The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

93rd book of 2021

Reading period: November 14th 2021 – November 15th 2021

Summary

Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookshop he inherited from his beloved grandfather. Then, a talking cat named Tiger appears with an unusual request. The cat needs Rintaro’s help to save books that have been imprisoned, destroyed and unloved.

Their mission sends this odd couple on an amazing journey, where they enter different labyrinths to set books free. Through their travels, Tiger and Rintaro meet a man who locks up his books, an unwitting book torturer who cuts the pages of books into snippets to help people speed read, and a publisher who only wants to sell books like disposable products. Then, finally, there is a mission that Rintaro must complete alone . . .

Trigger Warning

Death of a family member

Rating

Review

I wasn’t expecting that when I bought the book. I didn’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t that.

It’s more sci-fi-y than I thought, but I really liked it as you discover bookish new worlds. They are very different from each other, and each of them reaches a subject toward books and how we can use them. How the characters dive into those worlds makes you dive into the book a little more each time.

The main thing I liked in this book is the evolution of the main character. First, I totally connect to him as I’ve been an avid reader since my childhood. Second, I found his development believable. The events occur during a short period, so you can’t have a significant change in him as it doesn’t correspond to his personality. He is a hikikomori, and his evolution corresponds to that, and in the end, I like how he is. Also, you discover his love for books and how everything starts thanks to his grandpa.

This book is an ode to books and readers.

Liz.