Similar to other Japanese novels on this topic, we meet a number of protagonists with problems who eventually find the Kokomo clinic and are, inevitably, prescribed a cat to help them overcome their problems. As the format is several short stories rather than a continuous novel, we get some character development of the protagonists within the stories but the nurse/doctor/clinic are invariably described in the same way. After the first 2-3 stories, this began to grate. There are cute illustrations of the cats to feature in that story.

A light read but quite generic/formulaic within this genre. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A gorgeously warm, cosy novel. Sure to be a hit on those Autumn nights! I would love to be prescribed a cat.

3.5

We'll Prescribe You A Cat is a sweet little book. As an analogy for how we need to treat ourselves, our family and our pets it serves very well.

The basic premise is that troubled people are given the name of a psychiatric centre that will help them. However once they've managed to find the clinic they meet an aloof receptionist and a slightly crazy doctor whose advice is always the same - we'll prescribe you a cat. As we all know looking after an animal of any kind requires love, care and dedication and this change in attitude seems to help the people who came to the clinic.

As I said, it's a sweet little book that might give you pause for thought about the way we treat our own mental health as well as the ones around us that we say we love and care about.

Unlike some reviewers I've not read any of the slew of feel-good books coming out of the far east so I enjoyed this book very much. It's immensely readable, gives you a warm fuzzy feeling (and who doesn't need that these days) and makes me miss my own beloved cat very much.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Random House for the advance review copy.

This book remind me with Before the Coffee Gets Cold series and Kamogawa Food Detectives. It's containt several story about people who have mental health issues and then the psychiater will prescribe them a cat to take care of. I thought this book will flat without element of surprise (since it's collected stories), but in the end of book, there is mystery about psychiater's background. However, this mystery still contain plot hole and not really well executed.

It's not an outstanding book that will inspiring you whatsover. But, it's light and heart-warming enough if you are a cat lovers.

It has slow paced story and little character development in each story, What I love the most is because the story is set in Kyoto (I have soft spot for Kyoto 🥹).

Thank you to NetGalley for the ebook.
‘We’ll Prescribe You a Cat’ is a unique collection of interlinked short stories where the different characters in need are prescribed a cat by an enigmatic doctor, with the help of his aloof and equally mysterious receptionist. The different stories explore a number of challenges faced by many and it was lovely to read a reminder of the variety of people’s lives. 3.5 out of 5.

I'm getting tired of these books. It's like an epidemic of trash. This book follows the well established path laid out in Goodnight Tokyo, The Full Moon Coffee Shop, and, of course, Before the Coffee Gets Cold and its sequels. We have a series of lost humans, who find their way to a situation that helps them deal with their issues. This situation, in this book, is getting a cat prescribed to them. While the setting that helps them cope and inflect their lives can be defined as "magical realism", in essence, it's quite realistic.

I am sure that some people would like this. It is well enough written, and the stories are short enough to not bore the reader much. The theme of being lost and stuck in life is quite common, and this book follows in the steps of the others in giving it legitimacy and showing a way forward. A self help book of sorts, if you discount the cats.

That being said, I really disliked it. Beyond the fact it had nothing new to say in the landscape of books that are so similar it hurts, it just didn't have anything special about it. It felt like a set of articles in some run of the mill weekly journal that makes people who struggle with their day to day feel less alone.

I'm certain I'm the wrong audience for this book. If you're looking for anything that will in any way stay with you after reading it, skip this book. If you're looking for anything interesting, skip it. If you're looking to learn more about Japan, skip it. If you're looking to better understand how people deal with their issues with maturity and intellect, skip it.

