The Cat Who Saved Books

Written by Sosuke Natsukawa
Translated by Louise Heal Kawai

A talking cat and a reclusive teenage boy go on adventures to rescue mistreated books in this heartwarming tale of courage and empathy.

Format: Paperback
Pages: 224

Note: Be the cat who saves this book! In perfect irony (or accidental genius?), our copy comes with a slight printing defect where one page is folded inwards and bound to the spine of the book. Minor, non-invasive surgery is required if you purchase this copy. Otherwise, let us know if you would like a fresh new copy and we can order it in for you at the usual price.  

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Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookstore he inherited from his beloved bookworm grandfather. Then, a talking cat appears with an unusual request. The feline asks for—or rather, demands—the teenager’s help in saving books with him. The world is full of lonely books left unread and unloved, and the cat and Rintaro must rescue them from their neglectful owners.

Their mission sends this odd duo on an amazing journey, where they enter different mazes to set books free. Through their travels, the cat and Rintaro meet a man who leaves his books to perish on a bookshelf, an unwitting book torturer who cuts the pages of books into snippets to help people speed read, and a publishing drone who only wants to create bestsellers. Their adventures culminate in one last unforgettable challenge—a final maze the leads Rintaro down a realm only the bravest dare enter.

An enthralling tale of books, first love, fantasy, and an unusual friendship with a talking cat, The Cat Who Saved Books is a story for those for whom books are so much more than words on paper.

Read if you: physically feel pain to see someone fold the corner of a page in a book.