A review by starrysteph
She and Her Cat by Makoto Shinkai, Naruki Nagakawa

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

3.75

She and Her Cat: Stories shares 4 interwoven slices of life featuring struggling women and the cats that help them find their way. It’s about loneliness and companionship, the struggle to escape from modern isolation, and healing through the care of a pet. It’s about the magic of the mundane.
 
We follow a young woman with social anxiety struggling to end a failing relationship, a naive artist hoping her dream is worth it, a grieving friend who is afraid to break her isolation, and an older woman who has forgotten to care for herself.
 
It’s heartwarming and tear jerking, but most importantly, half of the book is told from cat POVs! They’re cheeky and whimsical and have a fully developed society of their own in the neighborhood. They help their people search for connection, grieve, create, strengthen, and find renewed energy.
 
All four of these women and their feline companions live entangled lives; they appear in each other’s stories and connect in big and small ways. Each POV has a very distinctive narrative voice.
 
It’s an incredibly sweet and cozy read; it’s touching without being too emotionally draining or profound. 
 
My only gripe - that sometimes pulled me out of the story - was some of the cheesy wisdom dispensed from elderly dog Jon. It was heightened philosophical silliness that didn’t match the earnest, down-to-earth vibes from the rest of the novel. Most of the book was simplistic and charming, dispensing wisdom without trying too hard, and these segments felt detached from that tone.
 
CW: death of loved one, death of animal, mental illness, sexual assault, pregnancy, grief 
 
(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)

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