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Kitten
Not yet published
Expected 30 Jul 26A magnetic novel about a young woman who falls in love with her boyfriend's cat.
Katie hasn't spoken to her mother in a year when her boyfriend James introduces her to his cat Silver. A small, vulnerable, incorrigible ball of need, Silver's acceptance of Katie cracks open something inside of her: an unravelling begins.
Fresh out of college and far from home, Katie is desperate to skirt the demands of adult life - especially because, as she promised her mother, the plan was to never grow up in the first place. Luckily, she has James: self-assured, generous, and seemingly happy to make decisions for them both.
When they go on holiday to James's family's seaside home, Katie's attachment to Silver grows. Silver doesn't mind that Katie can't seem to get a job, hold her own at dinner parties, or make amends with her mother. Silver, who gets to misbehave spectacularly, be childish, be gross, and still get fed, seems to have the life Katie increasingly longs for. But as their bond intensifies, Katie's other relationships reach tipping points. Soon, Katie must come to terms with what she really wants, and what she might have to risk to get it.
Delicately playful and unexpectedly heartfelt, Kitten is a sensitive reckoning with the allure of helplessness and the uncertainty of becoming yourself in a world that is as disorienting as it is full of hope and connection.
Katie hasn't spoken to her mother in a year when her boyfriend James introduces her to his cat Silver. A small, vulnerable, incorrigible ball of need, Silver's acceptance of Katie cracks open something inside of her: an unravelling begins.
Fresh out of college and far from home, Katie is desperate to skirt the demands of adult life - especially because, as she promised her mother, the plan was to never grow up in the first place. Luckily, she has James: self-assured, generous, and seemingly happy to make decisions for them both.
When they go on holiday to James's family's seaside home, Katie's attachment to Silver grows. Silver doesn't mind that Katie can't seem to get a job, hold her own at dinner parties, or make amends with her mother. Silver, who gets to misbehave spectacularly, be childish, be gross, and still get fed, seems to have the life Katie increasingly longs for. But as their bond intensifies, Katie's other relationships reach tipping points. Soon, Katie must come to terms with what she really wants, and what she might have to risk to get it.
Delicately playful and unexpectedly heartfelt, Kitten is a sensitive reckoning with the allure of helplessness and the uncertainty of becoming yourself in a world that is as disorienting as it is full of hope and connection.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 30, 2026
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Want to read
January 24, 2026This cover means everything to me I'm so serious
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March 7, 2026
Yes, there’s a very important character in this book named Silver, who is a cat. Silver can also swim in the ocean with the main character Katie, who has just graduated from college, has no money, and a tumultuous relationship with her mother, who is indeed a narcissist. Katie is spoiled by her wealthy boyfriend, and definitely is unsure of her attachment to him.
I can relate to growing up in a narcissistic Asian household. I currently deal with it daily. 🙋🏻♀️
“My mother wasn’t human, she was my mother.”
However there are many layers to Kitten, Stacey Yu’s debut novel. It’s a “coming of age”, new college graduate, that space between ending a childhood, and getting old. Who are we, who should we become?
“You forget how small everything is when you’re a kid,” he said. “The desks, their chairs. We used to think that was normal sized.”
If you’re looking for a quirky book revolving a cat, this isn’t for you, as it’s a fairly emotional read. We’ve all been Katie before, and I felt some of her experiences at the age of 22.
Yu’s writing is exquisite and can’t wait to see what she writes next.
I can relate to growing up in a narcissistic Asian household. I currently deal with it daily. 🙋🏻♀️
“My mother wasn’t human, she was my mother.”
However there are many layers to Kitten, Stacey Yu’s debut novel. It’s a “coming of age”, new college graduate, that space between ending a childhood, and getting old. Who are we, who should we become?
“You forget how small everything is when you’re a kid,” he said. “The desks, their chairs. We used to think that was normal sized.”
If you’re looking for a quirky book revolving a cat, this isn’t for you, as it’s a fairly emotional read. We’ve all been Katie before, and I felt some of her experiences at the age of 22.
Yu’s writing is exquisite and can’t wait to see what she writes next.
March 3, 2026
This book feels like if The Bell Jar’s Esther suddenly became fixated on a cat, and I mean that in the most positive way.
This is a weird girl book for weird girls. You gotta go into it knowing the main character is just a little bit on the quirky side. Katie has just graduated from college, is living in NYC, and has absolutely no dreams or aspirations. She is completely adrift, running out of money (she had a work-study job which is officially done), stuck in a tenuous living situation with a roommate who doesn’t seem to like her, and is currently estranged from her mother. Add in a somewhat too-good-to-be -true super rich boyfriend, and you’ve got the start of something interesting conflicts.
Stacey Yu uses Katie to explore the listlessness one feels when they are estranged, or otherwise disconnected, from a mother figure. There’s some great commentary on the challenges children of immigrants face, but also a lot of observations of the general ennui that hits in your mid twenties.
