Prior to requesting this book, I had never heard of Poets Square, or the author's instagram account. I don't even consider myself a cat person, and I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this. I am so happy to be proven wrong, and I've already recommended it to a friend who works with animal rescue organizations. This is partly a recollection of the cats (who totally won me over with their personalities), and much more a look at the transformative experience the author encountered throughout her time living among 30 feral cats in Poets Square, a neighborhood in Tucson.

I was so impressed with the depth, self-exploration, and beauty of her writing. I really hope Courtney Gustafson writes more books, because I will read anything she writes!

This is a fantastic memoir discussing how Poets Square cats came to be. I like how it dives into the “cat society” learning about how they interacted. You’ll definitely cry at parts. I really could not put this down. I didn’t follow Gustafson prior to reading this - but as a cat lover I just did. What excellent work she’s done for the feral cats!!!

This is a really solid book that is about a cat rescuer, but also about being a person existing in capitalism and relationships and learning to trust. I wasn’t sure I’d be into a book about 30 cats, but sometimes NetGalley (from which I received a free e-copy in exchange for my honest review) really surprises me in a good way!
Here is 2 quotations I pulled because I loved them:
On how hard it is to rescue cats and deal with their deaths and the cruelty in the world: “I don’t know how to explain that I can’t do it either. People are always saying how hard it must be, but there is no special hardness about me.”

And one about learning to live with her limitations: “There’s no version of myself that could ever be enough to save every one from all suffering and it haunts me, it destroys me, it keeps me up at night. I don’t want my main emotion to be despair.”

Admittedly those quotations make this book sound sad. And it isn’t! It’s just a surprisingly deep book about wading through hoarder homes and building a life as an internet influencer because of stray cats. Recommend!

Courtney Gustafson's memoir is about thirty feral cats - and it is also about love and loss, light and dark, grief and hope, community, feeling lost and being found, and so much more. Gustafson's writing is both approachable and intimate and very relatable. I found myself rooting for both her and the cats and look forward to following both on social media going forward. I also hope that Gustafson continues writing - would love to see more from her in the future.

I really enjoyed this memoir and found that I've remembered so much of it, months after I finished reading it. The author brilliantly weaves her personal story with that of the cats who live amongst her. I really loved getting to know the cats and following her journey. It's a quick and compelling book.

I've been following Poets Square Cats for a few years now and I love the community that's been built around these furry friends. My own cats are the most important part of my life and I couldn't imagine my life without them, so I decided to start caring for the feral cats outside of my old apartment building, all because of this little Tiktok account I follow who does the same thing. Courtney has inspired me to take care of my own colony of cats and I love that she's done the same to others around the world. This book is such an accomplishment and I can't wait to see what she does next.

I loved this book on every level. Beautiful writing and an author you instantly want to root for - I was captivated from the first chapter. I'm not a 'cat person', but I was still drawn into the story and found so much more than a story about rescuing cats. Gustafson shares her authentic heart and anyone can relate to the challenges of being a young adult and finding your way. I particularly loved the stories that so clearly illustrated the challenges of relationships and of adulting in this day and age. It gave me great hope for humanity and made me believe that in the kindness and generosity of people. Such a wonderful book I'm sure I will be sharing with people - cat lovers or not. Great job and I hope this is the first of many books to come from this talented, beautiful writer.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and offer my honest review on this lovely new book.

This is a great story about what's happening to the cat world and how much of the suffering that is happening to them is caused by myth and negligence and how a few devoted people are trying to help. I also found that this story took me on an emotional journey, not only because of the cats that the author talks about but also her disclosure about her life and how she was dealing with problems that were coming up while she was helping the cats Very brave thing to do.
I love the journey that the thirty cats took the author on, and how much she looked forward to seeing them everyday. I also like that she thought she was just rescuing them, but they were also rescuing her from a life she liked to one where she had more possibilities. It is revealing how the cats made her look more closely at how she was looking at life and how life actual is for many, not only for the cats, but people too. I love reading about how much the cats meant to her even if she doesn't see it herself. I love the communities she created every time she went to help someone else with a stray cat issue, and how she talked about how people are willing to help her, but also found it sad that people aren't willing to help in other areas.
There is so much to learn from this book not only about cats but the world around us that we don't see. I believe that reading this story will show the reality of what is happening to the cat world and maybe it will spur cat owners to do the right thing and get them fixed. There are currently 70,000,oo0 stray cats in the U.S and between 530,000 to 1, 400,000 are euthanized for no other reason but not getting them spayed.

