Publishers Weekly
09/05/2022
Filmmaker and writer Shinkai (Your Name) conceives a whimsical and moving linked collection about a group of cats who help their owners find the strength they are unable to see in themselves. In “Sea of Words,” a young admin worker is afraid to ask the man she’s dating about the status of their relationship, and finds comfort from a cat named Chobi, who calls her his “girlfriend.” In “First Blossoming,” Chobi’s cat friend Mimi befriends an art student who decides to drop out of school and work at a design office, but faces immense obstacles in pursuing her dream to be a painter. “Slumber and Sky” follows a manga artist who falls into a deep depression when her childhood best friend suddenly dies the day after they have an explosive argument, but she finds the strength to move forward with the help of Mimi’s kitten, Cookie. While some of the human characters’ backstories feel slightly rushed, the author’s earnest depictions of the friendships between people and felines produces genuine wonder. The stories are rather simple, but they’re sure to satisfy readers looking for a quick pick-me-up. (Nov.)
From the Publisher
"Read on their own or taken as a whole, these heartfelt, insightful stories offer a thematic continuum about the quiet burdens people bear in the modern, often isolated world and how human-animal interactions enrich and embolden lives." —Shelf Awareness
"Multiple shes and cats populate this gratifying, slim novel, which arrives with a decades-long history that undoubtedly underscores its timeless appeal....The greatest humanity, of course, is found in the complex, caring, and insightful four-footed characters." –Booklist
"[A] whimsical and moving linked collection...the author’s earnest depictions of the friendships between people and felines produces genuine wonder...sure to satisfy readers looking for a quick pick-me-up." –Publishers Weekly
Library Journal
11/01/2022
Originally published in Japan in 2013, this work by director, writer, producer, and animator Shinkai apparently began as a short film he created in 1999. Later adapted into a short anime series in 2016, his book has now been translated into English for U.S. audiences. Comprising four loosely interconnected short stories, it introduces readers to the cats Chobi, Mimi, Kink Tail, Kuro, and Cookie and a dog named John. The pets each narrate their own stories, which are interspersed with the tales told by "owners" Miyu, Reina, Aoi, and Shino. What results are heartfelt anthropomorphic accounts of the life experiences of these animals, which range from homelessness, rejection, motherhood, and loss to their friendships with one another and with humans. The accounts from the human characters are equally touching but on a slightly lesser scale as greater part of the storytelling come from the animals. VERDICT Reminiscent of the animated film The Secret Life of Pets, this work may be short, but it's a surprisingly engrossing and entertaining light read. Readers looking for a quick and overall uplifting work should consider picking up this title, and it's sure to be appreciated by pet lovers all around.—Shirley Quan