And then there’s the cat - Katie became a enamored with her boyfriend’s parents’ cat Silver. Silver is free from all the restraints of the human world, and serves as a sort of symbol of effortless contentment to Katie. It’s weird, and it’s done well.
I really enjoyed Kitten and I hope it finds the right weird girl audience.
This is a weird girl book for weird girls. You gotta go into it knowing the main character is just a little bit on the quirky side. Katie has just graduated from college, is living in NYC, and has absolutely no dreams or aspirations. She is completely adrift, running out of money (she had a work-study job which is officially done), stuck in a tenuous living situation with a roommate who doesn’t seem to like her, and is currently estranged from her mother. Add in a somewhat too-good-to-be -true super rich boyfriend, and you’ve got the start of something interesting conflicts.
Stacey Yu uses Katie to explore the listlessness one feels when they are estranged, or otherwise disconnected, from a mother figure. There’s some great commentary on the challenges children of immigrants face, but also a lot of observations of the general ennui that hits in your mid twenties.
And then there’s the cat - Katie became a enamored with her boyfriend’s parents’ cat Silver. Silver is free from all the restraints of the human world, and serves as a sort of symbol of effortless contentment to Katie. It’s weird, and it’s done well.
I really enjoyed Kitten and I hope it finds the right weird girl audience.
Want to read
January 24, 2026This may be the most important read of my life
February 25, 2026
I’ve spent the last 3 hours since I finished this book trying to find the words to best illustrate my feelings, and all I’ve managed to muster is ‘wow.’
I’ve seen 3 cats since I started reading this book, and every single one of them made me think of Katie & silver. There is power in that.
A truly commendable debut
I’ve seen 3 cats since I started reading this book, and every single one of them made me think of Katie & silver. There is power in that.
A truly commendable debut
March 18, 2026
4.5
deeply enjoyed this book.
sooo many themes: complicated mother-daughter relationship (complicated), pet-person relationship (something special), older man relationship (complicated as well), relationship with yourself (most complicated!)
every relationship was a different flavor of complicated.
i really liked how we went through the thoughts in the main character’s head, particularly the frustrations & confusions of a young girl in her 20s with a complicated childhood
deeply enjoyed this book.
sooo many themes: complicated mother-daughter relationship (complicated), pet-person relationship (something special), older man relationship (complicated as well), relationship with yourself (most complicated!)
every relationship was a different flavor of complicated.
i really liked how we went through the thoughts in the main character’s head, particularly the frustrations & confusions of a young girl in her 20s with a complicated childhood
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
eARC provided by Netgalley in exhange for an honest review.
Kitten is a very solid debut by Stacey Yu. I'm not familiar with her work on Tiktok, and only requested this arc after my friends talked about it. I was initially skeptical of it, not only because of the current state of Booktok, but because I have not had a good relationship with contemporary litfic as of late. So I'm very pleased to report that I found this very charming and enjoyable overrall.
Katie is a realistic and compelling character, and her POV is easy to relate to. Her growing obsession with her boyfriend's cat, Silver, is the driving force of the book, and by far my favorite part of it. The main character stood out to me in particular because she seems to steer away from the obvious clichés: she's a mentally disturbed woman in her young twenties, financially dependent on her white boyfriend, of course, but where other novels exaggerate and stretch beyond the realm of belief, Yu keeps us steady in a confined narrative structure and timeline, one that works well to develop the relationships between the characters.
Yu talks of a complex mother-daughter relationship with grace and compassion. I have to admit that, unfortunately, this part of the novel wasn't the most interesting to me, especially as we only get to know the mother late into the book. I found myself wanting to read more about other characters, like Isabelle and Lou. But I can still appreciate the dynamic that's established here, the mother as an all-encompassing figure, affecting Katie's life even as she tries to steer her own path: "It's hard to do anything when you know your mother's mad at you."
Yu's style is succint and clean. I did find the ending heavy handed, as the author basically dumps all the themes of the book at once, using Katie's growing independence as a microphone to make sure the readers get the point. Which, yes, we do. On top of that, I had one or two qualms. One, in chapter ten, Yu describes Katie putting her clothes on, only to later in the same scene describe her without a shirt on. Small continuity error. Two, James often uses phrases that read to me like british slang, which is confusing considering that the book is set in New York. I even looked it up, to check if Yu is English and just got confused with the dialogue.
As a cat lover, this book seemed both sweet and terrifying. The end can be a bit heavy, but it is to be expected. Yu handles all the topics in her debut carefully, creating a smart, well rounded story that can surely impact a reader.
Kitten is a very solid debut by Stacey Yu. I'm not familiar with her work on Tiktok, and only requested this arc after my friends talked about it. I was initially skeptical of it, not only because of the current state of Booktok, but because I have not had a good relationship with contemporary litfic as of late. So I'm very pleased to report that I found this very charming and enjoyable overrall.
