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This was a pleasant, insightful read about the nature of having a cat as a pet (or vice versa).

There is lots of little cute, hand-drawn cat pictures throughout the book that enhance the overall reading experience.

I think if you have ever had a cat you will be more able to relate to the author’s poetic thoughts about the diverse, nuanced and very special interactions.

Another important point is that the author has produced a unique, creative novel like no other. Full credit is deserved for having the ability to do that.

A delightful and truly amusing book that revolves around cats. It seems straightforward, doesn't it? I couldn't stop giggling and time passed in an instant. This book is definitely a must-read for cat lovers, but as a dog-owner, I found it absolutely charming. I give it 3 stars because it also felt a little like I didn't get the entire story, and I wished that it could be a little longer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

as much as i want to love it 100% bc duh cats???? but maybe bc i still don't own one myself and get to experience the chaotic life of being a cat parent but allas im sure cat owners and fans will like this!

Invisible Kitties is a quirky and charming collection of short stories about life with cats. Each of the 60 chapters focuses on the funny and strange behaviors of the author's cat, mixing real-life observations with a sprinkling of magical realism. There’s no real plot, but the book offers a delightful look at the bond between cats and their humans.

This book is best suited for cat lovers who will relate to the funny and familiar moments. It's a great gift for anyone who loves cats, though readers wanting a strong storyline may not find it as engaging.

Invisible Kitties is an artful exploration of life with cats. The narrator presents her life with cats in small vignettes which read as little thought trains or memories. Some are more mundane and highly recognisable and others are more philosophical or just plain strange and made me laugh out loud. The writing is easy to follow and has an innocent quality to it.

The illustrations help to tie the book together. It felt as though I was reading a cat owner's diary of their inner thoughts and little doodles of their cats. I thoroughly enjoyed this and wouldn't hesitate to buy it as a gift for friends with cats as I'm sure they would also recognise many of the cat behaviours Yoyo describes.

"Invisible Kitties" by Yu Yoyo is a whimsical exploration of imagination and friendship. The story follows a young protagonist who discovers a world of invisible cats, each representing different emotions and experiences. The enchanting illustrations complement the narrative, creating a magical atmosphere that captivates readers. Themes of empathy and the importance of seeing beyond the surface shine through, making it a delightful read for children and adults alike. Overall, it’s a charming tale that encourages creativity and emotional understanding.

Thank you to NetGalley and Fourth Estate for the arc.
This is a really difficult book for me to review as it is one of those books that really defies definition and pigeonholing. It’s billed as “a meditation on the quiet moments of everyday life and a celebration of cats in all their many forms”, but it seems to be just a series of 60 short chapters obsessively describing the minutiae of life with a cat - whether real or imaginary.
I do like cats, but I have to admit I struggled with this.
The book is beautifully presented with cute drawings and if you just want something light and aesthetically pleasing - and you really like cats- then this could be the book for you. Unfortunately it wasn’t a book for me and I ended up skim reading the last 50% and feeling very happy that I own a (much less demanding) dog.

Published 1st October 2024. A cute little novel - quite short, translated from the Chinese and all about cats. As someone who has owned 4 cats so far - I'm between cats at the moment -these short little chapters transported me back to my own relationship with my cats. The actions that the author describes, I remembered my own cats doing exactly the same things. There is also a touch of magical realism in some of the vignettes as my cats never stretched out to many metres in length (although sometimes it felt like it), nor did inflate like a balloon. However, the descriptions of them chirping at the window as they watch the birds are just so accurate. The author describes the way that she and her husband interact with Cat and latter with Kitten, too. This is like a love song to cats and she often writes/describes almost as if she is dreaming - there is an other-worldly quality to what she describes. There is no plot here, she does not even explain what is going on in the little vignettes, she is purely observing and taking immense pleasure in her cats - and so, as a cat lover and a read - I do too.

A funny and bizarre love story and ode to cats and the process of becoming a cat ‘owner’ (not that a car could ever be owned!)

One word .. quirky. A real treat for cat lovers and anyone that has ever been own by cat. Truly delightful.

I'm not sure what this book was about. It's basically a collection of dozens of snippets of the protagonist's life with her husband and their Cat (with a capital 'C'). Each snippet is basically a stand-alone story that describes some aspect of Cat's behaviour, and the impact it has on his owners. There is a smidgeon of magical realism here, but it's not really what the stories are about.

I did finish this book, but I did so constantly wondering - "what am I missing". I was constantly confused about what I was reading and why I was reading it. I kept telling myself - "this can't be all there is to it", "there must be something there - maybe a reflection on otaku culture, maybe a critique of modern life and the loneliness embedded in it, maybe an ode to the healing power of cats". Alas - no. It's just what it says on the box - a weird love letter to cats.

While not a cat lover myself, this is not why I disliked the book so much. I disliked it because I felt cheated of a few hours of my life - it wasn't even bad enough to dislike. It's just completely devoid of any meaning. As I mentioned in one of my previous reviews - I no longer wallow in self doubt when I encounter books like this, asking myself again and again whether I missed something only visible to a select few.

Honestly - staring at a wall would have been a better way to spend the time. Can't recommend to anyone.

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

The intricacies of having a cat, or rather being owned by a cat!

