Cover Image: Freddy's Magic Garden

Freddy's Magic Garden

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Member Reviews

Me and my children read this book. With all the characters within. It about the life of a mother and her two kittens. And what they have to live through.

This was a fun story to read. It had action, adventure and suspense throughout. It had a few giggles within. There were pictures of the different types of cats throughout the story.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinions.

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I really didn’t know what to expect of this book. I love the story. It made me cry. Love that the story is told from a cat’s perspective. I would recommend this book to all cat lovers. But I think anyone would enjoy reading this story. The writing really puts you in the ‘paws’ of the cat. It evokes a lot of feelings about homeless pets and their plight. It makes you think more about the dangers homeless animals face.

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This is the perfect cute little story if you are a cat lover. It was a very easy read and I loved following along with Freddy.
Thank you for the opportunity to be able to read and review this cute little story.

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This book was a bit different to ones I normally read, and to be honest all the chapters are rather similar. It was ok though and an easy read when in holiday.

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Engaging and exciting from the beginning. A very realistic feel for the reader.
An irresistible slice of escapism and a joy to read. Compelling, absorbing and highly entertaining. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Sometimes I don't know what's wrong with me. I could not get into this book, and I love cats. It was written way too simply for me, (yes, I know it was written by a kitten). I tried, but did not finish. All the other members liked it! I feel bad leaving this review. I still thank the publisher and NetGalley for the read.

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Ever looked into your cat's eyes and wondered what goes on in there? Well, Angelina Dayan has some answers for fellow cat lovers with this tender and heartwarming story of Freddy, which/who(sic!) is allowed to recount his biography and how the world looks through the eyes of an inquisitive feline! A must for all cat lovers and not only!

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This is a beautiful book. The photos of the cats are gorgeous. The story is told from an interesting variety of perspectives including animals, the woman who cares for them, and Freddy the cat. The writing style is lovely. I cared for all of the animals. Some readers may be upset by the reality that is inserted into this set of animal stories. The animals include wild animals, feral cats, and abandoned and mistreated cats. I found myself waiting for something awful to happen to these poor creatures. Nothing horrible was blatantly described; however, the animals were neglected. While we all know this happens, it can be very difficult to read about. These plot points can make the book difficult to read in places. I had to take a break and actually did not start reading this book right away because I did not want to deal with those topics. I am a cat lover (and animal lover, in general), so I may be more sensitive that some.
This book can certainly raise awareness of animal abuse and neglect. However, Freddy's story has a happy ending. This book is aimed at adults and is not an animal fairytale for children.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I've been a cat lover since being lucky enough to rescue a wonderful ginger Maine Coon from a shelter years ago. I had him for 12 years and still miss him every day. I loved reading these stories from the cats' point of view - especially the Maine Coons.

Sometimes when a writer uses an animal's point of view, the result comes across as silly or corny. Not here. The author does a good job of presenting an authentic voice for each of its animal 'writers'

Anyone who loves animals will love this book; and if they don't start out as an animal lover, they just might end up as one. This is a thoroughly charming book

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A sweet and heartwarming collection of stories creatively narrated by a cat and his owner. A fun way to share stories of love, loss, and family - both humans and felines.

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This book is so much more than I expected when I decided to review it. It is filled with short stories about cats, their adventures, and their families. I felt like I could keep reading and reading if there was more. If you're interested in reading about cats and a lovely family please pick up this book!

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A very nice set of stories involving a herd of kitties and how they all, in many different ways ended up in homes or some such.

As a whole, the stories are for cat lovers, as I am. The canine set may not be as enthusiastic. I'll write that this book is a perfect gift for fellow kitty supporters.

Each tale is well plotted and thought out. The arrangement of stories mostly work. There's a bunch of back and forth in time, which makes a bit difficult to follow the order of the couple dozen cats referenced throughout. A thought the author might want to include next time, as is referred, is a family tree of kitties and people.

The writing is OK, but could use tweaking and stronger writing skills. There are context and description issues that could use strengthening. Especially involving settings.

For a self-published book, this volume has better editing than books being tossed on to the market by current large publishers (Whatever those are anymore.).

This book has been available for review via NetGalley.com.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. 7 out of 10 points.

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Charming book of stories and adventures told from kitty Freddy's perspective with help from his mum. It's a sweet book perfect for cat lovers and those who enjoy heartwarming stories.

