Reviews

De kat die bleef by Hiro Arikawa

whirler_girl's review against another edition

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

february6diary's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

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

5.0

creosote's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

lotte_898's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

uwujaaver's review against another edition

lighthearted sad fast-paced

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

4.0

kristinn's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

‘The Goodbye Cat’ and ‘Finding Hachi’ are the two best short stories in this collection, in my opinion. Sweet and painful at the same time.

thornlet's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

kamileonon's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny sad fast-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

4.0

sohxpie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

The thing I' about Hiri Arikawa's writing is that it is simply stunning. It's heartbreaking but in a beautiful way. The Goodbye Cat is a collection of seven short stories all about cats and their owners, each one is very different from the last and all are absolutely fantastic. The first story is perhaps the saddest, such a poignant story about a kitten growing up alongside its owner and how the cat tries to find a way to stay with them throughout death. It was such a well written story. Although it made me cry, it was possibly my favourite. It was really great having two more stories about Satoru, one of the protagonists in The Travelling Cat Chronicles. We got a closer look at his relationship with his first cat Hachi and Hachi's life after he was adopted by another family. I think this one was incredibly well-written, the way Arikawa showed how Hachi had adapted to his new family by remembering his life with Satoru was just so lovely. Even though Hachi couldn't quite remember Satoru, he remembered all the love and the things they did together. And although you already knew how that story ended, this is the first time you see it from Hachi's perspective and it honestly makes the story that much more heartbreaking. I really enjoyed the last story too, a little throwback to the cat that started it all, Nana. It was nice to read another little story from their journey. It was another sad story but so beautifully written that you can almost forgive it. 
I really enjoyed reading this collection. It may sound strange but Hiro Arikawa has such a talent for writing from a cat's perspective and writing such beautiful stories that would surely resonate with any cat owner, or indeed any pet owner. An absolutely fantastic book that I would definitely recommend! 

chellybell's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

4.0