I want to thank Crown Publishing | Crown and NetGalley for an advance copy of a story about one woman cause to do the right thing.

This was an absolute delight. I was vaguely familiar with the Poets Square cats from Tik Tok, but I hadn’t followed them super closely. I loved this so much—the stories about the cats and how Courtney weaved in her own experiences and commentary of society and how our systems fail animals and humans alike.

My words will not do this book justice. This is a book for everyone. If you love animals, this book is for you. If you care about people, this book is for you. This book tells a story of one young woman, not feeling good enough to like herself, and trying to live her life so other people would like her. At different times, throughout the book she relates these stories that made her who she is. And then one day, she realizes that she's not like that at all. And it took caring for unwanted, hungry, sick felines to show her how strong she actually is. This is a love story on so many levels and in so many ways. This is truly an exceptional book, and I thank the author for sharing her experiences. This book will be on my shelf after publication, after I have read it for the second time! I thank NetGalley and Crown Publishing for this amazing read.

This book spoke to my soul. I found myself crying in happiness and sadness. Relating to feeling so much room to love and care. And being overwhelmed at times by that love.

Never felt anything soft before in their lives line stuck with me.

I just love reading memoirs like this that tell you more about a person than usual memoirs. It’s not a biographical timeline but more a learn as you go.

I’m now following Courtney on Instagram and I can’t wait to see more. Thank you, Courtney, for all you do!

Thank you to NetGalley, Courtney Gustafson, and Crown Publishing for the opportunity to read Poet’s Square. I have written this review voluntarily.

I’ve followed this instagram account for a long time and I was so excited to receive an arc. This book was the perfect blend of memoir and information about feral cats/cat rescues. I loved the whole thing, even if I knew what happened to some of the cats ( r.i.p. sadboy). If you’re a cat lover I think you would love this book.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Crown Publishing for allowing me to read this book and give my honest opinion. I have been a longtime follower of Poet Square on instagram and I found myself drawn to Courtney due to being a cat lady and having feral cats that I would feed. This book tells not only the evolution of Courtney but of many of the cats. If you are a follower, you will be so happy to see so many of our favorites mentioned. If you aren't a follower, then sit back and enjoy a book about self discovery and the love of felines.

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I have not ever followed Courtney's IG or Tiktok so you could say I went into this blind. However, I was easily captivated with her writing, and I felt the connection and the affection that she had for each and every one of these cats in Poets Square. Courtney's self awareness is refreshing (most memoirs I have consumed do have the aspect of a professional with help and how they overcome it) and at times heartbreaking. What I thought was a memoir about a feral cat community expanded into mental heath, poverty, inter and intrapersonal relationships etc. Easy to pick up, but heartbreaking to read and to digest.

10/10 Meows

This memoir is a delightful read that really hits home. I loved how the author uses metaphors throughout—very clever and relatable! The way they seamlessly transition between their own life and the experiences of with the cats is truly impressive. It’s such a heartwarming story. Definitely worth picking up if you're an animal lover.