Katie is a realistic and compelling character, and her POV is easy to relate to. Her growing obsession with her boyfriend's cat, Silver, is the driving force of the book, and by far my favorite part of it. The main character stood out to me in particular because she seems to steer away from the obvious clichés: she's a mentally disturbed woman in her young twenties, financially dependent on her white boyfriend, of course, but where other novels exaggerate and stretch beyond the realm of belief, Yu keeps us steady in a confined narrative structure and timeline, one that works well to develop the relationships between the characters.
Yu talks of a complex mother-daughter relationship with grace and compassion. I have to admit that, unfortunately, this part of the novel wasn't the most interesting to me, especially as we only get to know the mother late into the book. I found myself wanting to read more about other characters, like Isabelle and Lou. But I can still appreciate the dynamic that's established here, the mother as an all-encompassing figure, affecting Katie's life even as she tries to steer her own path: "It's hard to do anything when you know your mother's mad at you."
Yu's style is succint and clean. I did find the ending heavy handed, as the author basically dumps all the themes of the book at once, using Katie's growing independence as a microphone to make sure the readers get the point. Which, yes, we do. On top of that, I had one or two qualms. One, in chapter ten, Yu describes Katie putting her clothes on, only to later in the same scene describe her without a shirt on. Small continuity error. Two, James often uses phrases that read to me like british slang, which is confusing considering that the book is set in New York. I even looked it up, to check if Yu is English and just got confused with the dialogue.
As a cat lover, this book seemed both sweet and terrifying. The end can be a bit heavy, but it is to be expected. Yu handles all the topics in her debut carefully, creating a smart, well rounded story that can surely impact a reader.
March 4, 2026
the second i read “meow,” i meowed” i should’ve known this was going to be doozy.
my main gripe is with the writing. now, i don’t want the story to dazzle with lush prose, most of the weird lit fic that i’ve read before don’t, but the writing in them still manages to be good, fantastic even. the problem with “kitten” is that a lot of is tends to be telling with not enough showing. which makes the story feel bland and stale and frankly unimaginative (“mr hartley looked like most men.”/ “he had eyes like holes that stood close”). there were some gems sprinkled in there (“my mother’s only way of reconnecting was reanimating the child i no longer was”) but it fails at making the book any better because a lot of it’s already written badly.
scenes were rinsed and repeated so often that i found myself skimming over them like the beach scenes swimming with silver (swear there were like five of those). the relationship dynamics between katie and her mother could also have been developed better - for the spectre of it to haunt the novel from the start only for it to falter when later revealed. so much of it’s potential felt wasted.
but hey at least it was a quick, fucking read lmao.
thanking netgalley & publishers for the ARC.
my main gripe is with the writing. now, i don’t want the story to dazzle with lush prose, most of the weird lit fic that i’ve read before don’t, but the writing in them still manages to be good, fantastic even. the problem with “kitten” is that a lot of is tends to be telling with not enough showing. which makes the story feel bland and stale and frankly unimaginative (“mr hartley looked like most men.”/ “he had eyes like holes that stood close”). there were some gems sprinkled in there (“my mother’s only way of reconnecting was reanimating the child i no longer was”) but it fails at making the book any better because a lot of it’s already written badly.
scenes were rinsed and repeated so often that i found myself skimming over them like the beach scenes swimming with silver (swear there were like five of those). the relationship dynamics between katie and her mother could also have been developed better - for the spectre of it to haunt the novel from the start only for it to falter when later revealed. so much of it’s potential felt wasted.
but hey at least it was a quick, fucking read lmao.
thanking netgalley & publishers for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Peak sad-girl literary fiction! I love the idea of this type of book but sometimes the books are just a touch too weird for me; however, this one really captured what I love about this niche.
Katie is a recent college grad with limited employment prospects once she gets her last work-study check and no foreseeable future plan for rent/utilities. The main thing she has going for her is her 6-month relationship with James, a generous 26-year-old copywriter from a well-off family who enjoys sharing the finer things in life with her. For her birthday, James brings Katie to his family’s seaside house along with his cat, Silver, and Katie quickly becomes obsessed with the cat. And then she becomes… more obsessed than the average person gets with a cat.
I enjoyed the weirdness of this book, and although I’m a dog person myself, I loved all the descriptions of Silver and her quirky little behaviors. I feel like Stacey Yu perfectly captured what it’s like to be a 22-year-old who has no idea what she’s doing with her life and wants to avoid dealing with it. Even as Katie became more unhinged and the events of the story became more ridiculous, it still somehow felt weirdly relatable(? What does this say about me?).
I liked that the author gradually revealed more about Katie’s estranged relationship with her mother, and how it affected her behavior as an adult, including her friendship with Lou and her relationship with James. I also really enjoyed the ending, although the closest thing I have to a criticism is .
