What do readers think of We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida? Write your own review.

I was very pleased to receive an advanced reader’s copy of this book. I am a cat lover and thought this book would be the perfect fit for me. Unfortunately the execution of this really great concept didn’t work well for me. I enjoyed the beginning stories but then I found the rest of the book to be redundant and repetitive. I know others will likely really love this book and it would be worthy of some discussion with others.

When five troubled Japanese citizens of varying ages seek help to cope with their unhappiness, they get their help from a psychiatrist/doctor/vet. This book is written with a fantasy solution to end every day troubles. How easy the solution is. Add a cat to your life and you'll discover a different perspective to your troubles. The cat which is prescribed helps the person to be less self absorbed. The cat is like a magical pair of glasses to view your life and your affect on others and change for the better.

I found the repetition of each story formula ….have a personal problem….seek out a doctor…..meet with a wizard like man and his rude secretary…be prescribed a cat that comes with all the supplies in a cage…...confusion how to adjust to this strange cat….see your life from another perspective…and all is well. I could have stopped the book after the first character. The repetition of ideas was annoying.

The concept of "We'll Prescribe You a Cat" by Syou Ishida is charming. Somewhere in Kyoto, there is a mysterious clinic in an alley that treats patients by letting them borrow a cat. The clinic is impossible for most people to find, and the door is difficult to open. The clinic staff members bear a striking resemblance to the staff at a nearby veterinary office.

The novel consists of five chapters--almost short stories--that are connected via their relationship to the clinic. Each chapter is named for the cat or cats that are prescribed. But there is little connection between the chapters, and some mysteries are never explained. For example, why does the clinic exist? How did it come about? There are hints, but no resolution.

As a cat lover, I was bothered by the descriptions of patients carrying cats around in carriers all day, or the cats sliding in carriers as they were moved. There was also talk of euthanizing one of the prescribed cats after it was returned, but fortunately, the patient adopted it.

I wanted the story to have a more consistent storyline, even though I liked that the patients learned from the cats and their experiences positively impacted their lives.