A Single Shot
Ned fired the forbidden rifle just once, at a flickering shadow in the autumn moonlight. But someone — a face, fleetingly seen staring at him from an attic window — was watching.
And when a one-eyed cat turns up at an elderly neighbor's woodshed, Ned is caught in a web of guilt, fear, and shame that he cannot escape — until another moonlit night, come spring, brings redemption and surprising revelations.
An eleven-year-old shoots a stray cat with his new air rifle, subsequently suffers from guilt, and eventually assumes responsibility for it.
Author biography courtesy of Henry Holt and Company.
"My first job was working in a dress shop in Los Angeles in 1940, for $7 a week."
"I like to cook; it is, for me, a happy combination of mindlessness and purpose."
andrewreynolds
Posted May 26, 2010
The story wasnt the greatest, but we read worse. I just felt it dragged out the point of the story too long. All the characters were boring. I read this book for a class; thats the only reason I read it, but overall it is a pointless book.
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Posted April 19, 2008
The book just sort of dragged on, but I can say that their were some parts that I enjoyed, like the ending, when he and his mom are sitting in the moonlight watching three cats play and I thought that part was so descriptive it put a lovely picture in my mind. The book had very good descriptive parts but also had description in part where they are not needed.
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Posted November 7, 2007
this book was the worst book i have ever read. it has no point and its extremely borring. i had to read this for school but if i didnt have to i would have burned this book and ran away.the characters are dull and dumb,did i mention its boring? no good parts in the story,its all just not a book. i have no idea how this even got published. did i mention its boring?
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Posted August 15, 2007
I had to read this book for school and do a project on it. It was an easy read on the surface but when you have to analyze it, there are a lot of messages there. It is basically about a boy becoming mature and learning to deal with his guilt and learning to open up to his parents. Unfortunately, the story was boring and the characters not that likeable. Believe me, if I did not have to read this book for school, I never would have finished it.
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Posted January 9, 2007
Ok youre book was great no doubt about that but ive read other great Paula FOx books and i gotta say not youre best keep up the good work
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Posted August 4, 2006
Seriously, this book needs a better plot. I did not feel emotion. I did not feel any terror or enjoyment for that part. The book was poorly written, non-descriptive, and well, DULL! As my headline said, the one eyed cat needs more than a hospital to survive, much less be a better book. The supposed climax, really does nothing for you and on top of that, the characters are completely filled with tedium. For me, Paula Fox tried too hard for this to be a good book. Pitiful.
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Posted August 30, 2006
It wasn't the greatest story or very interesting. Paula Fox has written better books but the story does not really talk about the cat. All it really was was just a boy who got a gun for his 11th birthday but he thinks he shot a cat. My report is to find a plot for this story but i should tell my teacher that 'Oh, this story has no plot,' To tell you the truth, Paula should suprise readers and interest them more. I was very disappointed in Ms. Fox because i know she can write amazing novels and excuisite details and not some pointless novel about a stupid kid who thinks he shot some blind cat. I am sorry about my language but i know Paula does better. Just to make it happy for the readers who loved it, I thought the story was sad, happy and filled with emotions and thoughts by Fox who had enjoyed writing for many years.Mrs. fox if you make any other books NOT including a story like this then i would be more than happy to re
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Posted June 16, 2005
This was the worst book I have ever read. There is no plot! It's all about a boy who thinks he shot a cat in the eye, but never finds out. The cat resides in this creepy, old man's backyard. It was like pulling teeth to read this book.
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Posted December 3, 2003
extremely boring but I think Paula Fox did a great job writing her story.
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Posted October 29, 2003
Awsome story, a must-read. Paula Fox did a great job.
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Posted October 5, 2003
I thought the book was incredibly boring. It was hard to get into, although the end probably had to be the best part. The chapters were way too long, they were like 20 or 30 pages long!!! The author talked too much about the small things, and hardly about the cat.
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Posted September 4, 2003
This book had some good points to it. However, it was a little boring and took some work to get through it.
