A review by meg_sc
The Cat and the City by Nick Bradley

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I think this is another one of those books that was marketed wrong - I did really enjoy some of the stories that met the branding of "sweet, emotional tale involving a cat", but those stories are the minority in this book. I found the descriptions of sex really jarring and tacky, and almost gave up reading during the first chapter. Even though some of the stories did draw me in, the depictions of sex, sexual violence, and animal abuse were very abrupt and squashed any enjoyment of the other stories. In fact, if you picked up this book because you like cats, here's a warning that
one chapter main character lashes out at the cat and breaks it's jaw as it approaches her, in a really randomly violent moment, and in another story there are depictions of multiple dead cats.
I did enjoy how the narratives tied together, but I feel that it could have been done better and ultimately wasn't very clear. I also don't think this book benefited at all from being a westerner's perspective of Japan. 
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