5/5

This book. It's about so much more than cats but also about cats. It's a beautiful reflection on dealing with trauma, building community, and finding purpose in unexpected places. What would you do if you were suddenly living on a property where 30+ feral cats depended on you? This is the story of how Courtney found herself in that situation (during the pandemic, no less) and found her way through those challenges while also finding herself and building a community of support for cats - and the people caring for them. As someone who lives in Tucson and intimately knows the neighborhoods she's describing, I felt moved to learn more about the work she's been doing to provide care and support to those doing their best to survive while also supporting the creatures living with and around them. The cats are brilliantly described - you can feel their funny little personalities jumping off the pages. If you don't follow Poets Square Cats on social media, you should. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

"Poets Square" is a heartfelt memoir by Courtney Gustafson about unexpectedly becoming a caretaker for thirty feral cats while navigating her own life challenges during the pandemic. Moving into a rental house in Tucson, Arizona, Courtney initially struggled with her mental health, job instability, and a new relationship. Despite her reluctance, the plight of the cats drew her in, leading to a journey of animal rescue that intertwined with her personal growth. I started following her on TikTok and fell in love with the creator, and this book offers additional stories and depth not often seen on social media. The book beautifully captures the emotional highs and lows of caring for these animals and highlights the importance of community and compassion.

(Had this book been written a bit more recently, there should have been jokes here about a childless catlady.)

The first year of pandemic, Courtney has moved in together with her boyfriend into the rented house at Poets Square, only to realize that the accommodation comes with thirty feral cats. At that point, they was just barely able to provide for themselves (student loans, old medical bills, Courtney would be soon thereafter laid off from her job at a non-profit), so it was very far from an obvious decision that she should extend her sphere of responsibility to care about those thirty non-human persons. This book is about the wild ride that her life has been ever since she opened up to this possibility. It is about an encounter with the animals - their bestiality, their existence beyond the human conceptions of them - but it is also about people, their relationship, economic, and mental health struggles. All told in such a manner that if that was just about the animals or just about the humans, it would be nowhere near as powerful.

"And then at some point I accidentally survived."

I am not an avid reader of memoirs, normally. Somehow. I am so glad that this title, thanks to its catchy cover and the description made it through my filter that usually keeps the memoir literature out. I really needed to read this. It felt surreal sometimes, so many elements of this story were so recognizable and relatable. During the height of the pandemic lockdowns (something about the loosening of human interactions at that point), I also made a special connection with some non-human residents of my block, discovering their bestiality and their amazing non-cultural ways of existence and communication. So it felt a bit like reading a version of the same story from a person who has been thinking many of the same thoughts instigated by this experience (and unlike most humans) but so much better capable with the words. I am definitely looking out for what she writes next - hopefully she does.

What else is amazing is that all this is real. I mean, as real as stories get. You can search for the author's name and find the cats' instagram account and look at all of the cat characters in person instead of just imagining them based on the descriptions.

Being a follower of the Poets Square cats on Instagram and TikTok for several years, I was so excited to read this book.

I think I was on the brink of tears the entire time I was reading. It covered a wide range of topics and emotions involved in cat rescue and the human experience in general.

I’ve followed the stories of all the cats on instagram, and now have the new experience of seeing the human side of things. It felt very relatable and inspiring. Happy and sad.

This was a beautiful, well written book that I’m better for having read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Courtney Gustafson’s memoir, Poets Square, offers an unexpected and deeply touching exploration of community, care, and survival through the lens of animal rescue. Gustafson's journey highlights the profound ways animals can shape our lives—often in moments when we are least prepared for it.
Gustafson details her struggles during a time of personal crisis—a new relationship, mental health challenges, the pandemic, and a precarious job. Caring for the cats initially seems like an impossible burden, but their presence slowly forces her to confront her own capacity for care, empathy, and connection in a world that often feels fractured.
Through these cats—Monkey, Goldie, Francois, Sad Boy, and others—Gustafson discovers a larger community, both locally and online, as her quirky and heartwarming videos about their lives go viral on social media, ultimately helping her navigate the challenges she faces.
Gustafson’s candid exploration of the emotional toll of animal rescue is both heartbreaking and uplifting, and her writing on the ethics of care—how individuals must step up in a world with failing systems—feels urgent and necessary. Her story is as much about the fragility of human connection as it is about the feral cats she tends to.