Solid 5 stars! I’m not sure if I’d recommend this book to many friends because it was genuinely weird and I don’t expect it to be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, this was an incredibly memorable and fascinating read that hooked me and had a lot of interesting things to say about identity, independence, family / generational trauma, and adulthood. A very impressive debut!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Katie is a recent college grad with limited employment prospects once she gets her last work-study check and no foreseeable future plan for rent/utilities. The main thing she has going for her is her 6-month relationship with James, a generous 26-year-old copywriter from a well-off family who enjoys sharing the finer things in life with her. For her birthday, James brings Katie to his family’s seaside house along with his cat, Silver, and Katie quickly becomes obsessed with the cat. And then she becomes… more obsessed than the average person gets with a cat.
I enjoyed the weirdness of this book, and although I’m a dog person myself, I loved all the descriptions of Silver and her quirky little behaviors. I feel like Stacey Yu perfectly captured what it’s like to be a 22-year-old who has no idea what she’s doing with her life and wants to avoid dealing with it. Even as Katie became more unhinged and the events of the story became more ridiculous, it still somehow felt weirdly relatable(? What does this say about me?).
I liked that the author gradually revealed more about Katie’s estranged relationship with her mother, and how it affected her behavior as an adult, including her friendship with Lou and her relationship with James. I also really enjoyed the ending, although the closest thing I have to a criticism is .
Solid 5 stars! I’m not sure if I’d recommend this book to many friends because it was genuinely weird and I don’t expect it to be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, this was an incredibly memorable and fascinating read that hooked me and had a lot of interesting things to say about identity, independence, family / generational trauma, and adulthood. A very impressive debut!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
March 18, 2026
katie is losing her apartment, her mother, the job she’s had since freshmen year and she’s not coping with life as a twenty-something year old. when she meets her boyfriends cat, silver, she’s comforted that the cat doesn’t care about her finances or that she hasn’t spoken to her mother in a year. katie longs for silver’s life, to misbehave, be cheeky and still get fed. when their attachment grows, her life unravels, her relationships are strained and she’s forced to question what she really wants from life.
a depiction of a completely normal relationship between a girl and her girl cat!
honestly this wasn’t what i thought it would be at all, but in the best way. i went into ‘kitten’ expecting a kind of humorous, quirky ‘weird girl lit-fic’ tone, but it’s more of a gentle and quite profound portrait of a young woman trying to make sense of her life and where she belongs in it.
i could’ve ran out of tabs marking the beautiful passages on mother/daughter relationships, early adulthood, trying to connect with yourself and where/who you’re from. there was a couple of times i found myself really choked up, or just staring off somewhere trying to process what i’d read and the odd sense of recognition it stirred.
i feel in a weird way this actually helped me understand some of my own unresolved feelings towards people in my life. it really did a number on me. stacey yu do you offer talking therapy?
this is much less a fun, silly cat book and more an emotional and reflective character study. it really is fantastic and might be my favourite read of 2026 so far. also if i could swim in the ocean with a cat that would change everything bro.
thank you so much to the lovely stacey yu and hodder books for the early copy of ‘kitten’ 🥛 you can pick her up on july 30 2026!
a depiction of a completely normal relationship between a girl and her girl cat!
honestly this wasn’t what i thought it would be at all, but in the best way. i went into ‘kitten’ expecting a kind of humorous, quirky ‘weird girl lit-fic’ tone, but it’s more of a gentle and quite profound portrait of a young woman trying to make sense of her life and where she belongs in it.
i could’ve ran out of tabs marking the beautiful passages on mother/daughter relationships, early adulthood, trying to connect with yourself and where/who you’re from. there was a couple of times i found myself really choked up, or just staring off somewhere trying to process what i’d read and the odd sense of recognition it stirred.
i feel in a weird way this actually helped me understand some of my own unresolved feelings towards people in my life. it really did a number on me. stacey yu do you offer talking therapy?
this is much less a fun, silly cat book and more an emotional and reflective character study. it really is fantastic and might be my favourite read of 2026 so far. also if i could swim in the ocean with a cat that would change everything bro.
thank you so much to the lovely stacey yu and hodder books for the early copy of ‘kitten’ 🥛 you can pick her up on july 30 2026!
March 23, 2026
I was frustrated with this book at times, but the ending wrapped it up well.
Kitten is a story of obsession where Katie, a recent college grad with no direction besides an obsessive relationship, goes on a trip with her boyfriend James to his childhood town of Holme. On this trip, she meets Silver, James' family's cat.
Katie is immediately obsessed with Silver at an insane level. She wishes to be the cat, to have the freedom of the cat, which is compared to a childlike freedom. The book focuses a lot on the attractiveness of youth, which Katie's mother also struggles with in their relationship.