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Since these stories are told from a cat’s perspective, this book would be more suitable for a child because the voice is whimsical despite the darker content of the stories

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Absolutely darling, but of course, this is coming from a true fan of felines and England, so likely it would charm me no matter what. That being said, I was happy with the way the story flowed, how the animals conversed, and well, adding human characteristics to an animal is always a treat. A sweet tale.

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Freddy’s Magic Garden is such a wholesome read, full of adventures and riddled with poignant emotions. The many rich stories of these rescued cats are a testament to the deep bond and love shared between the author and these vulnerable animals. It reads like a fairy tale with twists, heartbreaks and joyful reunions. The concept of a magic garden is absolutely wonderful. Looking forward to more wholesome tales from this beautiful family.

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3.5 stars

These true cat stories are narrated by a feline named Freddy and his (human) Mum, who live in France, not too far from Paris. Freddy's Mum always liked cats and finally ended up with more than fifteen felines, either in the house or as permanent garden guests.

When Freddy came along Mum already had seven Maine Coon cats, and their stories - and others - make up the tales in this book. The stories - which are suspenseful, adventurous, happy, and sad - will make cat lovers laugh, thrill, and occasionally shed a tear.

For example: Freddy's story begins when he and his sister Caramel are born in a vacant lot, where they live with their (cat) Maman. Things go well for a time but the weather heats up and food and water become almost nonexistent. Maman goes out to find sustenance for her family, but the poor feline is so weak she collapses in someone's garden, unable to move.

As it happens, Maman collapses in Mum's garden and Mum - seeing Maman from her office window - runs out with water and food. As the story unfolds, Mum discovers where Maman, Freddy, and Caramel live and continues to provide sustenance. Then disaster strikes: a bulldozer arrives to dig up the cats' vacant lot, and Maman, Freddy, and Caramel run away. Mum looks EVERYWHERE for the cats, searching under bushes, examining fences, ringing doorbells, leaving her phone number, etc.

Long story short, after various dangerous/exciting adventures the cats are reunited with Mum. Freddy takes up residence in Mum's house with Mum's seven Coon cats, including daddy Uddy and mommy Tahiti; Caramel - who prefers the outdoors - lives in Mum's garden; and Maman comes and goes as she pleases.

Other stories detail adventures of still more cats, including Pearl - who's thrown out of a car and abandoned; Chili - whose (cat) Mummy goes off to find food and never returns; Vicky - who goes on a hunger strike to get her way; Princess - who's accidentally left at a rest stop and walks 200 miles to get home; Kelly - a kitten found in the woods without her (cat) mommy; Maggie - whose human family moves away and leaves her behind and more.

Many of these cats are adopted by Mum, who has a big big heart for felines. Photos of many of the cats are included, which adds fun to the narrative.....as does the 'catification' of some words. For instance, the cats describe a music lover as playing Meowzart, Barkhoven, and Ratmaninov and refer to a certain billionaire, space-loving human as Mewlon Husk.

The stories have happy endings, so the book is appropriate for animal lovers of all ages, including children.

Thanks to Netgalley, Angelina Dayan, and Angelina Dayan Publishing for a copy of the manuscript.

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I've never read a book written by a cat and its human mother in my life. I decided to do something about it. I read the book "Freddy's Magic Garden". Freddy is a beautiful black and white male cat. His human mother is Angelina Dayan. Together they created something amazing. Freddy and his mother tell stories from their lives. Angelina is a wonderful person who loves cats. She had plenty of them in her life. She loves the Maine Coon breed. She has several of them in her house, which you will find out by reading this story. I met, among others, cats: Tahiti, Carmel, Uddy and Maman. You will find many more cats in this book. Some cats stories entertain, teach and make you cry. This book is perfectly written. I like her style. Perfect for young and adult readers. If you are lovers of cats and other animals, you cannot miss this title. The book "Freddy's Magic Garden" contains wonderful photographs of the described cats. Something fabulous.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a sweet book, told mostly from Freddy's perspective. I was thinking it would be cheesy but I actually really enjoyed it. I have a soft spot for feral kitties as I had a rescue kitten who had been abandoned by his cat momma. He was a sickly little boy all his life but he lived 10 years.
Cat lovers will greatly appreciate the author's kind heartedness toward her kitties.

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This book follows the lives of Freddy (and other cats), from Freddy’s point of view. I love cat memoirs, so I was delighted to read this. While I sometimes found the POV a little awkward, I thoroughly enjoyed all the stories about Freddy and his cat family. This book would be a wonderful read for both children and adults.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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