This was a sweet little book about the relationships between women (and one man) and their cats. Each story stands on its own but they all connect to a larger narrative. In each story. the narration alternates between the woman, going through some sort of emotional turmoil and her cat narrating their own life.

What I really loved about this book was the accuracy of the scenarios. The cats provide emotional support in their own ways, each unique to the cat, while also gaining something themselves from their relationship. I think this is what every cat owner hopes for.

On the other hand, the book was a little too overly sentimental for my tastes, which tended to color the experience of reading it. I also wish there was a bit more depth to the characters, particularly the human ones.

That said, I’m curious to check out the manga on which this collection is based. I appreciated the cute illustrations at the start of each story and would like to see the whole book come to life in this way. This collection would definitely be a cute gift for a cat lover!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!~

She and Her Cat follows four women from the same neighborhood and their cats. Each of the women are going through a type of grieving experience and we get to watch them go through those experiences from both their perspectives and their cats. Each section switches between the perspectives of the women and their cats.

This opened up with Chobi's adoption story and it honestly had me in tears from the get-go. I loved the idea of this story so much and I really enjoyed how each of the women were written in their sections. Most of these left me feeling quite emotional and I wish I could have read more! Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the way the cats told their stories nearly as much. At times they felt a bit redundant and choppy and Jon (a dog met along the way) had my head spinning with his philosophical thoughts. I very much enjoy the concept and i think the translation was done well. I do still think this was a good, quick read and I would pick it up again to give it a re-read.

A solid 3.5/5 stars on my side

A beautifully written collection of interwoven stories. Cat lovers will enjoy the tales. A very fun way to think in the mindset of different cats.

Some cute short stories! I think I might have enjoyed it more in its original manga format with the illustrations but I only learned about it through netgalley. Glad I got the chance to read!

I was really excited for this because it’s just stories of cats and their relationships with their owners.

This was the weirdest book I’ve read in a minute. The entire first story revolved around a cat falling in love with his owner and going around the neighbor hood telling the other cats that his owner was his girlfriend. And this cat continued to be seen in other stories mentioning the cat and how he couldnt stick around for too long because his girlfriend is waiting for him.

There was also a weird plotline with a second cat regarding marriage? And it was just a weird euphemism for mating and her being horny. Which then, the male cat was never brought up again because he died but she inherited his territory?

There were some weird thoughts on women regarding like the cat who was romantically in love with his owner stopped seeing her as brave and strong because she cried and from that moment, she was no longer brave and strong. It was just an odd book all around.

4 stars for the overall collection. I enjoyed the different aspects of following four women and their cats that they take in. It was full of sweet moments and I liked the alternating perspectives of the cats interspersed in the chapters of their owners. The commentary on life and womanhood was sweet and the companionship the cats offered in the different stages of their life was nice. My favorite story was First Blossoming. Full review to come.

“The expression “the unrequited love toward a cat,” is inappropriate. Because cats love their butlers too.” - Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

*She and Her Cat* by Makoto Shinkai and Naruki Nagakawa, translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori, is a collection of four interconnected stories about women and their cats. The stories center on feelings of loneliness and depression, the fragility of life and struggling to overcome traumas. It’s not just the humans that have these experiences.

Each story switches between the point of view of one of the four female leads and their cat. It’s such a weird and interesting way to convey some of the intense subject matter and I really enjoyed it for that. There’s something really profound in reading how a cat might observe and react to “their” human when that human in the throes of pain and loneliness. I was watching the Korean drama Extraordinary Attorney Woo and in one episode she says “the expression “the unrequited love toward a cat,” is inappropriate. Because cats love their butlers too”. This had me think of this story instantly - there’s an assumption that cats don’t care about their owners or rather their “butlers”. This story really leans into the idea that cats see themselves as these independent creatures but are incredibly intuitive and do love their humans. *She and Her Cat* while fictitious reminded me that cats prove themselves to be lifelong companions in their own way.

It made me really emotional at certain points in the story when the female leads are going through some life changing event and their cats are a point of comfort for them. Similarly, the way the feelings and perspectives of the cats are described are so sweet and poignant. It can feel simple at times and still so lovely to see how they befriend other cats, realize the idea of death, life and family. I also loved the art at the beginning of each chapter - each piece fit so well with the story. The four stories connected nicely at the end and I was able to piece together the connections between all the humans and the cats.

I wish certain points of the story didn’t seem so fade-to-black and certain resolutions were explored within the appropriate character chapters rather than the epilogue. Many kudos to Ginny Tapley Takemori for a fantastic translation.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a cat, but I’m an aunt to my best friend’s kitties. If their cats love them half as much as the cats in this story care about their butlers then I think they’re very lucky.

My final rating for this book is 3.5/5.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is an anthology of four connected stories where the characters (human and feline) from one story may occur in another. The setting is in Japan. Narration alternates between the cats and their people. The first story opens with an abandoned kitten left on the sidewalk in a box, listening to the trains as they go by. He is very close to death when a young woman finds him and takes him home. She doesn't intend on keeping him, but that happens anyway - a decision that many cat owners will recognize.

I loved this book so much, and believe that anyone who has ever been single and lonely, been in an unstable relationship, or has lived with and loved a cat will enjoy it. This book illuminates the difficulty of finding the right person to share life with, and the bleakness of breakups, of being alone, of not being valued. And that is true for both cats and people. It's a unique story that really touched me, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from publisher Atria Books via NetGalley, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

She and Her Cat by Makoto Shinkai is a set of interwoven short stories following several women and their cats. I enjoyed how the stories were interconnected -- cats from one story would interact with cats from another and the women from each story had interactions throughout. It is told in a very straghtforward manner with a lot of exposition, particularly with the women's points of views.

