“Kitten” by Stacey Yu: The Purrfection of Living Uncertainly (BOOK REVIEW)

The Purrfection of Living Uncertainly

Hey, Alex! What have you been reading lately?

I have been following Stacey Yu online since before she announced her upcoming novel, Kitten, that was given to me in advance by NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton (Hachette). So reading Kitten was sort of personal to me. This is the first time I have watched a bookish creator I followed shift from reviewing novels to writing one of their own and sharing pieces of the publishing journey. There is an intimacy to witnessing a project that is just an idea in someone else’s head become tangible, something you can hold in your hands.

I can’t move forward without mentioning the marketing around this book because it is what hyped me even more to read it. The deep cobalt blue covers, the visuals, the novel’s own Instagram account (@accidentallykitten) that is basically a moodboard archive for feline lovers – everything around Kitten is carefully built and oddly comforting like the novel itself.

I finished Kitten over a month ago, but the feeling of it still lingers. This is the kind of book that reminds you of a warm jumper, a cup of hot chocolate, or hearing from an old friend after a difficult week.

Tell me more. What is the book about?

Kitten follows Katie, a young woman drifting through adulthood with little certainty about who she is or what she wants. She is unemployed, behind on rent, emotionally distant from her mother, and unsure whether she has ever truly loved her boyfriend, James.

Then James introduces her to his cat, Silver.

At first, Katie is cautious around the animal, but soon enough Silver becomes a source of comfort and stability in her messy life. Around the cat, Katie is calmer, softer, more present.

When James asks Katie to stay at his parents’ holiday house and look after Silver for a week, she accepts despite the chaos waiting for her back home. As the days pass, Katie grows more attached to the cat while her relationship with James cracks beneath the surface.

Heartfelt, funny, and understated, Kitten explores loneliness, girlhood, and the desire to escape responsibilities for just a bit longer.

What are some strong and weak points of the book?

What stayed with me the most is the warmth of the novel. Not much “happens” in the traditional sense, but Kitten understands how emotionally significant small moments can become. A conversation in the kitchen. Sitting beside a sleeping cat. Watching her drink milk. Avoiding a text message.

Katie and Silver’s relationship is at the heart of Kitten. What begins as curiosity shifts into affection, dependence, and even jealousy. Silver becomes the one presence in Katie’s life that asks nothing from her. The cat does not expect explanations or progress or ambition. Silver simply exists, and Katie becomes fascinated by that freedom; she craves it for herself.

While devouring Kitten, I started considering whether I could sneak a cat in my house and somehow hide it from my landlord. (I am yet to try it.)

Katie herself is also such an interesting protagonist because of how relatable she is. She is lost in the way most people in their twenties are lost. She can’t keep her life together, avoids responsibility, says bizarre things at social gatherings, and drifts through conversations. She has that kind of energy where someone can hit on her at a party and she would respond by asking how they imagine their dream funeral. This dark humour to her character made me very attached to her despite her imperfections.

I also appreciated the way the novel handles Katie and James’ relationship. They rarely argue in front of the reader, but you can feel the emotional distance pulling them in opposite ends. The two are less like two people in love and more like friends trying to build a life together because facing adulthood alone is way more frightening.

To be honest, I found the ending of the novel quite disappointing. Once Katie returns to her normal life, the emotional momentum softens. I understand the point – life is made up of fleeting moments rather than dramatic transformations, but I still wish there was more payoff. Or maybe that is my way of asking for a sequel because I can totally see a second book in which Katie gets her own cat. (Just throwing ideas out here.)

Lastly, if I have to be really nitpicky, there are a few small inconsistencies in the writing style throughout the novel. The opening chapters are stylistically different – there are pages where I found the same adverb used three times. That is not the case in later sections, where the prose settles into itself. It feels like Yu wrote sections of the book in different stages of her life or took breaks between edits, because I didn’t find the tone fully cohesive.

Any final thoughts? Should I read it too?

Kitten will resonate with readers in their twenties, especially those who feel the need to catch up or are exhausted by the pressure to always have a plan.

It is a novel about avoidance, comfort, and the strange intimacy people form with animals when human relationships gets too complicated. Underneath its tenderness there is also a sadness about identity and growing older. Katie wants to pause her life for a while. To stop striving for success. To exist as simply and instinctively as a cat like Silver does.

A cosy little gem of a novel that will warm you up from the inside and you wouldn’t want to let go of.

Thank you so much!! Are there any similar books that you can recommend?

🛏️ My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh – a darkly funny novel about a young woman who attempts to sleep through her problems and disconnect from the pressures of modern life.

🐈 She and Her Cat by Makoto Shinkai – a tender and melancholic story about loneliness, routine, and human connection told through the relationship between women and their cats.

📲 limaistyping…

rating: ☀️☀️☀️
tropes: 🧶 cozy read | 👩‍❤️‍👨 relationship problems | 💰 money troubles | 🐈‍⬛ pet lovers | 😵‍💫 lost in your 20s
read if you like: cats (duh), free holidays, Mamma Mia, scrolling on Rightmove, fresh milk
look out for: 💼 rich boyfriend | 😭 eye infection drops | ☎️ a call from mum | 🦪 oysters | 🛋️ bestie’s couch
Reading this feels like a reminder that although you are late to accomplish most things on your to-do list, life goes on and everything is okay.