A review by hello_lovely13
The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa

adventurous hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 I did not expect this to hit as hard as it did. This is definitely for the book lovers (and I mean LOVERS). Even the simplest of sentences (i.e.: “do you love books?”) had such an impact on me that it made me tear up out of nowhere. I liked the writing style and each of the characters. The first two labyrinths were definitely the strongest writing-wise. The third was good, but I think it was a bit too short so while the first two had very clear messages, the third was harder to pin down as it didn’t feel as fleshed out. Part of the reason why I didn’t enjoy the third labyrinth as much is because
the first two had flashbacks of advice and wisdom from Rintaro’s grandfather, where that was absent in the third
. The story overall of Rintaro working through his grief is well done and subtle enough not to be all consuming, but also prevalent enough that the payoff is satisfying and we are happy and can clearly see Rintaro’s character development. One of the main reasons this isn’t a five star read for me (other than the dip in enjoyment during the third labyrinth because it felt too short) is because the progression isn’t exactly what I wanted it to be. In my ideal world, the story would have unfolded extremely similar to how it did.
I was extremely disappointed that Akiba wasn’t included in the adventures, only mentioned and interacting with Sayo at school during the chapter featuring the third labyrinth. I would have preferred the story to go this way: the first labyrinth with just Rintaro and the cat; the second with Rintaro, the cat, and Sayo; the third with Rintaro, the cat, Sayo, and Akiba; and the final labyrinth with just Rintaro. This is extremely similar to how it actually occurred, and I just think that it missed out a bit by not including Akiba on the adventures (this would have improved the found family aspect even more while still having Rintaro’s character development and confidence increased by having him complete the final labyrinth alone).
Overall, I really loved this; if only there was that one tweak in the story, this could have been a solid 4.5, if not 5 star read.

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