I can’t tell you exactly when I began following Poets Square Cats on social media, but I do know it was a post featuring Sad Boy and Lola that first caught my attention. How could it not? It didn’t take long for Poets Square Cats to become one of my favorite daily stops on my social media breaks. As I fell in love with all these cats I’d never meet, I also came to appreciate Courtney’s storytelling and the heart behind it.

I've anxiously waited for this book since it was announced. I pre-ordered a print copy pretty much as soon as it was announced. I ate up every little tease Courtney posted. When I saw the book was available on NetGalley, I shot my shot for a review copy, even though I've not been the most consistent reader and reviewer lately. I was over the moon when I learned I was approved and I dove in that very night. I had no intention of reading it in one sitting. I planned to consume one or two essays at a time over several days. Well, that didn’t happen. I just couldn’t put it down.

Whether you’re a longtime follower of Poets Square Cats like myself or you just consider yourself a feline aficionado, this book should be on your TBR. Especially if you have an interest in rescue and TNR work and the people who care for community cats like Courtney does. Her writing is beautiful and thoughtful. I’ve always enjoyed her storytelling in video voiceovers and captions. This book took it to a whole new level. I especially love how she wove her story seamlessly with the story of the cats and humans she met along the way.

I have to admit, I was afraid the emotions that would come with this book might be overwhelming considering some of the cats who have been lost over the last year or so. Falling in love with cats on the internet isn’t for the weak at heart, y’all. But Courtney struck a perfect balance of emotions so it never weighed me down. Were there tears? Oh, absolutely. My emotions ran the full gamut. I also learned more about the history of the Poets Square house and its cats, as well as Courtney of course. I got angry on her behalf about some of the situations she had to deal with. The link between community cats and misogyny was particularly enlightening (and enraging, to be honest). But most of all, this book just made me thankful there are people like Courtney in this world, people who are strong enough to advocate for community cats and get them the care they need.

I follow the author on TikTok and instagram and requested this book because I loved her stories about cats. I didn’t read the synopsis and I went into this thinking it would be about cats. It is and it isn’t. This is the story of depression, isolation, and hope. Reading about the author finding herself through cat rescue and community organizing was very poignant. Seeing how building her community through acts of service helped her mental health is especially relevant given the current state of our country. This book is a reminder that we can help each other more than we give ourselves credit for.

I enjoyed this book even more than I thought I would. Courtney puts into words so many things I've felt in life, sorting through mental illness and societal expectations. Despite being a memoir largely focused on a couple years of her life, the book has a satisfying feel of a person transformed, reaping the rewards of her hard work caring for others. And the cats - oh, I love the cats. What a special book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Def for cat lovers and readers of memoirs, this book was engaging but you certainly have to want to read about cats to keep pace with this one. Darling cover.

I was not familiar with Courtney or Poets Square before picking up this book, but the cover and description had me hooked. My family has four cats, and I'll give just about any book a try if it's cat-related. I went into this one expecting bittersweet stories about Courtney's colony of stray cats, but the book is so much more than that. Interwoven in the reflections on the many cats she's cared for, Courtney shares moments of her own life story, which I really connected to. I especially related to her exploration of grief for her cats and her struggles navigating early adulthood. This is a book for cat lovers, yes, but it's also a touching memoir in its own right.

Thank you NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the eARC!

A reflection on the care of a colony of thirty cats that quickly becomes a deeper examination of the community that flourished as a result! A good read for any cat lover. This memoir reflects a time in which covid was at its peak and reading about Courtney grappling with this while still trying to care for the cat colony was equal parts painful and inspiring.

“Maybe I had taken my whole self-absorbed heart, all those years of focusing only on myself, and let thirty cats turn it entirely inside out.”

Courtney and her partner moved into a rental house in Poets Square, unaware that the house came with a supply of 30 feral cats. She became completely enchanted with the cats and began growing a following on social media, sharing her journey with the good, the bad, and the ugly of cat rescue.

I am a longtime fan of Courtney. Her TikTok got me through a lot of those early days of the pandemic. Sad Boy and Lola were my favorite love story. I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this book, and it was everything that I wanted and more.