It's best fit, perhaps, for those readers looking for lighthearted voyeurism into other people's lives, helping the readers feel less weird about their own issues. Cat lovers, I'm sure, would find the book endearing.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with and early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Oh how I absolutely adored this!! I knew as soon as I saw this book title I felt like I was going to enjoy it and it did not disappoint. Such a fun and whimsical read with some really poignant home truths delved into in each character’s lives and the way the story built through each new chapter and storyline and somehow all came together at the end was just magic. In classic Japanese style writing, it leaves the resolution a little ambiguous and allows the reader to form their own thoughts on how things came to be. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone seeking something a little out of the ordinary, something cosy and heartwarming and also anyone who simply likes cats! 🐈 🐈‍⬛ I’ve always been so grateful for my own two rescue cats anyway but reading this book has made me want to hug them a little tighter 💜 ✨ Thank you Syou Ishida, Double Day Books and NetGalley for access to this eARC ✨

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the ARC

A warm hug. That's what I will describe this book as. I love books featuring cats and this book has loads. We follow several people and their cats in their daily lives and it gives the best cozy feel. A heartwarming and sweet character-driven story. Perfect for book and cat lovers all over the world

I loved this book. And I have to ask you all to add this to your TBRs if you love cosy translated books or if you love cats.

The story is about a mental health clinic in Kyoto called “Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul”. It’s very hard to find this clinic tucked away in a decrepit building. Each patient who finds their way to this place leaves with a cat. Because that’s what the doctor there prescribes.

When I read the first chapter, I found it okay. I thought it lacked a spark of magic. But boy, was I wrong? As I kept reading, I found that magic and loved it. The stories are relatable & heartwarming with a huge dose of cat cuteness.
There is also a bit of mystery to the whole thing. The last chapter which delves into it left me in tears. My heart broke and I wished nothing more than a cat I could hold onto.

This book is perfect. It shows so many shades of mental health troubles and how a pet can help through them and teach us life lessons.

I can't recommend it enough. I can't wait for it to get released so I can own a physical copy of it.

I absolutely loved this book! Like many Japanese books lately, We’ll Prescribe You a Cat is a collection of tales centering around a mysterious clinic where the only treatment is the fluffy cat you must take home for a course. These cats inevitably change the lives of the person they are prescribed to and as you read on you see how the lives of the characters start to weave as the mystery of the clinic slowly unravels. It’s such a heartfelt book. I had to cuddle my cat as I cried at the end. One for animal lovers as you really reminisce about how your pets have touched your life.

Oh how much I wanted to love this. I love translated Japanese fiction.

First, the positive. It is whimsical and nonsensical and fantastical but in a positive way. And I did enjoy it. It's split into sections, with each section focussing on one character and one cat. And each section is effectively the same. This means that you might want to read it cover to cover like I did, but it also gives you the opportunity to pick up and choose which you want to read. I do love the bond between humans and their pets, which can often be hard to explain.

However, I wonder if maybe I've read too many translated Japanese fiction recently because they all are, at heart, the same, and they're sort of blending into one for me currently. And the way it's written, maybe it's just how the Japanese write or how it comes across in translation, but the tone of it, all of it is very similar to other translated books, which means it didn't really shine.

I can't say I felt a particular bond with any of the characters, none of them stood out and I found them flat. They weren't bad, just a bit vanilla, which meant I wasn't invested in their stories.

Overall it is uplifting and cosy and whimsical and comforting, but it was just a bit too flat.

"Cats can solve most problems. But to get a prescription for one, you have to first come to this clinic and open the door yourself."

It is exactly what it says it is, and I cannot be happier about it. We'll Prescribe You A Cat is such a heartwarming story and is perfect if you need something uplifting, bursting with good vibes, and the right level of introspective, this book is for you.

The story follows different characters who are struggling with a variety of issues - workplace woes, family dynamics, self guilt... And the solution to each? A cat!

Each section begins with a visit to the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul, a mysterious facility that patients learn about by word of mouth. The doctor and nurse are unusual, and their methods of diagnosis pretty much unheard of. Yet, the men and women who visit are greatly helped by the feline friends they encounter.

There is a larger mystery entwined with the smaller plots, and I loved trying to pick apart what was going on. Plus, the short length made this a fun and quick read. Overall, this was a lovely experience from start to finish.