This book did well in its repetitive themes, but I feel like it tried to cover a lot of topics in its brevity including mother-daughter relationships, pet relationships, friend/roommate relationships, and romantic relationships. It tried to create a total snapshot of Katie's life along with her obsession with Silver, which was a difficult task.
It was really difficult to read the constant scenes with Silver, where Katie is just so clearly obsessed and passive towards everything else, including her boyfriend. James is obsessed with Katie, and treats her like a pet, which she enjoys. The flashbacks to her mother reveal an obsession of Katie and her youthfulness. Obsession everywhere and all consuming for everyone!
I liked the ending, where it resolved Katie's relationship with her mother and Lou, which is the opposite of the beginning of the book where she only had James.
A good read, maybe not my favorite due to very frustrating characters and the writing style, but I think it presented interesting themes and relationships! A promising debut from Stacey Yu for sure.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the digital arc.
Kitten is a story of obsession where Katie, a recent college grad with no direction besides an obsessive relationship, goes on a trip with her boyfriend James to his childhood town of Holme. On this trip, she meets Silver, James' family's cat.
Katie is immediately obsessed with Silver at an insane level. She wishes to be the cat, to have the freedom of the cat, which is compared to a childlike freedom. The book focuses a lot on the attractiveness of youth, which Katie's mother also struggles with in their relationship.
This book did well in its repetitive themes, but I feel like it tried to cover a lot of topics in its brevity including mother-daughter relationships, pet relationships, friend/roommate relationships, and romantic relationships. It tried to create a total snapshot of Katie's life along with her obsession with Silver, which was a difficult task.
It was really difficult to read the constant scenes with Silver, where Katie is just so clearly obsessed and passive towards everything else, including her boyfriend. James is obsessed with Katie, and treats her like a pet, which she enjoys. The flashbacks to her mother reveal an obsession of Katie and her youthfulness. Obsession everywhere and all consuming for everyone!
I liked the ending, where it resolved Katie's relationship with her mother and Lou, which is the opposite of the beginning of the book where she only had James.
A good read, maybe not my favorite due to very frustrating characters and the writing style, but I think it presented interesting themes and relationships! A promising debut from Stacey Yu for sure.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the digital arc.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An advance copy of this was generously provided by NetGalley.
3.75/5 stars
I first became aware of Kitten by Stacey Yu in a video she posted about the differences between her US and UK covers. When I saw the book as an option to request on NetGalley, I decided to just go in blind. The general vibe appears to be going for the Sally Rooney/Ottessa Moshfegh "Sad Girl" literature crowd, which, I'm certainly partial to.
Kitten follows Katie, a young Asian American woman, as she navigates her first relationship, her complex relationship with her mother, and her deep undying love for his cat. The prose style is very dreamy and the whole novel feels out of focus. Not in a bad way, but in the way where it felt almost dream like. There were several lines in the book that I would stop and read and go "oh that's nice". The kind of lines you would see typed out on a typewriter in a pretentious font and reposted on tumblr. But it almost feels like it knows that these lines could be reblogged next to a picture of Lana Del Rey. It's just shy of the style, but it's not quite there.
The best part of the novel to me was Isabelle and Katie's relationship. I loved how they actually ended up finding common ground versus being adversarial. I just wish that her relationship with her mother was explored as much as her relationship with James, who was by far the most boring character to me. Silver was adorable and I loved the descriptions of her cute and peculiar behavior.
Overall, a strong debut. Not quite at 4 stars for me, the plot is just a little disjointed and the characters not quite explored enough for it to hit that 4-5 star range for me personally. But I would love to read Yu's next attempt at a more focused novel.
3.75/5 stars
I first became aware of Kitten by Stacey Yu in a video she posted about the differences between her US and UK covers. When I saw the book as an option to request on NetGalley, I decided to just go in blind. The general vibe appears to be going for the Sally Rooney/Ottessa Moshfegh "Sad Girl" literature crowd, which, I'm certainly partial to.
Kitten follows Katie, a young Asian American woman, as she navigates her first relationship, her complex relationship with her mother, and her deep undying love for his cat. The prose style is very dreamy and the whole novel feels out of focus. Not in a bad way, but in the way where it felt almost dream like. There were several lines in the book that I would stop and read and go "oh that's nice". The kind of lines you would see typed out on a typewriter in a pretentious font and reposted on tumblr. But it almost feels like it knows that these lines could be reblogged next to a picture of Lana Del Rey. It's just shy of the style, but it's not quite there.
The best part of the novel to me was Isabelle and Katie's relationship. I loved how they actually ended up finding common ground versus being adversarial. I just wish that her relationship with her mother was explored as much as her relationship with James, who was by far the most boring character to me. Silver was adorable and I loved the descriptions of her cute and peculiar behavior.
Overall, a strong debut. Not quite at 4 stars for me, the plot is just a little disjointed and the characters not quite explored enough for it to hit that 4-5 star range for me personally. But I would love to read Yu's next attempt at a more focused novel.
