ALA Booklist (Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2005)

Charlie the Catspeaker finally faces down the insidious Corporacy and its henchmen in this conclusion to the Lionboy trilogy, which sustains and amplifies the previous books' socially enlightened tones. Half-Ghanaian Charlie contemplates the horrific history of slavery during a second kidnapping episode that creepily retraces the Middle Passage and ends in the Corporacy's Caribbean headquarters. While there, he finds he has become an unwilling subject of genetic research conducted by brainwashed automatons. Charlie's former acquaintances, lions included, launch a rescue mission headed by his scientist parents, while resourceful Charlie musters help from his ever-growing fan club of animals. The unedited whimsy (there's even an oddly upbeat cameo by Fidel Castro) and idealized characterizations aren't for everyone, but followers of the trilogy will revel in the Dickensian finale, awhirl with revelations, reunions, and resolutions. The knowledge that the novel was written with the help of an adolescent (Zizou Corder is a pseudonym for a British mother-daughter team) should deepen readers' satisfaction.

Horn Book (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2006)

Reunited at the end of the previous volume, Charlie and his parents are quickly separated again after he is kidnapped and taken to the Caribbean. There, helped by a cat and a chameleon, Charlie works to bring down the evil Corporacy. Filled with enough zany adventures to thrill fans of the first books, the novel wraps up the tale satisfactorily.

Kirkus Reviews

In the third and final installment of the trilogy, it's Charlie—lion-rescuer, shipwreck survivor, circus veteran, son of asthma-cureinventing scientists—who is kidnapped. Page one quickly recaps the action as friends and enemies from the previous tales join the chase to rescue, or thwart, cat-speaking Charlie as he tries to outwit the evil Corporacy. Several plot devices, reversed situations and wily details gear up the fast action and rapid pace: a ship named Old Yeller , a cameo appearance by a man named Fidel from Cuba and a conversing chameleon. So who's on the boats, following whom, why and where? A rip-roaring ending resolves the conspiracy (based on asthma-inducing cats). The fans who have been chomping at the bit for the conclusion can now sink their teeth into it. Skimpy black-and-white drawings don't heighten the drama; maps would have sufficed. (Fiction. 9-12)

School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-As this final volume in the trilogy opens, Charlie Ashanti and his scientist parents have been reunited in Morocco. Now, however, they must run from a powerful network of corporations that had arranged their kidnapping in order to have control of their anti-asthma medication. Enemy Rafi Sadler is kidnapped alongside Charlie at the hands of lion trainer Maccomo, who hopes to sell Charlie's cat-speaking talents. The details of captivity and escape occupy most of the book. Tension and adventure hold taut on every page, but descriptions of the Corporacy Community assume an understanding of corporate exploitation that may baffle younger readers. As in the first two volumes, there are many characters, not all of whom have developed personalities or motives. A contrived and loose-ended plot element is the appearance of tiger-trainer Mabel Stark as Charlie's aunt and as Rafi's biological mother. Otherwise, the trilogy wraps up neatly, although too abruptly, with the Corporacy overthrown and the lions freed. The popularity of the first two "Lionboy" books will ensure demand for the third installment. Deelen's illustrations are as whimsical and as detailed as in the first two volumes.-Wendi Hoffenberg, Yonkers Public Library, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Voice of Youth Advocates

This final book in the Lionboy Trilogy finds Charlie, the young boy who can speak to cats, reunited with his parents and looking forward to spending time with them after their years in captivity. A chance encounter with his friend Sergei the cat, however, places Charlie once more into the hands of his enemies. He is kidnapped by the ruthless Maccomo and shipped off to the headquarters of the evil Corporacy. There he and other talented children will be brainwashed and made slaves to the wishes of the Corporacy. With the assistance of Sergei and Ninu the chameleon, Charlie hopes to free all the humans and animals held captive by the greedy Corporacy. This series conclusion relies on more of a suspension of disbelief than did the earlier two books. Charlie, finally safe with his parents, does not take precautions despite the urgings of those who love him. His kidnapping by the evil Maccomo seems somehow contrived. But once the adventure is underway, the novel returns to familiar and enjoyable territory. Charlie and his animal friends are quick witted, and their plans generally prevail despite the overwhelming odds. A postscript chapter informs readers about the fate of all the characters from the entire series. Middle school readers will enjoy this blend of futuristic science fiction and action adventure genres.-Teri S. Lesesne.