Like the first part, I loved this book. I think it's a great read for schools. And at the same time, I feel it could be a very interesting read for adults. I feel it's like... The Little Prince. Those books you could read a thousand times and find a different meaning each time, because life always gives you new experiences that allow you to give a different meaning to what you read and what happens to the characters.

There are many messages linked to the publishing world that I found fascinating. And how right they are in those words and intentions. We must resist. Read it and you will understand me. It even made me rethink the way I read and how I receive all this literary information that surrounds us in our daily lives.

Like the first part, I'm sure this second part will be translated into Spanish. It's worth reading; it's worth translating these types of books into as many languages ​​as possible.

Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for the ARC I read through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with a review copy of this book!

'The Cat Who Saved the Library' is a sweet story set in Japan, a sequel to the first book 'The Cat Who Saved Books'. The themes are fantasy and focus on the importance of stories in our lives. I enjoyed reading this sweet book and as a personal fan of Japanese literature, I found this enchanting, emotional and a joy to read!

I absolutely love translated fiction and The Cat Who Saved the Library was no exception. This was such a wonderful easy read that I read in just one sitting. I absolutely loved the characters in this one and the development that you saw throughout. I enjoyed the adventures that they go on and that the whole premises is surrounding a cat and books. Two of my absolute favourite things in the world. I feel like this book would have benefitted from being a little bit longer so that the reader could benefit from a little bit more world building and dive deeper into the reason why books were being stolen. However this book gave me everything that I needed and I have immediately preordered myself a physical copy to add to my selection. Thank you for providing me with an early copy of this book and I will definitely be recommending it to my friends and social media following.

I loved The Cat who saved Books, so was eager to read a follow up. The story is a modern day fairy tale that is suitable for all ages. The enigmatic talking cat enlists the help of schoolchild Nanami as books begin to disappear from the local library. She discovers a world of grey people led by a mysterious man (in each visit he ups his status from General to Prime Minister to King) who is burning books and aiming to destroy people’s memories of stories.
The messages behind the fable is that stories bring empathy and compassion, which is bad for growth and business.
This is so reflective of the current moment, as Musk (grey man among a bunch of grey men) has just stated that empathy is the fundamental weakness of Western Society.
‘That’s why people read books. When they do, they can feel .. what it means to be considerate of others, what happens to those who forget how to be compassionate. And sometimes an old book will ask Do you want to be rich or do you want to be happy?”
There is also a suggestion that the grey man represents social media. Something that helped connect everyone but now removes people from reality and encourages conflict.
There is also a good piece about growth and wealth. ‘It’s foolishness. The idea that those who have so much and those that have so little can grow together is a pathetic illusion. As the former become richer, the latter become poorer. Wealth is not absolute; it’s relative.’

A joyful, happy tale full of insight and wisdom.

This book dives headfirst into a fantasy world which our protagonist must travel to in order to save books that are disappearing from her local library.

I enjoyed the premise of the book but the execution was lacking. The real life chapters were very spaced out, leaving little time for Natsumi to reflect in between her sojourns to the fantasy world and when in the fantasy world it felt sort of like a child's cartoon where we jump into a world with little to no context and the plotline just falls apart.

I really like the genre of Japanese fantasy fiction but this particular book wasn't for me.

I really enjoyed the first book as it was varied and novel. This second book didn’t quite work for me. This book was incredibly tense and with so many books being actually banned and burned, the start of the book getting into that just felt very intense. I also really enjoyed the different kind of adventures Rintaro and the cat have in the first book, and this book features one place where books are disappearing to. Nanami is a young teen roped by the cat into the new adventure. While she is very sympathetic, the book just ok. Pity.

I hadn’t read the previous book and can confirm that this works well as a stand-alone. Nanami Kosaki is a 13 year old girl who lives with asthma. She is a bit of a loner and loves to spend her time in the library. Her mother died and her father doesn’t seem to have time for her anymore so books are her friends. Beautifully written this is a charming story about the love of literature told through the world of fantasy.

Briefly, at the library Nanami notices some of her favourite books are missing. She speaks to the librarian but he doesn’t think there is anything wrong. Then she sees a man dressed in grey taking books off the shelves and she watches him walk away with them. Should she follow him? A voice speaks to her and looking around all she sees is a ginger cat, then she realises the cat, Tiger, is speaking to her! Together they decide to find out where the books are being taken and bring them back to the library.

The central idea of the story is sadly only too believable in times when schools in USA are banning books in their thousands with more than 4000 unique titles banned. The journey Nanami and Tiger take to save the books is at times quite dark and their lives appear to be at risk. However, they are determined in their quest. I’m guessing the books mentioned are some of the authors favourites which is so interesting with very eclectic choices. A thought provoking and entertaining read.