March 2, 2026
Kitten is an extraordinary debut from Stacey Yu. For me, this book transcends the “weird girl lit fic” trend- while full of weird, visceral, specific imagery, it also packs a deep, gut-wrenching punch in that part of my soul that was once 22 and terrified to be perceived as anything like Katie, our protagonist.
Katie is a childish young woman who has just graduated college and wants to be babied by those around her in specific ways that she expects, but can’t articulate to anyone or reciprocate- not her roommate/friend Lou, her boyfriend of six months James, or her narcissistic mother, with whom Katie has an obviously complicated relationship.
When Katie meets James’s childhood pet- a darling cat named Silver- she becomes obsessed with all the little mannerisms and quirks of this creature. I loved Yu’s descriptions of Silver throughout!! Katie and James are spending some time away from NYC with Silver in his hometown, where the differences in their upbringing, bank accounts, and conflict resolution styles become glaringly clear. Katie’s got $50 to her name, no real prospects, and an unstable living situation. She oscillates between a few different coping techniques, none of which involve actually asking for help or letting people in. In Silver she catches glances of what Katie decides is Silver’s support for her and a fascinating little rapport is built. She projects her own thoughts onto Silver, desperately looking to nurture something (even if it’s to Silver’s detriment).
Let me be super clear- Katie kind of sucks. But she’s immature and 22, and is starting to realize her actions have consequences. Did I hate multiple choices she made? Duh, yes, of course- but I think rating a book lower because you dislike a main character is negating the brilliant writing and pacing of a debut that will have you squirming in your seat and making this face “🫠” a lot. This is an absolutely worthwhile read and one that I’m excited to get a print copy of upon its release.
Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy!
Katie is a childish young woman who has just graduated college and wants to be babied by those around her in specific ways that she expects, but can’t articulate to anyone or reciprocate- not her roommate/friend Lou, her boyfriend of six months James, or her narcissistic mother, with whom Katie has an obviously complicated relationship.
When Katie meets James’s childhood pet- a darling cat named Silver- she becomes obsessed with all the little mannerisms and quirks of this creature. I loved Yu’s descriptions of Silver throughout!! Katie and James are spending some time away from NYC with Silver in his hometown, where the differences in their upbringing, bank accounts, and conflict resolution styles become glaringly clear. Katie’s got $50 to her name, no real prospects, and an unstable living situation. She oscillates between a few different coping techniques, none of which involve actually asking for help or letting people in. In Silver she catches glances of what Katie decides is Silver’s support for her and a fascinating little rapport is built. She projects her own thoughts onto Silver, desperately looking to nurture something (even if it’s to Silver’s detriment).
Let me be super clear- Katie kind of sucks. But she’s immature and 22, and is starting to realize her actions have consequences. Did I hate multiple choices she made? Duh, yes, of course- but I think rating a book lower because you dislike a main character is negating the brilliant writing and pacing of a debut that will have you squirming in your seat and making this face “🫠” a lot. This is an absolutely worthwhile read and one that I’m excited to get a print copy of upon its release.
Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an advanced copy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2026
Thanks Random House Books ans NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of KITTEN in exchange for an honest review!!
Kitten really captures that feeling when you’re on the cusp of growing up, while still being stuck in the past. Like a nonstop sense of nostalgia. While I could relate a lot to the feelings Katie had throughout the book, I had trouble connecting to her and the small cast of characters that filtered in and out of the novel. But, Katie had great character development. A true coming-of-age book that I think will resonate with a lot of readers. 3.5 stars!
Kitten really captures that feeling when you’re on the cusp of growing up, while still being stuck in the past. Like a nonstop sense of nostalgia. While I could relate a lot to the feelings Katie had throughout the book, I had trouble connecting to her and the small cast of characters that filtered in and out of the novel. But, Katie had great character development. A true coming-of-age book that I think will resonate with a lot of readers. 3.5 stars!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley for free advanced access.
What I liked:
What I didn't like:
At the start it reminded me of books I've enjoyed by Ottessa Moshfegh and Halle Butler, dark, witty, and just a bit deranged. As I read on, however, the grim humor never arrived. Katie wasn't entertainingly disturbed, she was routinely damaged. Sure I felt bad for her. Her mother's need for Katie to never grow up, hence her nickname "Kitten," succeeded too well. Katie has arrived at her post-college life wholly unsure of who she is or how to proceed.
Alas, for them and this reader, three of the main twenty-somethings in the book suffer from crushing parental determinism. They have reached the age of adulthood seemingly without any skills for living an adult life. The books ends with all of them making progress in the direction of wellness and independence, thankfully. But watching their developmental struggles that ideally would have occurred a decade earlier was just frustrating. I haven't read anything by Sally Rooney, but I wonder if this is what some people my age complain about in them.
