This was one of the most unique and interesting books I’ve read in a long time. The concept was fascinating and the execution was beautifully done. It was an emotional twist of time and space. Past, present, and future were all intertwined and informing each other in an atypical way. Yet, the book wasn’t written in a way that was confusing and it’s easy to mess up a story where time is explored in this way.

I also loved that the means of meeting between time and space was through the eyes of a cat. Cats on their own already feel mystical so using a cat as the means of being a veil was so intriguing and believable.

At the same time the edition of a murder mystery and the play performances added another deeper layer to the story. On the surface it might feel like all these high concepts are all too strong and compete against each other, but instead they flow together beautifully. It takes a masterful storyteller to be able to pull so many concepts together like this and make it a cohesive story.

It is to the point where I feel as if I need to purchase a physical copy for myself to reference as an example of great craftsmanship. There was so much depth in every aspect of this story and it was compelling both mystically and emotionally. Every moment I was deeply feeling appreciation for the writing of this book.

If you want to read something wholly original and a book that was one of the best books I’ve read this year, pick up “Miri Lives in the Cat’s Eyes” you will not regret it for a second.

Thank you Yen press for the digital copy.

I don’t have a lot of experience reading light novels but i definitely enjoyed the format and found it refreshing. However I did feel like the story fell a bit flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Yen Press for the e-book copy!

I am slowly working my way into the light novel space so I am in the phase of trying stories out. This story was not bad but just lacked enough depth. I liked the set up and felt like if this had an anime it would work for me better. However, as a light novel this just did not grip me. I would still recommend giving it a chance but don't expect too much from this story.

I read my first light novel! And I really enjoyed the experience.

A story with mystery, supernatural touches, and a hint of romance that reads quickly and is quite captivating. In the midst of a pandemic, Youichi, a college student with a special ability to see the past through the eyes of others, crosses paths with Miri, a girl who can see the future. The curious thing is that they communicate through a cat. What seems like a strange story turns into a race against time when they discover that a murder is just the beginning. Together they will try to prevent a chain of tragedies.

Although at times it dwells too much on certain details, such as the theater, it has interesting twists and an original setting. An entertaining read that combines crime, destiny, and a bit of feline tenderness.

Thank you very much, YenPress, for the ARC I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book thinking it was a Manga, not a novel, however, I was still keen to read it as it had a very interesting premise.

Youichi Kamisuki is a college student doing remote learning during Covid, Youichi has a special ability that allows to see the past when the look into someone’s eyes, including the stray cat he found, but this time it’s different the girl he encounters can see and hear him as well, her name is Miri and she can see the future, however he wishes his life was more interesting, but he should be careful for what he wishes for because his neighbour is murdered, and according to Miri is the only the first in a string and together they must team up to stop the impending tragedy.

I only got up to 65% of the way through before I ran out of time to finish it, the premise was really interesting and so was story, I just struggled with reading, I honestly don’t know why I was unable to keep reading and finish it, but I do wish to pick it up again in the future to finish it.

Youichi Kamisuki became involved in a murder investigation when his next door neighbor was shot. Then when he looked into a cat's eyes and connected with a girl named Miri who could see the future he learned that this was only the first of many murders. The two work on figuring out who the murderer is while Youchi tries to find out about Miri and meet her in the flesh. All he need to do is figure out a way to change the future so she does not suffer her fated death. And of course solve the murder all while becoming a star in the drama club. An interesting and engaging tale of how the future and love are always in motion.

Thanks Netgalley and Yen Press for the chance to read this title!

This had a really interesting premise- a boy who sees the past, a girl who sees the future, and a killer stalking a theater group. Unfortunately at times it felt more like an outline of an idea than a fully fleshed out story. And then the mystery is solved in a way where the reader doesn’t have the chance to try to solve it along with the characters. It was an interesting setup, but needed more focus.

With the eye-catching cover, title AND premise, I was very intrigued to see what this book is about. Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC!

College student Youichi has a special ability: When looking into someone's eyes, he can see their memories. One day in the middle of the covid-lockdown, a woman in his apartment building is shot. On the search for clues about this crime, Youichi looks into the eyes of a cat and sees a different woman in its memories - a woman who speaks to him. Her name is Miri and she has the ability to look into the future. She foresaw that the crime that just happened is only the beginning of an awful murder series and asks Youichi to help her find the culprit. As part of his investigation, he joins the university's drama club and also spends more time with Miri in the cat's memories. Unfortunately, the murder series becomes more and more opaque as the possibility of curses and stories from the theater plays starts to feel more real. At the same time, Youichi is trying to find MIri in the present with the foreboding that everything might end in tragedy.

This short novel is filled with literary references and fascinating theories on art and theater, reality and humanity. At the same time, it tells a dark story about murder, hate and loss. These contradicting aspects make for a very interesting atmosphere. Youichis style of narration feels a little awkward sometimes, thought that might be just a result of translation.

The hook of the story is the murder investigation. However, most scenes are about Youichi befriending the drama club, falling in love with Miri, or about the consequences of his gift. That doesn't mean that the suspense is lacking; the general mood does count down with a constant sense of dread toward an inevitable end. Another interesting aspect is the setting during the time of the Corona pandemic. It has a big influence on the characters and is often mentioned. Since it is still in such recent memory, it was a little strange to read about it, but it is tightly woven into the plot and makes sense, so it was handled well.

