MY RATING:
Synopsis:
The Cat Who Saved Books is a heart-warming story about finding courage, caring for others – and the tremendous power of books.
Grandpa used to say it all the time: ‘books have tremendous power’. But what is that power really?
Read More:
Natsuki Books was a tiny second-hand bookshop on the edge of town. Inside, towering shelves reached the ceiling, every one crammed full of wonderful books. Rintaro Natsuki loved this space that his grandfather had created. He spent many happy hours there, reading whatever he liked. It was the perfect refuge for a boy who tended to be something of a recluse.
After the death of his grandfather, Rintaro is devastated and alone. It seems he will have to close the shop. Then, a talking tabby cat called Tiger appears and asks Rintaro for help. The cat needs a book lover to join him on a mission. This odd couple will go on three magical adventures to save books from people who have imprisoned, mistreated and betrayed them. Finally, there is one last rescue that Rintaro must attempt alone . . .
Sosuke Natsukawa’s international bestseller, translated from Japanese by Louise Heal Kawai, is a story for those for whom books are so much more than words on paper.
- Pages: 198
- Genre: Fantasy, Japanese Fiction, Magical Realism
- Publication date: December 7, 2021 by HarperVia
- Format: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook
- Source: Library
PURCHASE LINKS:
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE
KOBO
THE REVIEW:
Rintaro has recently lost his grandfather, who was the owner of Natsuki Books a secondhand bookshop that had a collection of classics and hard-to-come-by books.
After his passing, Rintaro stopped going to school, became a hikikomori and immersed himself into the stories of the books.
Until one day an orange tabby cat pays him a visit, and it talks! Rintaro and the cat go on an adventure to well, as the title suggests save books!
This was a very quirky little Japanese piece of fiction with magical realism. I quite enjoyed the story and the message it was trying to convey. It dives into the meaning of what a book is, how we treat them and what power they have. It all comes to this, books have a soul and they can connect to the reader and make you experience things you would not be able to otherwise.
I did like his friendship with Sayo and how sweet innocent and pure the author made it. Like a fresh breath of air a book that does not revolve around romance!
However, it did feel like something was missing at least to me. I was probably expecting something bigger to happen a huge revelation of the sort. Or maybe a deeper dive into Rintaro’s situation and get to know him better and his relationship with his grandad.
Overall I did enjoy it and gave it a 3.5 rating, and would like to read the sequel and see where it takes us this time.
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Lin's Perspective 
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