I hope Yu continues to develop her keen and critical eye for social dynamics. I look forward to her complementing her writing talent and observational powers with more satire and irony.
What I liked:
--Yu's gift for description ("Her freshly liked fur was as shiny as the back of a spoon." "Her tongue was cold and grooved, like the rim of a coin.");
--The portrayal of unhealthy (but relatable) attachment to a cat!
What I didn't like:
--Descriptions of the cat, Silver, that made me wonder if the author spent any time around actual cats ("Silver was already in the ocean, wading gracefully." "[T]he coffee was so milk and sweet that I spat my mouthful back into the mug. Silver sniffed the rim, then gave me an expectant look. [...] so I slide the mug over for her to taste. She lapped at it feverishly. When she was done, I peered inside the mug and was shocked to see that she had finished it all.");
--Early adult malaise.
At the start it reminded me of books I've enjoyed by Ottessa Moshfegh and Halle Butler, dark, witty, and just a bit deranged. As I read on, however, the grim humor never arrived. Katie wasn't entertainingly disturbed, she was routinely damaged. Sure I felt bad for her. Her mother's need for Katie to never grow up, hence her nickname "Kitten," succeeded too well. Katie has arrived at her post-college life wholly unsure of who she is or how to proceed.
Alas, for them and this reader, three of the main twenty-somethings in the book suffer from crushing parental determinism. They have reached the age of adulthood seemingly without any skills for living an adult life. The books ends with all of them making progress in the direction of wellness and independence, thankfully. But watching their developmental struggles that ideally would have occurred a decade earlier was just frustrating. I haven't read anything by Sally Rooney, but I wonder if this is what some people my age complain about in them.
I hope Yu continues to develop her keen and critical eye for social dynamics. I look forward to her complementing her writing talent and observational powers with more satire and irony.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In Kitten, recent grad Katie drifts through her life in NYC–leaning on her wealthy boyfriend James, mooching off her roommate Lou, and avoiding both adulthood and her strained relationship with her mother. During a trip to James’ parents’ seaside home, she forms an intense bond with the family cat, Silver. As that attachment deepens, Katie’s other relationships begin to suffer, forcing her to confront what she really wants from her life.
Katie’s post-college life feels believable from the beginning: she’s stuck between comfort and independence, letting her life happen to her instead of steering it. Her relationships with James, Lou and her mother add pressure without feeling melodramatic. The standout element of the novel is Katie’s connection with Silver. It’s weird, funny, and unsettling. Watching Katie latch onto the cat as an emotional buoy says a lot about loneliness, avoidance, and the urge to escape responsibility for your choices and their impact on others. The story balances those ideas with a 1:1 mix of dark humor and warmth.
Katie isn’t a particularly likeable protagonist–she’s selfish and rude, but also honest. Her uncertainty, avoidance, and brief moments of clarity make her easy to recognize, even when her choices are frustrating. More than once I wanted to scream in her face “You have to show up for the people you claim that you love! You’re not protecting your peace, you’re avoiding accountability!”
The writing keeps things grounded, focusing on small emotional shifts rather than big plot twists. The middle slowed a bit for me, but the character growth paid off and left me feeling satisfied. Kitten is a thoughtful debut about drifting, attachment, and figuring out who you are when the possibilities are endless (and overwhelming.) I’d recommend to anyone that enjoys a character-driven, coming-of-age story with an offbeat edge.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Stacey Yu for the arc. Kitten comes out this August!
Katie’s post-college life feels believable from the beginning: she’s stuck between comfort and independence, letting her life happen to her instead of steering it. Her relationships with James, Lou and her mother add pressure without feeling melodramatic. The standout element of the novel is Katie’s connection with Silver. It’s weird, funny, and unsettling. Watching Katie latch onto the cat as an emotional buoy says a lot about loneliness, avoidance, and the urge to escape responsibility for your choices and their impact on others. The story balances those ideas with a 1:1 mix of dark humor and warmth.
Katie isn’t a particularly likeable protagonist–she’s selfish and rude, but also honest. Her uncertainty, avoidance, and brief moments of clarity make her easy to recognize, even when her choices are frustrating. More than once I wanted to scream in her face “You have to show up for the people you claim that you love! You’re not protecting your peace, you’re avoiding accountability!”
The writing keeps things grounded, focusing on small emotional shifts rather than big plot twists. The middle slowed a bit for me, but the character growth paid off and left me feeling satisfied. Kitten is a thoughtful debut about drifting, attachment, and figuring out who you are when the possibilities are endless (and overwhelming.) I’d recommend to anyone that enjoys a character-driven, coming-of-age story with an offbeat edge.
