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graciegrace1178's review against another edition
3.0
3.4 stars.
Part of orange cover experiment.
Overall: Often cute and occasionally depressing story about a cat and a librarian trying to make the world a little brighter. Structurally on the verge of collapse, but it’s a cat story so I still read it cover to cover. (Audiobook)
WHAT I LIKED
1) Wholesomeness (in part). The reason I picked up this book is because a) it’s got an orange cover and b) it’s about a *library cat* and how much more wholesome can you get. The book was mostly wholesome and Good, so I was happy with it overall!
2) Cat’s narrative. In the last half of the book, there were a few chapters told from Dewey’s perspective. PEAK WHOLESOME. They were funny and cute as HECK. 13/10 my fav part of the book.
3) an accidental geography read. Man, does Vicki spend a lot of time discussing the history of Spencer. Like, a LOT of time. Probably too much. But it was interesting getting an overview of Iowa and the little town of Spencer.
4) the afterward. Paige being the polar opposite of Dewey made my heart v happy.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
1) priding self on pain. “Built on hard work” oftentimes seems like code for “this is me bragging to you about how much pain I’ve been through and will continue to put myself through unnecessarily.” Iowa seems to carry this vibe, and Vicki really lets it shine through in this book. Quite a few times I just wanted to say “ENOUGH, Vicki!! We get it!!! The town has been through a lot!”
2) repetition. Related to previous. Too many times, I’d read a paragraph and think that this exact sentiment has been expressed at least four other ways already.
3) Dewey as Vicki’s story. Vicki treated this book as a memoir in disguise. That could be all well and good, she’s certainly led an interesting enough life, but her story is not what I signed up for. I wanted a story about a CAT because I didn’t WANT anything heavy to think about. But YIKES, my expectations were a little off the mark. She spent a long while dissecting her personal life. My reading note on this captures my reaction pretty well, I think: (SPOILERS)
“Losing my femininity” is not a turn I anticipated in this book
Literally WHAT now there’s a SUICIDE and CANCER???????
And now there’s a poem for her depression and to her DYING MOTHER???? I JUST WANTED A HAPPY BOOK ABOUT A CAT
4) organization. As you might’ve guessed in a book about a cat that’s coupled with a middle aged woman’s personal memoir and a history of the small town of Spencer, Iowa, the organization of this book isn’t great. It skips around quite a bit, and because it has no faith in the memory of the reader, doubles back and covers material that’s already been stated. (See 2.) The organization gave me a headache because I KNOW it could’ve been written with a much stronger organization. Like, subdividing the book into 1) Dewey’s rags to riches story 2) How Dewey saved the town and it’s people (including a *brief* history of Spencer) and 3) How Dewey saved me/my family (Vicki) would’ve been a l o t more readable.
5) Length. This, again, relates to structure but deserves its own bullet point nonetheless. This book has so many sections where I’m like “oh okay THIS is the end. That was a good book! Kinda long but- oh wait no there’s another chapter.” The endings of chapters FELT like they were pulling the curtain on the story, and then the next chapter picked right back up even though I was winding down for the end. I’ve used this word in another recent review but here it is again: it’s *jarring.*
READING NOTES
This is SUCH a WHOLESOME book oh my god
“His authority came from his lack of words, not his use of them”
Do YOU know the whole history of the town of Spencer, Iowa and the history of their little library? Do you *want* to know? The answer to both of those is probably not but this book certainly covers them in depth!
Poor Dewey just wants to go outsideeee
This should have a colon “A Cat’s Rise to Stardom” or “A Small Town’s Claim to Fame”
“Fame never changed him” lmao no he’s a cAt
Oh my goddd the chapters from Dewey’s perspective my HEART
This book has so many sections where I’m like “oh okay THIS is the end. That was a good book! Kinda long but- oh wait no there’s another chapter.”
The medical conditions Vicky lists- autoimmune buddy!
“Losing my femininity” is not a turn I anticipated in this book
Literally WHAT now there’s a SUICIDE and CANCER???????
And now there’s a poem for her depression and to her DYING MOTHER???? I JUST WANTED A HAPPY BOOK ABOUT A CAT
And now we’re back to the Dewey plot. This is so confusing!!! It’s a memoir of the author buried in a memoir of a c a t.
I think, had the organization been a bit better, the anecdotes of the author’s own life might’ve fit better into the narrative. It sort of fits now, but it’s still a bit much for a book that’s supposed to be about a cat.
