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A review by sparrowliz
The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.5
The Cat who Saved Books was chosen by my Book Club, and it is a really sweet read.
Rintaro is a boy who lived with his grandfather and spent many hours in the bookshop, reading and helping the loyal customers. After the death of the grandfather, Rintaro turns inwards even more and even stops going to school, thinking nobody would miss him. A relative comes to help sort things out and prepares Rintaro for leaving the bookshop and going to live with her. Before Rintaro can close the shop and leave, he meets a talking cat who needs help with rescuing books from their current sad fates.
This is not the type of book I would have chosen myself, but it was really engaging. Even though I read it after translation to English, the translator kept some of the Japanese words, which helped the book remain in the setting it should. I liked the development of the character of Rintaro as the book progresses, and seeing how he deals with his grief. There are only a few characters in this book, and they all add something to the story. The ending, too, was fitting to the story and I came away very glad that I had read it.
I'd say this book is suitable for any age. I can imagine a child from 7upwards enjoying being read this book, and from 10+ enjoying reading it themselves. As a 40yo woman I enjoyed it too. A short, sweet story.
Rintaro is a boy who lived with his grandfather and spent many hours in the bookshop, reading and helping the loyal customers. After the death of the grandfather, Rintaro turns inwards even more and even stops going to school, thinking nobody would miss him. A relative comes to help sort things out and prepares Rintaro for leaving the bookshop and going to live with her. Before Rintaro can close the shop and leave, he meets a talking cat who needs help with rescuing books from their current sad fates.
This is not the type of book I would have chosen myself, but it was really engaging. Even though I read it after translation to English, the translator kept some of the Japanese words, which helped the book remain in the setting it should. I liked the development of the character of Rintaro as the book progresses, and seeing how he deals with his grief. There are only a few characters in this book, and they all add something to the story. The ending, too, was fitting to the story and I came away very glad that I had read it.
I'd say this book is suitable for any age. I can imagine a child from 7upwards enjoying being read this book, and from 10+ enjoying reading it themselves. As a 40yo woman I enjoyed it too. A short, sweet story.