Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
‘The Cat Who Saved Books’ by Sosuke Natsukawa is a cutesy fantasy read about rediscovering the joys of reading. Teen Rintaro Natsuki is a loner, his grandfather is his only family, whom he often helps by running a small second-hand bookshop. When his grandfather passes away, Rintaro loses whatever little interest he had in life and stops going to school, spending all his time holed up at home or at the bookshop.
However, two schoolmates and a cat attempt to bring him out of his shell. But this isn’t an ordinary tabby. The cat named Tiger is a magical, talking creature who goads Rintaro into embarking on fantastical missions to “save books”. As Rintaro steps into the cat’s strange, book-filled world… he slowly begins to regain his zest for life, and also makes some new friends.
Author Sosuke Natsukawa divides ‘The Cat Who Saved Books’ into four simple chapters. In each one, Rintaro is led into a “dangerous” labyrinth, where he must confront intimidating people who mistreat books and set them free. The Natsuki bookshop becomes a portal to these labyrinths, somewhat like the Narnia wardrobe, except Rintaro’s adventures aren’t quite as magical, or even as “dangerous,” as the talking cat often warns.
Also, the cat is a barely there character in the tale, even though the title would like the reader to believe otherwise. At least I was hoping to see a little more of the cat, and funnily, it didn’t really help Rintaro in its own mission to save books. In-fact, this should’ve been titled ‘The Boy Who Saved Books’, because it’s the teen who does most of the work, while the cat’s like a manager, supervising Rintaro’s actions. But then again, ‘The Cat Who Saved Books’ sounds far more marketable, and the cat, much like a manager, takes the credit.
Overall, this is a slightly whimsical, easy-to-read story about the power of books and how they can shape a person’s life. Younger readers, especially those aged between 10 and 15 are likely to enjoy it the most.
Rating for ‘The Cat Who Saved Books’: 3 on 5 stars.
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