of dangerous situations! The title is misleading as the fire doesn’t occur until near the end of the book. And the vocabulary the author uses is way beyond the recommended age-range. I was going to give it to my 11-year-old granddaughter with a reading age of 13+ but I think she would find the language too difficult.

The adorable cats on the cover illustration don’t accurately reflect the content of the book - where kittens are kept in cages and mutilated, being bled and their body parts are removed; then sold to a circus to bait for dog fights. The bear in the story (who has his own lovely Winnie the Pooh style illustration) has had a hideous life too - having endured years of bear baiting and her cubs removed from her. You could claim the story has a happy ending and it’s lovely that there’s historical detail and context, but it’s not suitable at all for 8 year olds - especially empathetic little girls who love cats. I’d say more suitable for teenagers.