The Traveling Cat Chronicles
Nana. His name wasn't Nana before. He was a stray. Satoru is a man of gentleness and love. Satoru feeds Nana everyday and lets him sleep on his silver van. One horrific car accidents involving Nana makes Satoru adopt Nana, and this is how their story begins
Nana, a cat with unique markings, and his owner Satoru are on a road trip to different places to find Nana a new home. Why? We don't know. The ambiguity of why Nana couldn't live with Satoru anymore was intriguing and I couldn't wait to find out. Throughout the story, it switches between 3 perspectives: Nana's thoughts, a third person perspective, and flashbacks.
The whole book was a rollercoaster ride. From the tragedy of the death of his parents to an unexpected plot twist, this a book of many surprises. The switch between present day and the past adds a nice touch to the plot as well. With different stories surrounding different house owners, it was better than books with only one plot. As Satoru travels to different friends to try to get them to adopt his cat, it always ends up with him taking the cat back. Later on, we learn that Satoru doesn't actually want to leave the cat, which is why he keeps on taking Nana back.
The book wasn't only about Satoru and his relationships though; the cat also had its own. From teaching a kitten how to hunt to having a misunderstanding with a dog, the unique part of this book was that the cat could communicate with other animals and they have their own dialogues. The majority of the book was also from the cat's point of view and him being oblivious as to why his owner doesn't want him anymore. Memorable parts of the books was when Nana is scared of the sea and when Nana decides that the top of the tube tv is the best spot in the house for napping.
A book about family, friendships, love and nostalgia, The Traveling Cat Chronicles is one of the books you must read. The book doesn't end with positive emotions though. With this book ending in a tragedy, it will make you bawl a river. It certainly made me cry. Once you read this, you won't be able to put it down.