This memoir is, of course, about cats. Courtney loves and cares for them all, but of course there are a select few that left permanent paw prints on her heart, and reading their stories made me laugh and cry and everything in between.

But this memoir is also not about cats. It’s about growing up and Courtney coming to terms with femininity and womanhood, and also asking herself over and over again whether she is a good person. It’s a brutally honest, unflinching look at the nature of animal rescue—the community work that inevitably leads you to take a long, hard look at inequality, racism, and politics.

Even if you’re not familiar with Courtney and the Poets Square cats already, there is so much to learn from her and so many cats to fall in love with. If you only read one memoir this year, let it be this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC! Poets Square: A Memoir in Thirty Cats publishes on April 29, 2025.

The book tugged at my heart in the most delicate way possible. Every chapter was written so charmingly that it brought me to tears, especially the first two chapters. They evoked memories of stray cats I’ve met throughout my life, memories that left a deep impact on me.

The writing and storytelling were also very easy to follow. It gently took you on the journey of meeting all those sweet cats without ever feeling forced. It invited you to sit down and enjoy, without begging for your attention, which, to me, feels so refreshing. It’s rare for a book to have that kind of effect on me.

What a joy it was to receive the ARC of this book, thank you!

It's always a bit hard for me to properly review memoirs. I definitely fell in love with the cats at Powts Square and as a bonus, i found the writing engaging and easy to keep reading. This is sometimes a sticky point for me in memoirs but I didn't have trouble getting through this one. Admittedly it was a bit more of a downer than i anticipated in a lot of places, and could've done without the entire chapter that basically equated to "men hate cats and women and control their wives." overall a compelling read. I respect the TNR work Gustafson does and her love for cats, i just wish that had been more so the main focus of the book and it did wander off into other things that made it feel a bit choppy at times.

What do you do when you move into a house and discovered you have acquired thirty feral cats? If you are the author, you change your life. For the better. When she does backstory, she did have many issues with which she had to contend but often came across as being rather shallow and self centred. But once she opened her heart and her home to these wayward souls, something magical happened. She flourished and she grew and she became the person she was meant to be.

There are parts of the book that are heart wrenching as any pet parent can attest. She could not save them all and some would die. She was able to continue but not before she performed her own ritual to deal with the grief. She also became a celebrity. Or rather her cats did. She took a video and posted it on TikTok and was amazed how many people she connected with her cared deeply about her kitties too. From the money she earned on line, she started to do more rescues in other areas of Tucson. There are a number of very moving stories about how she was able to save not only the cats but some of the people forced to live in pathetic conditions. And she did it in anonymity. It was and is all about the cats. Bless her and every other rescuer or volunteer.

Five purrs and two paws up.

I didn’t know about Courtney or Poets Square prior to picking up this book - I just loved the watercolor cats on the front and thought I’d enjoy reading about someone taking care of a feral cat colony. Though I think fans of Courtney’s social media accounts will especially like this book, it’s totally not necessary to know any background before you jump into this. I really enjoyed looking through the Poets Square Instagram highlights, where you can see pictures of the cats she talks about in the book.

There was so much in this book not only about cats but also about growing up and finding and building community. The storytelling was incredibly engaging, and the book felt cohesive even without a specific structure beyond “woman moves into house that surprisingly comes with thirty cats.” I devoured this in two days and it was beautiful and sad and hopeful. I would recommend this to anyone who loves cats or animals in general, or those who like incredibly niche memoirs.

Poets Square: A Memoir in Thirty Cats is the memoir of Courtney Gustafson, author by choice, cat rescuer & cat influencer by chance.

Courtney moves into a house in Poets Square to find out that her new home comes with a feral cat colony, population: 30.

She also shares the greatest love story of ever told: Sad Boy & Lola. May we all be lucky enough to experience love like theirs.

She tells the stories of not only the cats, but her own. She beautifully draws parallels between their existence, and her own life.

In advocating for these cats, she begins to advocate for her community, and finally, herself. Her journey, and the journey of the cats who have felt her love, is heartwarming, & wonderfully told in this memoir.