The afterward is really cute. Paige being the opposite of Dewey made me really happy. It’s what Vicki needed.
Part of orange cover experiment.
Overall: Often cute and occasionally depressing story about a cat and a librarian trying to make the world a little brighter. Structurally on the verge of collapse, but it’s a cat story so I still read it cover to cover. (Audiobook)
WHAT I LIKED
1) Wholesomeness (in part). The reason I picked up this book is because a) it’s got an orange cover and b) it’s about a *library cat* and how much more wholesome can you get. The book was mostly wholesome and Good, so I was happy with it overall!
2) Cat’s narrative. In the last half of the book, there were a few chapters told from Dewey’s perspective. PEAK WHOLESOME. They were funny and cute as HECK. 13/10 my fav part of the book.
3) an accidental geography read. Man, does Vicki spend a lot of time discussing the history of Spencer. Like, a LOT of time. Probably too much. But it was interesting getting an overview of Iowa and the little town of Spencer.
4) the afterward. Paige being the polar opposite of Dewey made my heart v happy.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
1) priding self on pain. “Built on hard work” oftentimes seems like code for “this is me bragging to you about how much pain I’ve been through and will continue to put myself through unnecessarily.” Iowa seems to carry this vibe, and Vicki really lets it shine through in this book. Quite a few times I just wanted to say “ENOUGH, Vicki!! We get it!!! The town has been through a lot!”
2) repetition. Related to previous. Too many times, I’d read a paragraph and think that this exact sentiment has been expressed at least four other ways already.
3) Dewey as Vicki’s story. Vicki treated this book as a memoir in disguise. That could be all well and good, she’s certainly led an interesting enough life, but her story is not what I signed up for. I wanted a story about a CAT because I didn’t WANT anything heavy to think about. But YIKES, my expectations were a little off the mark. She spent a long while dissecting her personal life. My reading note on this captures my reaction pretty well, I think: (SPOILERS)
“Losing my femininity” is not a turn I anticipated in this book
Literally WHAT now there’s a SUICIDE and CANCER???????
And now there’s a poem for her depression and to her DYING MOTHER???? I JUST WANTED A HAPPY BOOK ABOUT A CAT
4) organization. As you might’ve guessed in a book about a cat that’s coupled with a middle aged woman’s personal memoir and a history of the small town of Spencer, Iowa, the organization of this book isn’t great. It skips around quite a bit, and because it has no faith in the memory of the reader, doubles back and covers material that’s already been stated. (See 2.) The organization gave me a headache because I KNOW it could’ve been written with a much stronger organization. Like, subdividing the book into 1) Dewey’s rags to riches story 2) How Dewey saved the town and it’s people (including a *brief* history of Spencer) and 3) How Dewey saved me/my family (Vicki) would’ve been a l o t more readable.
5) Length. This, again, relates to structure but deserves its own bullet point nonetheless. This book has so many sections where I’m like “oh okay THIS is the end. That was a good book! Kinda long but- oh wait no there’s another chapter.” The endings of chapters FELT like they were pulling the curtain on the story, and then the next chapter picked right back up even though I was winding down for the end. I’ve used this word in another recent review but here it is again: it’s *jarring.*
READING NOTES
This is SUCH a WHOLESOME book oh my god
“His authority came from his lack of words, not his use of them”
Do YOU know the whole history of the town of Spencer, Iowa and the history of their little library? Do you *want* to know? The answer to both of those is probably not but this book certainly covers them in depth!
Poor Dewey just wants to go outsideeee
This should have a colon “A Cat’s Rise to Stardom” or “A Small Town’s Claim to Fame”
“Fame never changed him” lmao no he’s a cAt
Oh my goddd the chapters from Dewey’s perspective my HEART
This book has so many sections where I’m like “oh okay THIS is the end. That was a good book! Kinda long but- oh wait no there’s another chapter.”
The medical conditions Vicky lists- autoimmune buddy!
“Losing my femininity” is not a turn I anticipated in this book
Literally WHAT now there’s a SUICIDE and CANCER???????
And now there’s a poem for her depression and to her DYING MOTHER???? I JUST WANTED A HAPPY BOOK ABOUT A CAT
And now we’re back to the Dewey plot. This is so confusing!!! It’s a memoir of the author buried in a memoir of a c a t.
