What did I just read? Seriously—what was that? I haven’t been this utterly baffled by a book in a long time. I was completely unprepared for what lay ahead, nor could I have guessed or anticipated the sheer level of absurdity within these pages. Yet, here we are—confused, amused, and thoroughly entertained by invisible cats wreaking havoc on my sanity.

This book consists of 62 chapters that tell the story of a married couple and how they ended up with a cat—or, to be more precise, two cats. The chapters are short and snappy, almost like little vignettes that you could easily read aloud as bedtime stories for kids. But the content? Oh, the content. That’s a whole other story. I’ll admit, part of the shock might be my fault; I didn’t research the book much before diving in. The title was so irresistible that I couldn’t say no. And then I started reading. The deeper I got, the more bewildered I became.

A cat that stretches across an entire room. A cat that constantly dies and comes back to life. A cat that defies every known law of physics. And the pièce de résistance? A kitten born from a furball coughed up by the wife. Yes, you read that right. Unexpected. Shocking. Strangely adorable?

It didn’t take long before I started questioning the author’s sincerity. What began as innocent curiosity quickly turned into cautious dread—what other madness could possibly be in store? The author’s imagination truly runs wild here, delivering a fever dream of feline antics that leave you shaking your head in disbelief. In many ways, this feels like the ultimate cat lover’s fantasy, where cats reign supreme and nothing—not logic, not science—can stop them. The story’s narrator and their spouse dive headfirst into this bizarre world, treating their cats like the center of their universe. From a human perspective, it feels unhealthy; from a literary one, you might call it passion. Take your pick.

As for recommendations, I find myself unusually hesitant. On the one hand, I’d suggest it to anyone looking for something absurd, outlandish, and just plain weird. Think of it as a test—see if you can make sense of it. On the other hand, I’m stumped on how to answer the inevitable question: Why should I read this book? It’s surreal, it’s ridiculous, and it will make you chuckle. Maybe it could inspire kids to draw the scenes? It’s worth a try.

In conclusion: proceed with caution! 😊

Thank you so much, NetGalley and 4th Estate and William Collins, for this wonderfully strange and unforgettable reading experience, and for the ARC copy!

Review in Estonian: https://brixieblog.wordpress.com/2024/11/11/invisible-kitties-yu-yoyo/

Invisible Kitties is a warm and bizarre read. The book would be perfect for cat lovers or if you are someone curious about cats, you can read this book. Author has shared their deep observations about cats and kitties. There is so much warmth and wisdom in this book. The illustrations are raw and beautiful. Author has shared about their everyday life, dreams, relationship with husband and changes after having a cat. Author has combined philosophy, imagination and daily life experiences. The ending was heartwarming.

Thanks to the publisher and Author

Whether Cat had come from my mind or elsewhere, the truth was inescapable: I was now a person who had a cat. An actual cat. As for why I hadn't had a cat before this, the question no longer seemed important.'

Reading almost like a series of sketches or moments, this story of our narrator, the husband and a couple of cats that they suddenly come to own will appeal to anyone who loves cats or who has owned a cat. (Can you own a cat? Or do they own you?)

Charming, whimsical and a little bizarre, this is a warm and comforting read about, yes, cats but also about companionship and what makes a home a home. It's slightly surreal outlook makes it different enough from other 'cat genre' books, and that is one of its charms. A definite 4 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

Invisible Kitties is an ode to cats, and their way of life. This collection of small tales about cats from Chinese poet Yu Yoyo and translated Jeremy Tiang is a must for cat lovers.

A couple adopt a kitten, and their lives are turned upside down by the adventures of this kitten. Told in vignettes, with an almost dream like quality, the kitten moves between our reality and magical places, finding friends, being playful and causing chaos. Fantastical and poetic, the strangeness of cats is explored in this short, quirky book.

I hate having to DNF an ARC but sadly I've been trying to read this for a month now and I just don't think this book is for me.

I thought the premise of Invisible Kitties was interesting when I got the email offer of the ARC hence why I have decided to request for it. However, I just found myself not connecting to this book at all. I knew this book was blurbed as whimsical but the mood and the vibe of the story was just not that at all so I'm confused on which part of this book would be categorized as whimsical. Also the lack of narrative structure in this book was also another reason for my disconnect. I'm not a picky reader by any means and I love love love when books have interesting format but the disconnect between the chapters here (I'm calling it chapters because they're numbered) threw me off guard so many times especially with how a chapter could end so abruptly. I think if the book was blurbed as short stories or the chapters are not numbered like it's a continuous story, I would understand this book a little better.

I read a lot of Japanese books especially those about cats in fact if there is a new one out I will probably read it.
I was disappointed in this book as it was very quirky and if I am honest that put me off. Now I like Japanese books that are off the wall but this one was just pushing it a bit much and so lost me totally so much so that I gave up on the book - which for me is unusual
I am sure many will like it but it was not for me.