I adored The Cat Who Saved Books so I jumped at the chance to read the sequel and loved it even more than the first book!! I really enjoyed following our main character Nanami, who suffers with chronic asthma and so spends most of her time in the library. I really enjoyed the disability representation in here as the asthma was present throughout the story rather than feeling like an add-on.

As in the first book, Natsukawa's personal opinions on books and libraries were front and centre in this book which was really interesting to explore. I also found the symbolism of book burning, the removal of books, and the chosen replacements to be very pertinent in 2025 (unfortunately). This is truly a book lovers book.

This book is just as cosy as the first, whilst still making the points that it wants to, and Tiger the talking tabby cat is even cuter and more loveable in this sequel! You can read this as a standalone if you wish, although there are references to the first book. Overall, this was just a really enjoyable time!

This was a little different from the first book, and can be read as a standalone, although it did have a small cameo from Rintaro from the first book, it didn't take away from the story. This also felt a little more fast paced and followed a more streamlined plotline. Following in the footsteps of the first book, Nnami a fellow bookworm, with the library and books as her escape, unable to have much of a social life because of her terrible asthma, was enabled with a few tasks accompanied with tiger the tabby, but they were only centered around one villain (?) which did make me feel more connected to the overall plot.
I liked how we got a little bit of both from both the novels. However, this one was a bit more action packed, and had a lot of heart racing moments (which did not help since I was 6 shots of caffeine deep whilst reading this)

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an early proof in exchange for an honest review.

I have reviewed The Cat Who Saved the Library for online recommendations and sales site LoveReading.co.uk and have chosen this title as a Liz Pick of the Month. Please see the link for the full review.

Thank you to Netgalley and random house for providing this ARC for an honest review.

This book was a cosy book to read, a cat saving a library. A sequal to The Cat who saved books. I loved the Japanese setting, anything set in Japan is my go to. The characters were lovely it's definitely a perfect choice for YA readers who want to dip their toes into the trasnlated fiction sub-genre. The settings are magical and a perfect place for a bookworm to want to go. The magic was fun to see too.

Sosuke Natsukawa returns with The Cat Who Saved the Library, a charming and thought-provoking sequel to The Cat Who Saved Books. This enchanting story blends adventure, fantasy and a deep love for literature, reminding readers of the importance of books and the freedom to read them.

Thirteen-year-old Nanami has always found solace in books, spending her afternoons in the school library. But when she notices that some of her favourite classics are vanishing from the shelves, no one seems to take her concerns seriously. Then she meets Tiger, the wise and mysterious talking tabby cat who is determined to protect the power of storytelling. Together, they embark on a magical journey to uncover why books are disappearing, facing challenges that test their courage and belief in the written word.

Natsukawa crafts a beautifully imaginative tale that feels both timeless and urgent. As Nanami and Tiger navigate a dystopian world where books are burned and creativity is under threat, the story becomes a powerful reflection on censorship, knowledge and the necessity of preserving ideas. Yet, at its heart, this is a heartwarming and uplifting adventure filled with wonder, wisdom and the enduring magic of stories.

For anyone who cherishes books, The Cat Who Saved the Library is a must-read, a delightful, poignant and inspiring tribute to literature, libraries and the readers who bring them to life.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

The title and concept immediately caught my eye as a lover of both cats and books, I knew I wanted to read this book immediately, even before I realised that I had read the prequel, The Cat Who Saved Books. The Cat Who Saved the Library follows Nanami who notices books disappearing from her library and teams up with Tiger, a talking cat, to save the library and the books within it.

The translation was well written, making the book easy to read with a smooth flow. It also had a heartfelt message behind it about the power of books. Nanami was a character to connect with, this might be because we both share a love for books and our local libraries. As well as understanding how deeply stories can impact individuals. This book highlights the importance of showing how they can affect people, for example they could inspire readers to find courage like their favourite characters or teach valuable lessons, such as knowing when to stand up for themselves and others. I also loved how Nanami was both kind and courageous. Sometimes, strong female characters are written in a way that takes away from them their gentleness, but Nanami balances both. She’s caring and compassionate, yet brave enough to face an unknown and scary antagonist.

You don’t have to read the prequel to read or enjoy this book, but it is a continuation that takes place after an unknown amount of time. Catching up with Rintaro and Sayo from the prequel made it even more enjoyable, and the prequel added depth to the story. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone, after all, who doesn't love talking cats?

Nanami is a young teen who has grown up with books being a big part of her life. One day she notices some of her favourite books are missing from the library and a strange man appearing in the library shelves.
Little did Nanami know she was going to be thrust into another riveting adventure with Tiger, the talking cat, to save the books of the world.
I love the cat who saved series. The idea that books are so precious and have such an impact on lives that they need to be rescued by Tiger (we discover where he comes from in the sequel) is quite original to me. It deals with the current ideas of sensorship with banning books and book burnings.
Again we have three separate journeys, getting harder as Nanami fights to save the books she loves. I felt the last journey came too quickly and was overcome easier than I anticipated and that is the only reason I don't rate this book 5 stars.

