I’m always looking for New Adult authors to try out so I was excited by finding this book. While there were some aspects of this book that were impressive to me, there were too many things that missed the mark for me.
Riley is truly a great writer. Her descriptions were beautiful and so well written that I really wanted to like this book. I just found myself waiting and waiting for something to happen when it felt like nothing did.
I liked that there were not many names in the book, which isn’t something I’ve seen very often. The characters were called “the hiker” and “the boy” etc. Something about this method made the characters more distinct and personal. I also thought the descriptions of Lauralie’s artwork was fantastic. Her descriptions of artwork are probably more beautiful than most artwork I’ve seen. Again, this goes back to Riley being a fantastic writer, and just not quite using it the best way.
A lot of the book didn’t feel real. I don’t know exactly how to explain this, but half of the time the main character seems in this dream-like state where she never takes action and things just happen around her while she stands there. The other half of the time I can’t even tell what is happening. Some things are written in such a complex metaphor that I was unsure what was real and what was a metaphor for something else. And sometimes, the characters act in a way that was just so confusing. Like I didn’t understand the characters or relate to them at all.
There was also such a lack of dialogue that I often got so tired of reading such long paragraphs that I almost fell asleep. This is definitely in the category of literature, so don’t expect any fluff or easy reading. You have to pay close attention because if your minds wanders (which mine did often and easily), you won’t know what’s happening.
This book might be perfect for some other readers, but unfortunately it didn’t do it for me.

This book is not what I was expecting in quite a few ways. First, the book was much shorter than I thought it would be. Though the book was under 200 pages, the author still managed to paint a pretty vivid picture of the main character, Laurelie. I was surprised by the amount of character development I feel like the author was able to accomplish, and I found myself pretty attached to some of the characters by the end. I was also surprised by the magical-type elements in the book. There weren't many, but those that were present didn't distract from my reading experience all that much. I'm not sure the magical elements added much for me, but I can see how others may really enjoy them. The writing in this book was wonderful- I loved the descriptions of nature and the descriptions of people and activities. The plot (with the exception of some of the more surreal elements) was 1000% believable and I didn't see the minor plot-twist coming. The lack of dialogue, the intentional omission of the hiker's name until the end- it all really worked for me.

I think my favorite part of the book, though, was the description of Laurelie's relationship with Rowan, the two year old she watches. I loved the description of Rowan and Laurelie in the woods, of Rowan's interactions with the dog(s) and the hiker, and Rowan's general efforts to communicate. I also loved Laurelie's reflections on her time with Rowan. For me, this was easily the highlight of the book.

If you're looking for a good, quick but satisfying read, I'd suggest checking this one out!

A mesmerizing novel, The Bobcat is the story of Laurelie, who has transferred to a college in rural Vermont after being sexually assaulted. Fearful and emotionally fragile, she spends her time channeling her emotions into art and caring for her landlord’s toddler, until she encounters a hiker tracking an injured bobcat through the woods. As Laurelie and the hiker come together, and Laurelei grows to understand the hiker's uncanny and often overwhelming ability to sense the world around him, Riley uses language, both precise and lushly descriptive, to show how true connection does not depend on words. In an age of tell-all stories and healing through talk therapy, it’s a radical act. Though there is plot and mystery enough to drive this novel, what really powers it is Riley’s profound sense of empathy and her gorgeous writing – about people, animals, the natural world, fear, love and hope. This is the kind of novel that makes you turn the pages to discover what becomes of the hiker, Laurelie, the bobcat and the toddler - and then makes you slow down to savor the telling itself.

This book was just..not that good. The author tried really, really hard to create beautiful prose, and it reeked of trying too hard. I get that maybe she was trying to reflect the interior of the hiker's mind, but certain sentences were awkward. Also, Laurelie's art didn't sound like something that could get her into an MFA program, and! it seemed like her sexual assault was thrown in as an excuse for why she acted like a hermit, but it wasn't really addressed how she dealt with it beyond just meeting the hiker.
I don't know, someone might like this book, but it's not me.

The Bobcat is a pretty special debut author from Katherine Forbes Riley. The Netgalley synopsis describes the novel as "haunting and lyrical", and I'd say that's pretty spot on. We follow Laurelie, a college student and art major who has just transferred to a new college after being sexually assaulted. Her new college is in rural Vermont, and she spends her time creating art and looking after the son of her landlord and landlady, a young boy called Rowan. One day when Laurelie and Rowan are in the woods they spot the bobcat of the title, and meet a young male hiker who has been tracking the pregnant bobcat. What follows is Laurelie's journey to recovery - through her relationship with the hiker and his family and her own art.

My only criticism of the novel is that it felt too short -it would've been great to spend more time with Laurelie and experience more of Forbes Riley's writing. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this one.

What a unique little book! The Bobcat is quite short in length, but packed with a lot of story, and is essentially about a young college student who, in the wake of a sexual assault, transfers to a college in a small Vermont town and chooses to interact with very few people aside from the two-year-old son of her landlord whom she babysits, and a mysterious hiker she meets in the woods close to her tiny cottage.

There is very little dialogue throughout the book and is heavy on recounting and description. This can be a difficult thing for authors to pull off, as I've found that often books written in this style can become tedious to read and can almost feel monotonous in tone. But here I found that the writing was actually very soothing to me, and in a way read kind of like a fable. I think this has a lot to do to with one of the main settings of story, which is the woods, and so lent a lot of that earthy atmosphere I love in folklore and fairytales for me to conjure up in my mind's eye.

What I really appreciated about The Bobcat (and yes, there is an actual bobcat that features in the story, don't worry) is that it's a story about a survivor of rape that doesn't focus on her attacker or the crime. There is nothing about the character of Lorelei or what happened to her prior to the beginning of the book that is gratuitous or that makes her character feel like the only characteristic she has is that of being a rape victim. Rather, it's about how she navigates life afterward; her process of healing (sometimes without even realizing she's healing), and she is undoubtedly a multifaceted young woman. At times the story went places I couldn't have expected (this is not a twisty book by any means, however), but it somehow made sense. And it kept me on my toes given there was such a small amount of back and forth to keep up with otherwise.

This was a really refreshing read, as it's quite different from the usual, and I'd highly recommend it for those who like their literary fiction to be filled with lovely, absorbing prose.

4.5 stars, I'd say!

This is a beautifully written book. It is not too long, but I enjoyed the way in which Katherine Forbes Riley narrates the story. I think that, even beyond the characters (who will stay with me, certainly), is what I will most remember about this story.

I also liked how a number of characters did not have set names/were referred to more broadly. That is something that I have come across sometimes, but not extremely often, in books I have read and it almost always increases my fascination in the story - because although names are crucial/vital/give power, the lack of using them in storytelling is a powerful choice, too.

I found the main character's art/use of her art another lovely addition to the story, especially as it helps her to deal with the aftermath of what has happened. I found the arc of the story interesting to follow, even though the subject is obviously disturbing.

Thank you to NetGalley/Skyhorse Publishing/Arcade Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this story!