Thank you to @netgalley & @crownpublishing for this ARC, from the bottom of my heart. I remember falling in love with Sad Boy and Lola on TikTok and pounced at the chance to request it! 🐾

i loved this book so much. i have been following the tiktok/Instagram for Poets Square Cats since at least late 2021/early 2022 and it's been so wonderful to see someone do so much good for a community. i would often talk to my therapist about how upset and angry i am with the world and how much bad there is in it but then there are people like Cortney who remind there are good people who care about others and want things to be better for people and animals. i knew going into this, it would be an extremely tough read and i cried multiple times. i am usually someone who doesn't go for nonfiction, but i knew the second Cortney announced her book that i would read it. its everything i expected to be and so much more and just adds to the admiration that i already have for her. for all that she does for both animals and humans, doing the work she does to better her community makes me feel like life isn't to terrible and i really appreciate that.

I have followed Poets Square on socials for years. I of course fell in love with the cats and had myself a "Sad Boy Summer", but this book gives a fresh look at the stories you don't see and a glimpse at Courtney's life. Animal rescue is one of the hardest things a person can dedicate themselves to and this shines a light on the love and loss of it.

Poets Square is a lovely blend of the authors personal story and the story of the thirty cats that changed her life. I loved the way the cats saved Courtney and inspired her to find community and meaning. The thirty cats at Poets Square were only the beginning, they became her livelihood through Tik Tok and Instagram. She found resources to rescue hundreds of cats throughout Tucson AZ. The stories were interesting, The writing felt natural. At the beginning I was concerned this might be a memoir about the author's mental health issues, but it seemed balanced and my take away was that the book was uplifting and inspiring. A cat lovers delight.

Thank you Netgalley for an advance reader copy!

My soul needed this. I feel so much less alone. So many beautiful thoughts that so many people should consider. Thank you Courtney for all your work helping these helpless cats.

I got this advanced copy through NetGalley.

this is everything i'd hoped it would be when Courtney announced she was getting published. i've followed her and the cats for years, and getting to know more about her through these tiny creatures has truly been a gift.

more than anything, this memoir speaks to the human condition and the universal need for belonging. Courtney tells her own story of loneliness and despair while also sharing pieces of the people she's met. her stories of cat rescue end up painting pictures of the people who fall through the system's cracks and end up forgotten and struggling, much like the feral cat colonies she helps.

it's strange to think that these little creatures are such a ubiquitous form of comfort, and that they have the power to make us better if we let them.

the way Courtney views her life and the world around her is so special, and her words have made me feel a little better and think a little differently about my own life. absolutely perfect little memoir.

Touching, reflective and incredibly vulnerable, Gustafson tells her story in short vignettes that are both engaging and deeply insightful, humorous and heartbreaking. While the stories do tell about the cats, they are also stories of Gustafson's exploration of self and her relationships with the people around her.

I really, really loved this. I also will say (without being a hater) that I really appreciated how Gustafson tells the stories of the animals without moving the reader too far into either saccharine sweetness or over the top melodrama, something that I think can be a fine line to walk when telling animal stories. Gustafson is a talented writer, easy to read and perfectly paced. I think this one is gonna have huge broad appeal.

I highly recommend! Poet's Corner releases April 29th. Thank you to @netgalley and @crownpublishing for the advanced reader copy.

Come for the cats, stay for the poignant life stories.
Courtney does such an amazing job evoking emotions on every page. Not only does she paint each cat so well, but she packs in so much real life to the stories too. You wouldn't expect a memoir of cats to teach you so much about love, grief, sense of self, community, mental health, and more, but Courtney does it so beautifully.

“Sometimes it seems like the sweetness between the cats has seeped into me. Sometimes I feel like I deserve it”.

This book tells the tale of Courtney Gustafson and the 30 feral cats that live in her yard. That’s what I thought when I started reading this but it’s so much more than that.

I gotta admit that I’ve been following Poets Square Cat for a couple of years now. As a cat enthusiast and cat rescuer myself, I loved following the stories of these feral cats. We get to hear the incredible stories of Gustafson’s cat rescuing adventures while also hearing about brutal reality of life and womanhood. I commend Gustafson’s vulnerability in this book and wish I could give her a big hug! This is so much more than a book about cats, it’s a book about love, grief, and community.

Thanks NetGalley for this arc!