Thank you so much for granting me early access to this gem of a book.
This charming little novel—translated from the Chinese and delightfully short—is all about cats, and as a proud cat veteran (four and counting, though currently cat-less), it took me right back to my own furry friends. Each tiny chapter feels like a love letter to the quirks and mysteries of cats. The author captures their every move, from their chirping window watch to their majestic stretches (okay, maybe not quite as long as the magical, meter-stretching cats here, but close enough).
There’s a hint of magical realism, with cats ballooning and bending in whimsical ways, yet everything else is spot on, especially her descriptions of life with Cat and Kitten, and the funny little routines shared with her husband. There’s no real plot, no explanations—just pure, cat-loving joy and observation. It’s like a dreamy love song to cats, and as a fellow cat lover, I’m here for every word.

DNF @50%

Your enjoyment of this book will depend on your expectations, and your tolerance for obsessive anthropomorphic whimsical, and often fantastical, rumination on what it is to be Cat.

The blurb says:
“When a young couple accidentally comes into possession of a playful kitten, their daily routine (and cramped apartment) is turned upside down. Soon they find their existence forever altered.”

This implies that there is narrative structure - but if you’re hoping for a story, you’ll be disappointed. This is not a novel. The book consists of 60 vignettes. While the first 5 contain the essence of a story - where dreaming about a cat becomes the acquisition of Cat - the next 26 (because that’s how far I read) are isolated observations on some aspect of the behaviour or essence of Cat.

They’re not without charm; they are whimsical, fantastical, imaginative, poetic, and all show a deep appreciation for what it is to be Cat. The presentation is also lovely, with each vignette being matched with a small illustration by the author. And it is an achievement in itself to have created 60 little metaphorical meditations on our feline companions in all their mystery.

But for all of that, I didn’t find it particularly engaging. I stopped reading half way through because I found myself skimming over the text - and the poetic nature of the text, and lack of narrative, made continuing a pointless activity. This book is almost certainly best appreciated in small morsels. Perhaps while you’re sat in the smallest room in the house. But to say “this would make a good bathroom book” doesn’t feel like much of a recommendation.

My thanks and apologies go to #NetGalley 4th Estate/William Collins, and the author, for the free review copy of Invisible Kitties in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I went into reading this book expecting a typical story based on the synopsis I read, but INVISIBLE KITTIES was something quite different. A collection of tales charting a couple and the cats they know and love, it has a very strong fable element to its narrative. The scenes that are depicted will ring many bells with cat owners and cat lovers, but the anecdotes in each chapter are sometimes completely bizarre, venturing into mythical, magical, utter fantasy territory that at times reminded me of Studio Ghibli productions. For me personally, I could just not get on with this tone. Again, I think a lot of it was because I went into it expecting something completely different to what it is, so the way the book is packaged and promoted might be a little off, but if you love cats and fairy tales and magical elements, I expect you might really enjoy this book. It just wasn't for me. My thanks to Netgalley for the review copy.

This book is maybe one of the strangest, yet captivating books I’ve ever read.

This book follows the story of couple who started off without cats and end up with a kitten that had been abandoned. At first I was very confused as the book doesn’t always say exactly what it means. This book is basically written in metaphors.

However, if you’ve ever owned a cat, you will understand this book and you undoubtedly love it!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for granting me access to this e-arc in exchange for an honest review

A quick read about a cat owner and their cat. At times fantastical and mythical, the short chapters are endearing. Written with vivid poetic imagery it’s hard not to believe that cat is really doing these magical things. The joy and fulfilment the owners get from sharing their home with cat is very heart warming. A lovely book that is a real ode to cats and living with them.

A fun whimsical read about owning a cat, cat behaviours and cute moments.
It wasn't quite what I thought but it was cute and I don't even own a cat. I do want one now though

Well, it's certainly different!

I found this book too surrealist for my taste. Of course as it is translated from the Japanese I was expecting it to be different to western writing. At times it is more whimsical and that I was okay with. I can relate to some of the descriptions of cat behaviour and those I enjoyed.

I think you need to be a cat lover to even pick up this book. For many cat lovers it would be the perfect gift. It's a short read with lots of drawings and paw prints on the pages.

A beautifully poetic read, perfect for cat lovers everywhere. This book is broken down into very short chapters each one relating to a certain cat characteristic. This book is definitely giftable.

Thank you to net gallery and the author for a copy of this arc book. I don’t really like this cover as the black makes it look so depression and off putting I wouldn’t pick this book up in a shop or my local library because of the cover but the title is very intriguing and I will say I like the title of the book. This books has some very cute illustration in it which I do like. As a cat lovers myself I found this book very sweet to read and this book is sort of whimsical which I did enjoy. Cat lovers will love reading this book so much. I would read more by the author in the future xxx

I am a self-proclaimed cat lady and despite some people wanting this to be a negative I personally don’t see it that way. That said I am always looking for fiction (and non-fiction) about cats, almost as much as I’m looking for cats to add to the household. Over the past few years I’ve adored thart we are getting English translations of Asian works that deal with our feline friends and I have to say Yoyo’s debut was an instant hit with me.