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Posted March 16, 2003
This book is about a boy named Ned Wallis who is the child of a minister and his mom is really sick.A couple days before his birthday his uncle came over.His uncle gave him a rifle for his birthday.Ned's father takes it away and said he was too young for it.Ned will get it back when he's fourteen.One night Ned finds where his father hid the gun and needs to shoot it so it's out of his system.He hits somethig in the shadows but doesn't know what he hit.He also sees that some one saw him out the window.A couple of days later,when he's helping out Mr.Scully,he sees a cat with only one eye.Is this the creature he shot that one night?Who saw him that night? To find out read the book!
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Posted May 19, 2002
In One-Eyed Cat, eleven year old Ned is given a gun for his birthday, but he¿s forbidden to use it until he¿s fourteen. Bet he can¿t control his curiosity, he has to shoot it just once. In the middle of the night, he feels something watching him, and he shoots at a dark shadow. A few months later, He spots a cat with one eye while helping a neighbor. Is the cat what Ned really shot at that night? How can he hide his guilt? There are several themes in the book. The two that I chose to explain are love and guilt. Love plays a major part in the book because while Ned¿s family and friends change in many ways, he realizes that they still need love, something to hold on to. Guilt is also a big theme because for most of the book, Ned feels really guilty about taking the gun. The author has a unique style of writing. She tends to describe visuals very thoroughly. It almost makes you feel like you are right there with the characters. Her style definitely paints a clear picture in your mind. Although the book takes place in the 1930s, I think that almost anyone can relate to Ned at some point in his or her life. Everyone has done something that they know is wrong, but they are too afraid to admit it. This book is very realistic in that way. I personally thought that this book was good, and it had somewhat of a surprise ending. If you¿re looking for an on-the-edge-of-your-char thriller, this book probably isn¿t for you. However, if you like historical fiction, interesting plots, and symbolism, then read this book!
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Posted October 21, 2001
This book was ok. I've read better. The author spend to much time talking about little things that don't matter. I couldn't really get into the book. It was sort of 'exciting' at the end but not really. I've recommended some other(better) books below.
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Posted April 10, 2001
This book is about a boy, I forgot his name, lives around the 1940's. He turnes thirteen one day and gets a present. It's a gun. But he got it from his uncle. His mother has terrible disease. Not really terrible, but you know what I mean. His father is a minester. So when the boy gets his gun, hais dad takes it away. That night, the boy finds the gun and takes it out. He sees a shadow and shoots at it. The next day he's at an old mans house. He sees a cat with one eye. He worrys that he's the one that shot the cat's eye out. To find out more, well, read the book!
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Posted February 21, 2001
i believe by reading other reviews that i am agreed with when i say this book was awful. it had nothing to grab the attention, no story line to follow, and the most detail it went in to was of the half blind cat! it had nothing to make you think. the only reason i read it was for a book report and i would not recommend it for that, it had no substance, nothing significant to write about, i knew nothing of the few pionts that might have made it more enjoyable. the only reason i give it 2 stars is in the intrest of fairness, it deserves 1/2. how this become a newbary anything amazes me.
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Posted December 6, 2000
I thought this book was very stupid, slow, and hard to get into, but that's probably because it is best for little kids. Although Paula Fox does a good job with characterization. Besides that, HORRIBLE!!!
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Posted November 7, 2000
Well, I am in the 6th grade so you parents out there will see how a kid thinks of it. Well, it isn't as good as harry potter. It talks about how a boy disobeys his father and shoots a gun at a cat. The cat appears in an old man's backyard. THe plot, I think is good. In case you want to know children like books made in years 1990-2000. THose books have the things many children have and children can relate more.
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Posted October 20, 2000
It was a great book! I think everyone should read it. It takes place in the country with a boy named Will. It is exciting and mysterious at the same time.
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Overview
A Single Shot
Ned fired the forbidden rifle just once, at a flickering shadow in the autumn moonlight. But someone — a face, fleetingly seen staring at him from an attic window — was watching.
And when a one-eyed cat turns up at an elderly neighbor's woodshed, Ned is caught in a web of guilt, fear, and shame that he cannot escape — until another moonlit night, come spring, brings redemption and surprising ...