Reviews with content warning for Cancer - If Cats Disappeared from the World

the best parts were Aloha, and Cabbage talking. the philosophical musings were stupid, like "cell phones bad", "clocks bad"; and the plot was inane, especially in regards to his ex-girlfriend whose name i forget. like, he tells her that's he's literally going to die any day now but she waits a few days before giving him

the letter his own late mother wrote to him on her deathbed

. best friend, shouldn't you have been like, "oh you're dying? that reminds me, i have something of immense emotional significance to give you"? but no, his dire prognosis apparently isn't enough, she needs just an extra… je ne sais quoi 🤌 to prove he's really earned it.
there were some reflections that i liked though, like how the meaning of one's life is the difference between this universe and a parallel universe in which one never existed. maybe you haven't changed the world but your friends and family's lives would all be very different; you may be insignificant to the universe at large but you're important to so many individuals.

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itsjustbethg's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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cianarae's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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emma_fukar's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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lenahausr's review against another edition

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informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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jselliot's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A novella about coming to terms with death, and finding beauty in the mundane. The main character gives up phones, clocks, and movies ... but is unwilling to part with the companionship of cats, which is a sentiment I can agree with. The fleeting nature of elements within our lives is something that's dwelled upon throughout the novella, as is old relationships, failed and sustained.

This book didn't hit me as hard as The Fault In Our Stars, which I read with my mom while she was going through cancer (five years of chemo and radiation, seven brain surgeries later - but she beat it! Three years into remission now). But it was still a good book in the areas that mattered. I am curious what the author imagined happening with the open ending, though, with the protagonist hoping to meet his father one more time before his end.

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zahraa_aj's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

"I must have a whole collection of small injuries, tucked away somewhere in the back of my memory. I suppose that’s what some people call regret."

Interesting premise but I think it could have been better and shorter if it weren't for the author rewriting the same message over and over again

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