Cat Hellisen

Cat Hellisen
Born 31 May 1977
Occupation Writer
Nationality South African
Genre Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade
Notable works When the Sea is Rising Red
Website
www.cathellisen.com

Cat Hellisen (born 31 May 1977) is the South African author of fantasy novels When the Sea is Rising Red, House of Sand and Secrets, and Beastkeeper..[1]

Biography

Cat Hellisen was born in Cape Town and has lived in Johannesburg, South Africa and Nottingham, England. She currently lives in Cape Town, South Africa.[1]

Works

Novels

When the Sea is Rising Red (Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 2012)
Beastkeeper (Henry Holt)[2]
House of Sand and Secrets (Folded Wherry; 2013)[3]

Short Stories

"This Reflection of Me" (Jabberwocky 3; Prime Books; 2007)[4]
"The Subtle Thief" (Something Wicked 4; 2007)[5][6]
"Jack of Spades, Reversed" (Something Wicked 17; 2012)[5][7]
"Mother, Crone, Maiden" (Tor.com; 2012)[8][9]
"Waking" (Apex Magazine, 2014)[10]
"The Girls Who Go Below" (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, 2014)[11]
"Mouse Teeth" (Terra Incognita, Short Story day Africa Collection, 2015)[12]

Reception

Publishers Weekly writes of When The Sea Is Rising Red, "Hellisen's style features evocative descriptions and unflinching detail, drawing readers into the unusual and intriguing elements that make up Felicita's socially complex world,"[13] while Kirkus says that "the worldbuilding intrigues, and the open-ended conclusion begs a sequel."[14] In a starred review, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books writes, "Dark, foreboding, and not entirely redemptive, this is an intense look at the seeds of rebellion and the individual consequences they sometimes reap."[15]

Kirkus calls the narration for Beastkeeper, “...thoughtful and lyrical. Figurative prose is memorable yet never flashy.” in a starred review.[16] Publisher's Weekly also gave it a star, saying, “Blending modern-day problems and ancient magical curses, Hellisen’s (When the Sea Is Rising Red) novel sparkles like a classic fairy tale, even as it plumbs unpleasant truths.”[17] The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books suggests in a starred review that “older fans of fairy tales and their retellings will revel in this poetic, tragic, epic story of a girl who is faced with the worst of what people can choose and instead decides to step outside of the curse and make her own way.”[18] Voya gives another star and writes, “"Beastkeeper is a bright, beautiful sliver of a novel . . . Every page shimmers with magic."[19]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cat Hellisen (24 June 2013). "About/Contact | Cat Hellisen". Cathellisen.com. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "Rights Report: Week of February 11, 2013". Publishersweekly.com. 14 February 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "Folded Wherry". Folded Wherry.
  4. ↑ Ian Hough Tuesday, 13 September 2011 • 8:06 am (13 September 2011). ""This Reflection of Me" from Jabberwocky 3". Fantasy Magazine. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Volume Two". Something Wicked. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Subtle Thief, The – Something Wicked". Somethingwicked.co.za. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "Jack of Spades, reversed". Something Wicked. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  8. ↑ Cat Hellisen. "Mother, Crone, Maiden | Cat Hellisen | Macmillan". Us.macmillan.com. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  9. ↑ Cat Hellisen (22 February 2012). "Mother, Crone, Maiden by Cat Hellisen". Tor.com. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  10. ↑ "Waking". Apex Magazine. 4 March 2014.
  11. ↑ "The Girls Who Go Below". The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. 16 Apr 2014.
  12. ↑ http://shortstorydayafrica.org/news/terra-incognita-revealed
  13. ↑ "Children's Review: When the Sea Is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $16.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-374-36475-5". Publishersweekly.com. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  14. ↑ Richards, Elizabeth. "WHEN THE SEA IS RISING RED by Cat Hellisen | Kirkus". Kirkusreviews.com. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  15. ↑ Quealy Gainer, Kate. "When the Sea is Rising Red." Review of When the Sea is Rising Red, by Cat Hellisen. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 65.7 (March 2012): 354–355. <http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/bulletin_of_the_center_for_childrens_books/v065/65.7.quealy-gainer04.html>.
  16. ↑ https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cat-hellisen/beastkeeper/
  17. ↑ http://www.publishersweekly.com/9780805099805
  18. ↑ http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/bulletin_of_the_center_for_childrens_books/v068/68.7.spisak.html
  19. ↑ http://www.voyamagazine.com/

External links