REVIEW: If Cats Disappeared From the World by Genki Kawamura

Our narrator’s days are numbered. Estranged from his family, living alone with only his cat Cabbage for company, he was unprepared for the doctor’s diagnosis that he has only months to live. But before he can set about tackling his bucket list, the Devil appears with a special offer: in exchange for making one thing in the world disappear, he can have one extra day of life. And so begins a very bizarre week . . .

If I had to sum up this book in one word, it would be peace. It was heart wrenchingly powerful and emotional, but when I turned the final page I was just left with such a sense of serenity and calm that was truly magical.

ICDFTW is a moving tale with delicate and dreamlike storytelling that moves quietly and patiently, not in a rush but never too slow. Our narrator tells us what’s happened to him over the days leading to his death, with an enigmatic and intriguing voice, easy to follow and so personable and friendly in their direct speech to us that makes it impossible to not feel a connection of sorts. Even our incarnation of the Devil, lovingly nicknamed Aloha, was an amazing imagining of the classic myths of heaven and hell with a new unique personality that shone through the pages.

As he moves through this fateful week, we see all the many parts of his life - the things he could give up, the things he couldn’t bare to lose, the things he didn’t even know he needed and were guided on a beautiful journey of looking inwards and figuring out all the little things that make our own lives worth living.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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