Cat's People

Are you a cat lover or perhaps curious what life would look like from a cat’s perspective?

Meet Cat - a loveable black stray cat who's seen a lot in his 11 years on the streets of NYC.  He’s also met a lot of people like The Rainbow Lady (Nuria) who brings him food every day, Awkward Neighbor Guy (Collin), whose alley Cat lives in, The Cheery Mailman (Omar) who he accompanies on his delivery routes, The Sad Bodega Man (Bong) whose wife used to feed him treats before she died, and Bright-Pink Person (Lily) - Nuria’s sister. They’re all wonderful characters who stole my heart!

The magic of this story is the way Cat brings these five together in the most unexpected ways and how they, in turn, return the kindness to him, each in their own ways. The ending was particularly touching and might just bring a tear to your eye. It’s sweet, charming, heart-warming and a nice dose of kindness and compassion in a time when that type of message seems to be sorely needed! 

It’s a slower, slice-of-life type story with fairly simple writing. That’s not a criticism - I only mean that it doesn’t get bogged down by flowery language or overly detailed sentences. It’s told in omniscient 3rd person and is simple and straight to the point, as would seem appropriate since the story is being explained at least in part from a cat’s POV. I’m not surprised to learn that this is Guerrero’s first venture into the adult market coming from a kidlit background.

This isn’t primarily a romance, though there’s a thread of it here. My only minor complaint is that it was a little insta-love for my taste, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. 

If you need a quiet, feel-good book featuring an adorable cat and an eclectic found family - this is a sweet choice. It definitely makes me want to go get another cat! 🐈‍⬛

★★★ ½ 

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Delacorte Press, NetGalley and author Tanya Guerrero for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s out April 1, 2025.