The story contains many side characters, which are a bit confusing at times. I managed, most likely because of the way the mysteries get solved. Youichi often figures something out without telling the reader, and then explains in the end. This way, all the twists and revelations are neatly presented without the reader feeling like they missed something. Unfortunately, at other times, the story did get too complex to follow along easily. This happens mostly with the timelines between which Youichi and Miri communicate. Present, past and future keep changing and it is a bit tough to keep up.

In the end, I did greatly enjoy the story. It is a moving peace filled with love for theater and art with an emotional end. There are beautiful illustrations throughout that only enhance the reading experience. I would definitely reccommend this book for fans of complicated love storys, theater and time travel!

I didn’t like the way this downloaded but it was an interesting story! I love cats so whenever there is one in a story, I have to read the book. I’m not a big fan of time travel but I was able to deal with it while reading this book. Not sure if id read this again.

Thank you NetGalley, Taiga and Yen Press for the ARC!

Rating: ✨✨✨

Miri Lives in the Cat's Eyes is a quick read with elements of time travel and a central murder mystery plot. I enjoyed it overall, but I felt that the pacing was a bit slow (especially when explaining theatre productions in great detail) and that some parts of the story were confusing. I was initially worried about the COVID setting, but I thought that this was a nice touch that provided a different perspective on the murder mystery genre. There were also a few lovely illustrations throughout that added to my enjoyment.

This is a really cute concept and I honestly like how the chapters are set up. It really allows for me to concentrate a lot more during parts I wasn’t particularly interested in.

It’s good, but the mystery feels confusing and predictable at the same time. I like the COVID lockdown mentions.

A bit of a mixed bag. But it definitely was one of the more interesting reads in premise and dealt with some surprisingly heavy stuff. It's hard to review this one. I didn't absolutely love it but didn't hate it either. A very decent read.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

Thank you NetGalley, Shuzo Oshimi, and Kodansha for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review!
Final Rating 4.0

Simple and to the point, and yet surprisingly powerful, the horror in the manga is less about shock factor and more about the cruelty of humanity in general.

Although a short one-shot, it covers a myriad of topics such as neglect, mental health, sexual assault, and how judgmental, yet off-handed society can be. The thing is, none of these topics seem cheaply done because they are all something that goes on in society today, making the events uncomfortable to read, only because they are all so familiar. This manga is supposed to be a precursor to a movie that I haven’t seen, but I found I didn’t need prior knowledge of the movie to understand this story. Honestly, it made me want to watch the movie to see what happened after.
This manga is quite dark, but I do recommend reading it if you’re okay with dark themes.

Thank you again, NetGalley, Shuzo Oshimi, and Kodansha for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely unique in terms of plot if not a bit confusing. The writing is solid in parts and deals with everything from self harm and grief to murder. I did find it a bit meandering and confused about what genre it wanted to be. One part murder mystery, one part drama club. Which could’ve blended together, but tended to distract from the main story. It reads more like a love letter to the art of drama with the murder plot line sprinkled in. Parts were just references to movies and long acting monologues or descriptions of monologues. And Covid being used as some kind of plot point was a bit weird. It fell apart in the third act for me. If you like time travel and introspective ghosts. You’ll probably like this. (Thanks to Netgalley and Yen Press for the arc)

This was a suspenseful read and a bit confusing at times, but a fun enough read. This is honestly my first time reading a light novel, and I had expected it to be a manga when requesting, but I enjoyed it regardless.

This was not one of my usual book types, so it was a little hard for me to get into, but I did enjoy the story line. Miri was such an interesting character and had a lot of layers with her ability to see into the future. Yochi fell a little bit flat for me but his ability to see into the past was kinda neat. With how he had to look into someone's eyes in order to do it, even after they have passed away. But how if they have tears in their eyes his ability strenghtens. I don't think I would want to be either Yochi or Miri as it would break my heart over and over again to live with what they see. I did enjoy the occasional art mixed into the story to give you a better idea of the characters and what is going on in the story. And the way they had to work together to find out who was killing others. But the end did make me cry a little.

3.25 Stars.
A very light, fast and a fun read with as much as interesting concept, tropes and easy to follow storyline.

Miri Lives in the Cat's Eye was a captivating and charming read! The story was unique, blending mystery and fantasy with a touch of whimsy. The characters were well-developed, and the plot kept me intrigued throughout. It’s a wonderfully imaginative book that I really enjoyed.

This was a very interesting concept, but it definitely got a bit confusing at times. The story is centered around a boy who can see into the past and a girl who can see into the future. There are a string of murders happening and the girl claims he must figure out who the murderer is before more people get injured.

I disliked how excessively Covid was mentioned. To me, it felt like it didn't really have any impact on the story and kept getting thrown in randomly. I also wished that the story would have taken place in other settings instead of usually being with the drama club and its members. While I do understand the importance that held to the story line, I just think it would have been more enticing to add in other suspects or scenarios.

The ending was interesting, but seemed like a bit of a stretch. I don't see how a college student would have had money to do some of the things that the female main character claimed to have done. The relationship between the two was interesting and I'm not sure I could find it believable that they loved each other without ever really meeting. Thank you to Netgalley, Yen Press, and Taiga Shiki for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.