The Cat who saved books by Sosuke Natsukawa

Original title: 本を守ろうとする猫の話

Series: The Cat Who... (#1)

Format: 220 pages, Hardcover

Published: September 16, 2021 by Picador

Fiction/library

Well this was a lovely little book. Very short, but packing a lot.

Rintaro inherits his grandfather´s bookshop. He is still in school, a minor, and now without family. He is a recluse who loves books. Then comes a talking tabby who tells him he needs to save books. Magical labyrinths, and making the first real friend ever.

Lovely, I can´t say if well translated, but it felt like it was. It was just perfection in its very short form.

Grandpa used to say it all the time: books have tremendous power. But what is that power really?

Natsuki Books was a tiny second-hand bookshop on the edge of town. Inside, towering shelves reached the ceiling, every one crammed full of wonderful books. Rintaro Natsuki loved this space that his grandfather had created. He spent many happy hours there, reading whatever he liked. It was the perfect refuge for a boy who tended to be something of a recluse.

After the death of his grandfather, Rintaro is devastated and alone. It seems he will have to close the shop. Then, a talking tabby cat called Tiger appears and asks Rintaro for help. The cat needs a book lover to join him on a mission. This odd couple will go on three magical adventures to save books from people have imprisoned, mistreated and betrayed them. Finally, there is one last rescue that Rintaro must attempt alone...