When I read the title of the book I was wondering how this 'prescribing a cat' thing was going to work and basically that's it... each of the characters we read in this story is 'prescribed a cat'.

This novel has a certain touch of magical realism, where it deals with problems that can affect any of us, where I managed to empathize with different characters and where cats are the axis of the story.

I think this type of books is becoming more and more popular and it is something that I love because the Japanese have a special touch when writing these novels. 'Iyashikei' is a beautiful subgenre that has a lot to tell us and on top of that when it is accompanied by kittens, it is a thousand times better.

The book is short, but in these pages it tells so many stories and these intertwine with each other and end up forming a beautiful map of connections, kittens and stories.

Thank you very much Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the ARC I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 rounded up to 4
This book is a sweet collection of intersecting stories, each follows a person who goes to a mysterious/magical clinic and as the clinic states gets prescribed a cat as treatment. Each story is neatly wrapped in a bow but the last story is left kind of open-ended/anticlimactic. For some of the stories I wish there was more about the character and their growth. I really enjoyed how cutely each cat is described and it’s really nice to read them interacting with the characters. I don’t know if it’s down to the translation but the writing feels quite simplistic at times but this makes it a quick and easy read. There a few times there’s no pacing between paragraphs so it time skips, chapters or sections would have made this more accessible. (Minor spoilers but all cats are okay)
#ad I received this arc as a gift but the review is entirely my own

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'We'll Prescribe You a Cat' by Syou Ishida.

This book was right up my alley and I absolutely adored it. The title gives you the entire plot and I loved it. As it says on the tin, this novel is sort of a collection of short stories about multiple people going through a lot of problems - such as insomnia, work issues - and they decide to go get help. Unknown to them, the help they will receive is in the form of a cat. It’s a wacky concept but it was so fun to read.

We'll Prescribe You a Cat is a selection of short stories that focus on the struggles of 5 different people and what's the cure for their struggles? Cats.

This collection of short stories was magical,heartwarming,realistic,misterious and original with a simple and direct language hence for this it's really easy to empathize with each character.

I recommend this book if you are looking up for these vibes and if you're a fan of cats!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Transworld Publishers for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
(I am rounding up)

First of all, thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publishers for allowing me to read this!

This book really fed my cat loving soul. It also fed my wildlife biologist brain with good cat care and behavior described. I deeply adore the concept and even the representation of mental health. One of the characters I honestly related too and their experiences and feelings.

I adore the quirky-ness of the novel as well with the doctor and the clinic. It truly added to the experience. I feel the pacing was one of the few things that I felt was off and a few of the endings although I sweet happy one felt a little unsatisfying for me.

I still deeply loved my experience and the concept of the book. Plus all the cover designs I’ve seen I love so so much!

We'll Prescribe You a Cat follows a similar structure and vibe than The Full Moon Coffe Shop minus the astrology factor. So it is not a super original book. Is comprosed of different stories with healing vibes and some are really cute. The idea is good but the translation was a bit off for me.

I loved this book. It was heart wrenching in some parts but also just beautiful fitting to life. The idea of having a pet that helps us is amazing. This books hits you with a lot of struggles that you might experience yourself but it gives you a nudge in the right direction. I recommend reading this book if you're a cat lover.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and Transworld Publishers for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

We'll Prescribe You a Cat is a collection of short stories that focus on the struggles of 5 different people. The cure for their issues?...Cats!
Each character visits the mysterious Kokoro Clinic and is given a cat specific for their need, these needs range from grief to personality flaws.

I particularly enjoyed how the author incorporated humour into the stories - referring to cats as 'dosages' and it really just gives across the message that we need to learn to laugh at ourselves and also find humour in our darkest times.

This selection of stories is sweet and can be enjoyed in an afternoon session of reading. I highly recommend it, especially to fans of 'Before The Coffee Gets Cold' and other similar collections.

Thanks once again to NetGalley, Random House UK and Transworld Publishers for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.