Everyone who has ever had a cat will be able to relate to this book. The author goes into depth about everything, 'cat': how their eyes look like marbles, their secret stash of things from around the house, their gurgling purrs, the intense bird watching from the window, how they silently judge you and how you can never find them when you want them.

Invisible Kitties is charming and has some really cute illustrations as well.

I was offered this ARC because I had previously rated ‘Butter’ favourably but uhh I really don’t think they’re comparable at all. Also, “books written by East Asian authors” is hardly a genre and it’s quite reductive (and frankly insulting) to assume that all translated works by East Asian authors can be lumped into the same category.

My annoyance aside, I did try to give this novel a chance and I read it to the end. I can’t say that it’s for me. I do like cats and I have two of my own, so I did enjoy most of the observations made by the narrator. My cats do all that too. However, the book is just that—a collection of observations. There is no plot to speak of, which is honestly okay sometimes like if the author is trying for modernism or even postmodernism, but this novel isn’t and each chapter is just a short vignette of the narrator’s cat doing something and making her feel happy. That’s all. I wish I were exaggerating.

The one thing I did like was the translation. It wasn’t clunky, the tone was consistent, and it managed to be poetic from time to time, which I think is no mean feat given the fluffy (haha) nature of the content. Another thing that helped break the monotony of ‘my cat is so cute i’m glad i’m alive’ is the magical realism. Not every chapter, but most of them had some element of magical realism, e.g., the cat growing huge, stretching metres long, expanding and deflating like a balloon, disappearing, etc. There’s no deeper meaning behind these magical acts, and the narrator doesn’t question them. They just are. Her cats just are otherworldly creatures with wacky abilities. I guess this makes the novel a little zany.

This book is the equivalent of that person at work who keeps showing you pictures of their baby unprovoked.

Thank you to NetGalley, Fourth Estate & author Yu Yoyo for this eARC

Invisible Kitties is a charming, whimsy love letter from the author to their cat.
In 60 short chapters we are taken on a journey of a cat moving in, how they change our lives and their little quirks and habits. Absolutely adorable for any cat lover!

A novella arranged in 60 short chapters chronicling the arrival of Cat into the lives of Wife and Husband who live in a small apartment on a high floor. How to describe this book? Surreal would be my take. How can cats jump so high? They’re a literal spring. Why are cats so warm? They’re a inexhaustible kettle of hot water. How are cats so good at hiding? They can become invisible… And so our novella continues. There’s no plot as such, just 60 vignettes on life with a cat and some of the musings which may or may not come from this.

The translation has kept the author’s illustrations throughout of cats and cat-like objects to keep the air of whimsy going.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Yu Yoyo a poet writes about cats in Invisible Kitties: a cute collection of cat centric writing.

My favourite part was probably the chapter titled Doughball I thought it captured domestic bliss nicely. Marbles definitely creeped me out and now whenever I think of cats eyes I think of marbles and vice versa. I feel quite like cat, in that I don't like clutter on my desk either and the urge to just clear so that I have this free space is very much in me.

Overall, I think this is prefect for cat lovers, and cat enthusiasts, I couldn't relate to a lot of the chapters as I think you have to really love cats to be able to appreciate them but I thought the illustrations were darling and the creativity to liken cats to so many things is awesome.

Thank you to Fourth Estate, Netgalley and Yu Yoyo for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.

This is a quirky read for quirky read lovers. Cat rains, cat the size of a house etc are original and imaginative. The presentation is beautiful and would appeal to all cats and animal lovers. I loved illustrations. They made me pause and appreciate them. I’m just not the right reader for a book as quirky as this. I enjoyed the strange events and elegant prose but I found the whole thing elusive. Now I know that the author is a poet. That makes sense!

I highly recommend this to poem readers or any cat lovers!

A lovely book, irresistible to cat lovers.

In 60 small chapters, the author "explains" a number of typical cat features and quirks. It starts with the author and her husband --conveniently called Husband-- getting a cat, called Cat. Or as any cat lover knows, it is actually Cat who acquires Author and Husband. Later on, a second kitten --Kitten-- completes the family.

Each chapter also contains one small drawing of Cat that basically tries to catch the content of that particular chapter, usually in a very successful way. The images are simple, cute, spot on and sometimes very funny. Likewise, the author shows a great sense of humour in the way she describes certain situations that regularly put a smile on my face. When reading about Cat being buff and engaged in extreme sports like parkour, and at the same time seeing the image of Cat that goes with it, to give just one example, you know that you have something precious in your hands, a book to read, to re-read and to cherish.

Yu Yoyo mixes sharp observation with vivid imagination and as such comes up with explanations for typical cat behaviour (like for instance why cats purr, or the true nature of hairballs) that you never have read in any other cat book before.

Throw out every serious and scientific book about cats you own and read this one instead.

(Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.)

I liked thid novel.
I am not a cat lover, and so some of it was beyond me.
The novel appears to take the form of dreams, fantasies, wishes, experiences, longings and folklore all wrapped together.

I read a few chapters at a time and marvelled at the sound of the words that the author used, and either dreamt along with her or let that chapter go.

Cat lovers of all ages and types will probably love this book.

The book is worth reading for some of the ideas, and the way that the words are arranged.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.