The main thing I adored was the whimsical language and story used. It’s translated beautifully and works so well. The second is the connection with the ‘cat’ and its mannerisms and characteristics. Anyone who has had a cat or knows someone with a cat are sure to see their antics and behaviours mirrored in this novel. Now a few of the chapters I enjoyed less than others but overall I really adored the idea of how the cat is centre but we also look at and learn to appreciate those small moments in life that might seem trivial but you soon learn how much they really mean to you.

In short if you love cats this is a must read.

As always thank you to 4th Estate and Netgalley for my copy. My review is always honest and truthful.

Cute illustrations, the perfect book for cat lovers. Daily cat activities and wonder, in the eyes of a besotted cat owner.

A lovely whimsical book about living with a cat. The author tells us how cats are formed and what fur balls really are.. All topics of cat ownership, in both directions, are covered. It proves that most of us are utter softies with our furry friends.

Yu Yoyo is a Chinese poet with a number of published collections in her homeland. This is her first novel translated by Jeremy Tiang. I can’t recall reading any Chinese fiction before so I was aware that I would be straying outside of my comfort zone, which of course, sometimes really pays off and opens up a whole new avenue of reading but here I’m not so sure.
It is obvious that this has been written by a poet, pithy, close observations and a lively use of language and word selection which comes across very well in this translation. The subject for all these observations is cats and their behaviour and in a sequence of 60 short chapters various aspects of feline life and our interactions with them are examined all interspersed with simple illustrations and many paw prints. The work is subtitled “A Feline Study of Fluid Mechanics or The Spurious Incidents Of The Cats In The Night Time (get the reference?) It stays just on the right side of twee but if you are not a big cat fan then there’s not a lot of reason to read this.
Where the fictional elements come in are linked to the flights of fancy the narrator goes off on. The author fully explores the strangeness of cats and lets, at times, imagination run wild. It’s not totally clear how the narrator gets her cat which resides in her tower-block home with her and her husband- initially it’s a dream cat called Doughball, but acquires a real one seemingly from a cloud. A kitten later joins the household when all the fur the narrator has inhaled off her cat forms into a hairball which she coughs up one night when it turns into a kitten. Still with me?
Some of the whimsical metaphorical notions I can take, the elasticity of the cat body, the ability to heat water inside its body which means it can be used as a hot water bottle (I get that) or as source of hot water which can be drunk (not so sure). The cats disappear, shape shift, dissolve and there is a section on cats’ testicles, referred to as small planets which when detached by the vet end up as tiny satellites in space.
Alongside the craziness are some lovely observations of cats soaking up the sun, possessing miniature moons on their claws which they shed, offering massage services and some lines seem so quotable, like the snippets of cat wisdom you see on birthday cards and Facebook posts which doesn’t mean that I’m putting this down or even that I was disappointed by it (you know what you’re getting very early on) but I’m not totally convinced as to how well it functions as fiction.
It's a quick read. I polished most of it off on a busy train and it has that dip in-dip out vibe which makes that possible and there are moments that will stay with me and maybe even getting me looking at my own cat in a new way. There’s an awful lot of cat-lovers out there but this still feels like a very niche publication. Its quirkiness, its look and its brevity might make it a Christmas present pick but as literary fiction, which is how it seems to be being marketed, it doesn’t quite work as I’d hoped.
Invisible Kitties is published by 4th Estate in the UK on 1st October 2024. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

Yu Yoyo is an award-winning, Sichuanese poet and visual/audio artist, her striking debut novel builds on a life lived in close proximity with cats. Its nameless narrator lives with her partner in a small apartment together with a feline known only as ‘Cat.’ The decision not to name this cat’s a telling one, not rooted in indifference but an underlying rejection of the notion that cats can ever be fully claimed or “owned” by humans. The narrator’s relationship with Cat’s far more intricate, a series of delicate negotiations requiring her to learn ‘Cat’s language, and adapt her behaviour in line with Cat’s expectations. Although Cat’s existence also opens up a series of broader reflections on what it is to live freely, to challenge everyday reality and ways of being.

Yu Yoyo’s narrative’s fragmented and episodic but acutely-observed – very much a poet’s piece. It’s filled with arresting images; chains of association spin out in wholly unexpected directions – there are surreal scenes like the ones in which the narrator coughs up a furball that mysteriously mutates into a cat. The story’s sometimes lyrical, philosophical even, at other points witty or matter-of-fact. Although Yu Yoyo doesn’t entirely evade anthropomorphic musings, she strains against them, presenting an unusually fresh perspective on relationships between humans and companion animals. She also manages to be whimsical without being sentimental or sickly sweet – always a danger with books about animals, particularly cats.

Cats in Yu Yoyo’s story are mercurial, shape-shifting creatures, part phantom in nature. An impression reinforced by Yu Yoyo's evocative, black-and-white drawings which are scattered throughout, her attempt to capture Cat’s fluid movements, forceful character, and all-pervasive presence. I liked this far more than I’d anticipated, it builds slowly to construct a portrait of the characters’ lives, their neighbours, their local surroundings. It’s not a piece that demands to be read straight through from cover to cover, it’s designed to be savoured slowly, each section has the feel of an extended prose poem. Translated by Jeremy Tiang.