The Cat Who Saved Books - Review
Link to the author's (S. Natsukawa) personal website
Genre: Fantasy
Publication Type: Book
Tags:
- Average Age of Main Characters (15)
- Length (2 / 10)
Link to Goodreads
Blurb: Grandpa used to say it all the time: 'books have tremendous power'. But what is that power really?
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 . . .
Review: A charming book filled with passion and empathy. Reading this has reinforced my goal to read a more varied selection of books. Seeing Rintaro grow and become more confident after each labyrinth made me so happy. The book structure also provided plenty of nice break points, which makes the already short novel even more accessible. I cannot help but add that many of the logical conclusions are quintessentially Japanese. For example, the concept of letting down the house representative, even assuming such a concept would have existed when I went to school, would never have bothered me for a second. Nevertheless, the core message is universal: I do love books, and should challenge myself a bit more. This is a big recommend for me!