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The Cat Who Saved Books - Sosuke Natsukawa



Genre: Fiction | Literary Fiction | New Adult Fiction

Release Date: Expected 16th September 2021

Publisher: Picador | Pan Macmillan
Translated from Japanese

"First things first, Grandpa's gone. The tale that follows is pretty outrageous, but he knows that one fact is absolutely real."

Rinato Natsuki was perfectly average. He didn't speak very much or have many friends. He didn't do particularly well or bad at school. He was as normal as could be. But after the death of his beloved Grandfather, Rinato is left devastated and faced with a bleak future - closing Natsuki books, the perfect sanctuary he'd spent years in with his Grandfather and moving far away to live with his aunt who he's only recently met. 

But then a curious thing happens - a tabby cat called Tiger appears in the store and asks for his help. He needs someone who truly understands books to help him rescue trapped books from people who have misunderstood and mistreated them. And so the pair enter the mysterious labyrinth to begin their journey ... but Rinato will have to finish this rescue mission alone. 
"So, this cat turns up out of nowhere, asking for help, then says it's going to bitterly disappointed if I don't agree..." 
The Cat Who Saved Books was a beautiful dreamscape of a story. I always love a book about books - and this one truly captured the soul of a book lover, asking us important questions. Should we always push to read more in the pursuit of knowledge? Is it essential to keep reading classics so they don't fade away? Is it better to know about lots of a books rather than really reading just a few?

The story was simple yet surreal, and we watched Rinato grow and learn not only about himself but the world around him. Quick and so easy to read all at once, I was not only drawn into a heartwarming story about a young boy trying to find his way through a great loss, but a magical adventure that matched the epic stories they were trying to protect along the way. Both stories blended expertly together and neither faded in the background. The characters were masterfully crafted and while some the friends we meet along the way may seem slightly prickly, they were so easy to fall in love with instantly. I could see Rinato growing in front of my eyes into a young man who is realising he has more of his Grandfather still with him than he ever thought possible. 

This was a spellbinding tale about loss, love, friendship ... and of course, the magic of a good story. 

"Unless it is open, a book possessing great power or an epic story is a mere scrap of paper. But a book that has been cherished and loved, filled with human thoughts, has been endowed with a soul."

                                                           RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Thank you to Sosuke Natsukawa, Picador and Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.
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