In 'The Cat Who Saved the Library' by Sosuke Natsukawa: Nanami, a library loving teen, is drawn into an adventure to try to save books. For a while she has noticed that books have been going missing, but the only one who both believes her and can help her to save them, is a cat called Tiger Together, they enter a dystopian world and have to go up against a grey army to restore the books.

Well translated and with some interesting allegories, this is a book that YA readers may enjoy. For me, it lacked depth, due to the focus being on a fairy-tale like plot, rather that on character development/understanding. However, this is a quick, cosy read, for people who love books and enjoy this type of title.

I was so thankful to be given the chance to read this story, I loved the first book and translated fictions are my newest comfort reads. I especially loved with this book that we had one continuous story throughout as it allowed me to grow attached to the characters and the goals. I loved the background of this being how much power books can hold and how they shape our lives and how important they are for us when developing. I truly love to support my local library it is a favourite past time to mine to even go and browse and find new favourites, library books especially hold a place with me because they are special in that they each have a story and history with other readers.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC.
I honestly loved the cat who saved books,so when I found out that there was a sequel for it, I was extremely delighted.
Our protagonist, Nanami, is an extremely smart, courageous, headstrong and strong-willed young girl who isn't deterred by anything even her asthma disease.
I really admired how she was content with her life despite the disease, finding workarounds that suited her condition, her love for books helped her stay content. It's a mindset that is hard to achieve especially for a 13 year old girl.
We meet our beloved tabby once again (did I mention that I just love books that combine books and cats?), we meet characters from the first book (Hi, Rintaro and Sayo) while embarking on a new bookish adventure.
I don't know what it is about Sosuke Natsukawa's writing style, but it's extremely immersive and the pacing is always just right.
However, I definitely loved the first book more, the lessons were better delivered in it than in this one and everything was clearer and more concise.
While this book dealt with the theme of people focusing on things to the point that they forget what matters the most to them or forget their compassion (not sure which one was the lesson, at times it felt like both), it didn't deliver the lesson quite well in my opinion.
I felt like it also tried to deliver multiple lessons other than this one ( like never losing hope among others), but it all got jumbled up to the point where you are lost with where this is going. While the first book was very cosy, this book had more of a dark feeling. Nanami was also described as an inconvenience to others around her due to her illness which I disagreed with and believe it should have been one of the lessons.
While this book wasn't for me, others may definitely like it.

The sequel to The Cat Who Saved Books - 10 years after the first book, we now follow young Nanami who noticed books began to disappear from her local library. Tiger returns and joins her on a even more dark journey to save her library.

I was surprised how much this one leaned into the fantasy elements of the world! The first book definitely felt like a simple cozy book while Nanami's journey felt a lot more darker and adventurous!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Pan Macmillan for the much anticipated ARC of The Cat Who Saved the Library. I was super excited for it because I genuinely adored The Cat Who Saved Books.

I received this back in December but my reading slump was so bad that I only picked it up last week.

It was such a beautiful book about the power of books and how they give us hope for just about anything. You just have to believe in the power and truth of your heart to conquer the impossible.

It is about Nanami, a junior high schooler with severe asthma and how her life revolves around the library and the books. And it is also about those who extend a hand of help whenever possible. It is about a very eccentric, cool but very amazing talking cat who is always there to save the books, no matter how difficult and impossible the situation becomes.

Rintaro and Sayo from The Cat who Saved Books also make a major appearance and it is such a beautiful thing to behold. Nanami’s friendship with Itsuka was so well-written.

It deals with so many important themes and how books will forever be significant in the lives of human beings. There are numerous occasions where they discuss the various concepts about living in this era, of right and wrong, good and evil, the idea of banning or removing the so-called “dangerous books” and how wrong the ideas of a few people can be.

It is about never forgetting the good inside your heart and extending your hand even to your apparent enemy in times of distress.

The instances of books helping Nanami throughout were genuinely heartwarming. The only problem I had was the repetition. It may not matter much to the young readers, tbh as in a way they revive what was happening but for a adult reader, the constant reminder of Nanami’s health and Asthma may seem repetitive.

Nonetheless, it was an extremely beautiful book and everyone who loves books must give it a read.

Also, I need to get its physical copy once it releases because I have to note down all the names of the books mentioned in this book especially The Arsene Lupin - The Gentlemen Thief series.

This is the continuation of the book The Cat Who Saved Books. I read the first one a few days ago, so it's still fresh in my memory, and I was expecting to like this even more but apparently it's not the case. The second book reads more like a fairytale-ish compared to the first one, yet the adventure feels less exciting. I love how the characters from the first book make apperance in this one and this is definitely not a bad book. Both have great messages that makes the reader think.