I think, had the organization been a bit better, the anecdotes of the author’s own life might’ve fit better into the narrative. It sort of fits now, but it’s still a bit much for a book that’s supposed to be about a cat.
The afterward is really cute. Paige being the opposite of Dewey made me really happy. It’s what Vicki needed.
readerme269's review against another edition
4.0
A really touching story about a librarian and "her" cat who lived his 19 years in a small-town library in Iowa.
I fell in love with Dewey in the pages of this book.. His story really touched me and I found it very inspiring how a whole town and eventually even some people much further away could love one animal so unconditionally. :)
I will say that I wasn't really into the parts of the story telling of the town history.. But it did help bring together the story nicely. I did however, really enjoy reading about Vicki's family. And I found it so cute how Dewey loved her daughter Jodi so much that he stuck to her side like glue every time he saw her. :)
This book had me smiling so much my face hurt!
But it also had me misty eyed quite a few times through out the story as well... from tears of joy to tears of sadness. As we all know the story of anyone's life will also include their death.. Reading of Dewey dying just broke my heart in two for Vicki and all those who loved such a wonderful animal like him. :'(
I fell in love with Dewey in the pages of this book.. His story really touched me and I found it very inspiring how a whole town and eventually even some people much further away could love one animal so unconditionally. :)
I will say that I wasn't really into the parts of the story telling of the town history.. But it did help bring together the story nicely. I did however, really enjoy reading about Vicki's family. And I found it so cute how Dewey loved her daughter Jodi so much that he stuck to her side like glue every time he saw her. :)
This book had me smiling so much my face hurt!
But it also had me misty eyed quite a few times through out the story as well... from tears of joy to tears of sadness. As we all know the story of anyone's life will also include their death.. Reading of Dewey dying just broke my heart in two for Vicki and all those who loved such a wonderful animal like him. :'(
kiar55's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I was very touched by Dewey and his caretaker, Vicki. Very inspirational, especially for those who love cats and their library.
g_newton98's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
meginsanity's review against another edition
4.0
This is a nice, quiet, cozy, enjoyable book about Dewey Readmore Books, who served as the Spencer Public Library’s cat for most of his 19 years of life. Dewey was a unique cat, who loved people and seemed to take to his job as “ambassador” quite well. He was also a gorgeous cat – the cat on the cover is actually him. He looks a lot like my cat Sneakers, if Sneakers were orange instead of black and white, which meant I had a soft spot already for him.
The author is very good at describing Dewey’s antics. She has a way of talking about animals that is very nice; not just about Dewey, but about any animal. She has a clean, simple way of writing. I think this book was at its best when it was about Dewey, not about the library board or the city council or her own family.
She writes a lot about her struggles when she first moves to Spencer and about her family, and it felt somewhat out of place in a book about a library cat. I felt like skipping ahead a lot during her personal memoirs. At one point she says that her father specifically asked her not to write about one incident, but she puts it in the book anyway. It wasn’t related to Dewey; it wasn’t even related to her time in Spencer. It wasn’t necessary. However, the parts about Dewey are cute enough to make up for the boring parts.
Although cute, the bits about Dewey in the library seemed romanticized to me. She kind of glossed over the allergies issue, and maybe I’m just jaded (I work in a library), but I wouldn’t let a cat anywhere near quite a few library patrons. I can’t believe Dewey never hissed or struck out at a patron.
The ending did not make me cry.
The author is very good at describing Dewey’s antics. She has a way of talking about animals that is very nice; not just about Dewey, but about any animal. She has a clean, simple way of writing. I think this book was at its best when it was about Dewey, not about the library board or the city council or her own family.
She writes a lot about her struggles when she first moves to Spencer and about her family, and it felt somewhat out of place in a book about a library cat. I felt like skipping ahead a lot during her personal memoirs. At one point she says that her father specifically asked her not to write about one incident, but she puts it in the book anyway. It wasn’t related to Dewey; it wasn’t even related to her time in Spencer. It wasn’t necessary. However, the parts about Dewey are cute enough to make up for the boring parts.
Although cute, the bits about Dewey in the library seemed romanticized to me. She kind of glossed over the allergies issue, and maybe I’m just jaded (I work in a library), but I wouldn’t let a cat anywhere near quite a few library patrons. I can’t believe Dewey never hissed or struck out at a patron.
The ending did not make me cry.
olivia1997's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
ar_the_wizard's review against another edition
2.0
Such a heartfelt story and beautiful build-ups with language!