There were a couple awkward moments. I'm not sure if they were due to the translation. For example, at one point, one of the cats Chobi (who I believe is a few years old at this point) is talking about a stray female kitten in a weird sexual manner? He kept saying you're too young to be thinking about reproducing, but then making comments on her appearance and things. Since the cats were so personified almost like they were people, it just felt odd to me. I understand they're cats, and the author may have been trying to portray the real life of a stray cat and natural instincts and such, but it just came off kind of creepy.

Overall, I found this to be a charming, easy read. It alternates perspectives between the women and their cats. It was a quick read that did deal with some heavier topics but also had the levity and coziness of the cats as animal companions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced review copy!

I absolutely adored this short, precious read. I've grown up with cats. My first word was cat. Some of my earliest memories are of our family cats. Throughout my life I've had many special cats, each with their own personality. They've all helped me through difficult times in their own way. This book reminded me of the love I've had (and have) for each of them.

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

Again for those in the back!!

I LOVE THIS BOOK!

Note...I am a cat mom and animal lover, so this book REALLY tugged at my heart strings. And then tugged some more. And then some more!

Told through both the perspectives of humans and their cats, She and Her Cat tells intertwining stories of several people at a turning point in their lives, and their feline companions who help bring them there. The perspectives from the cats are just adorable while also being thought provoking.

As a cat lover, I was worried there would be instances that would be too hard to handle. (Like when I read a crime novel, and I'm fine if humans die but once the dog does I'm out!) Not a spoiler, I just want you to know that there is NOTHING like that in this book.

Get this book for every cat lover you know!!!

She and Her Cat is Japanese animator Makoto Shinkai's short story collection that, aptly enough, focuses on women and their cats. The collection has four interconnected short stories, each of which features a different cat-owner pair, who alternately narrate each story. All of the characters live in the same neighborhood, and so each of the stories builds on the last to create an overall narrative arc for the collection.

I am not familiar with Shinkai, nor have I watched the short film that this short story collection is based on, but I *am* a cat lady at heart, so I just had to pick this one up when I saw the premise. Although pleasant and mildly interesting, the stories didn't dig deep enough to really reel me in, and the translation was a little off-putting in parts. So this collection didn't quite meet the high hopes I had for it, but it was a quick read and I did really like how Shinkai connected all the stories. Also, the cat lady in me really loved hearing the thoughts of the neighborhood cats. I am also interested in checking out the short film that this is based on. Oh, and also, the illustrations before each story were beautiful, even in the ebook copy, so I am sure they will be even more lovely in person.

I would recommend this to cat lovers who are looking for a quick, low-stakes read.

Four interconnected stories show cats helping their human companions deal with loneliness. Not the deepest stories, but pleasant enough for cat lovers.

Loved it! Cried almost every chapter. This was my first time reading and I had not seen the animation, but after reading, I'd love to watch!

I loved this book so much. Each story had such heart and emotion, plus I love stories involving cats. I wish the book had been longer and look so forward to more by this author.

This short story collection is cute, but not very memorable. There's 4 different stories of woman who love their cats. The English translation is decent, if somewhat clunky. If you're looking for something lovely and breezy to read, then this book will warm your heart. I've read better short story collections, but I must admit, this one made me smile.

Such a charming little book. Four interconnected short stories about cats, their owners, girlfriends, non owners, and a dog friend that thoroughly warms your heart. The narration flips back and forth between the cat's story and the human's story, to tell a snapshot tale of how a year or so goes by in this small community.

An enjoyable and quick read. Definitely feels like Japanese fiction, with the dreamy, floating language I associate with it. There is so much Japanese fiction out there about cats. This is only my second encounter with it, but you can appreciate the cat in Japanese culture through this book and what kind of role they play in familial life. As a cat owner of course I'll agree.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC for review.

A wonderfully done read that is perfect to read while cuddling with your own cat. Best done with tissues.

Interconnected short stories, cats, Japanese author - I was in, until I saw in the description 'stream of consciousness' which I normally avoid. But I took the risk and read it anyway, and boy, am I glad I did! I would describe these more as snapshots or vignettes of when different, but connected, women meet their cats, who are also connected. Told from the perspective of both the women and their cats, who are not nearly as sassy as I think my cat is. These are sweet stories of loneliness, connection, and love, with a little humor thrown in. A short work that is an updated adaptation of the author's 1999 anime film of the same name. This book reminds me of "The Travelling Cat Chronicles" in the style and the cat narrative but without the heart-wrenching sadness.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I watched the Japanese animation "Kanojo to Kanojo no Neko" many years ago, and I found it beautiful, so when I saw "She and Her Cat" on Netgalley, I really wanted to read it. From what I remember, the animation was only about a young woman and her cat, but this book includes different stories belonging to different characters some of which are humans and some of which are cats. Both the humans and the cats narrate through their stories, ultimately adding up to a larger, beautiful, and lovely picture as we lovingly read a group of stray cats adopting lonely and sad humans, bringing them together, and helping them not to be sad or lonely anymore. Seeing the world and the humans from the cats' points of view, and reading their thoughts while they try to make sense of the sadness humans carry creates a unique and beautiful reading experience. Consequently, "She and Her Cat" is a beautifully written book that left me with many thoughts and emotions. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting, so, I definitely recommend it, especially to animal lovers.