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House and Stacey Yu for the arc. Kitten comes out this August!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Kitten - Stacey Yu
3 ⭐️
First of all, I’m going to start by saying that I don’t trust people who don’t like cats without a valid reason. Cats are an integral lesson in consent and people who hate cats just hate that they can’t control and manipulate them and do with that information what you will (👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀)
Katie, as a character, is everyone’s internal monologue and sleep paralysis demon. She has no filter on her words or actions and not in a funny “ha ha she’s saying what we’re all thinking” way, but in such a juvenile approach that it whips you back to how you’d react to situations as a child (Albeit, sometimes all I want to do is scream at someone when I don’t get my way.) I did find her quite insufferable and childish which genuinely made me seethe at points. Her blatant disregard for James and inadvertently, Silver, was infuriating. This pity party and “woe is me” nonsense are my least favourite human traits to read about.
I adored Lou’s character as she was the no nonsense friend that didn’t tolerate Katie’s “sop” (phenomenal dialogue for Lou which Stacey did brilliantly). I wish we had more on Lou and Katie’s dynamic as I feel like there’s a lot to unpack in their friendship.
This book was such a complicated story between Katie’s own relationship with her mother and being suffocated by a parent. We see this as Katie’s love for Silver deepens and we can see a mirror of her mother’s relationship and likewise, Katie’s with Silver.
Silver was the main character of the story. I’m such a cat person so anytime her little paws or snoot were mentioned, I was all heart eyes.
I’ve seen people say this is “peak sad girl lit fic” and I personally found this as just chaotic, “get your shit together, this isn’t funny or cute, you cause chaos and a storm to everyone you meet and everywhere you go” type of lit fic.
I don’t know what I expected but I think i needed more.
Thanks to NetGallefor an advanced copy of this book!
3 ⭐️
First of all, I’m going to start by saying that I don’t trust people who don’t like cats without a valid reason. Cats are an integral lesson in consent and people who hate cats just hate that they can’t control and manipulate them and do with that information what you will (👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀)
Katie, as a character, is everyone’s internal monologue and sleep paralysis demon. She has no filter on her words or actions and not in a funny “ha ha she’s saying what we’re all thinking” way, but in such a juvenile approach that it whips you back to how you’d react to situations as a child (Albeit, sometimes all I want to do is scream at someone when I don’t get my way.) I did find her quite insufferable and childish which genuinely made me seethe at points. Her blatant disregard for James and inadvertently, Silver, was infuriating. This pity party and “woe is me” nonsense are my least favourite human traits to read about.
I adored Lou’s character as she was the no nonsense friend that didn’t tolerate Katie’s “sop” (phenomenal dialogue for Lou which Stacey did brilliantly). I wish we had more on Lou and Katie’s dynamic as I feel like there’s a lot to unpack in their friendship.
This book was such a complicated story between Katie’s own relationship with her mother and being suffocated by a parent. We see this as Katie’s love for Silver deepens and we can see a mirror of her mother’s relationship and likewise, Katie’s with Silver.
Silver was the main character of the story. I’m such a cat person so anytime her little paws or snoot were mentioned, I was all heart eyes.
I’ve seen people say this is “peak sad girl lit fic” and I personally found this as just chaotic, “get your shit together, this isn’t funny or cute, you cause chaos and a storm to everyone you meet and everywhere you go” type of lit fic.
I don’t know what I expected but I think i needed more.
Thanks to NetGallefor an advanced copy of this book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Kitten is such a fascinating book. It’s fairly slim, clocking in at just over 300 pages, and is one of those books where it feels like nothing is happening while somehow everything keeps happening. There’s so much day to day action that’s extraordinarily mundane, interrupted by strangeness, by larger events that finally propel the story forward. I found it easy to get sucked in once I started reading, the pacing was excellent and the story did draw me in even when it felt like not much was happening.
Stacey Yu’s prose is excellent, and really suits this kind of story. It flows easily and is almost lyrical but never feels too flowery or overly embellished. There’s a frankness to it that I really enjoyed, and felt especially fitting for our main character and her approach to so much of what happens in the final third of this book.
The story here is fairly straightforward—Katie is adrift and directionless, navigating early adulthood with a lack of ease that’s extremely relatable. She finds herself obsessed with her boyfriend’s cat, delighted in her freedom and the simplicity of her life, and allows that obsession to consume her completely. This is where I expected things to take a weirder turn, I think, but instead it landed somewhere firmly aimed at reality instead. I wish it had toed the line a little more, played with how truly strange her obsession was a little more, but maybe that’s just me being a huge fan of other sad weird girl books.
If you loved My Year of Rest and Relaxation, My Husband, and Creep, but are looking for something a little gentler, this might be for you! If you like your weird girls truly deeply weird, this is probably going to be a miss. I’m in the middle on this one. I liked the prose a lot, and I enjoyed my time with the book, but I wish it had taken a bolder swing.
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the eArc!
Stacey Yu’s prose is excellent, and really suits this kind of story. It flows easily and is almost lyrical but never feels too flowery or overly embellished. There’s a frankness to it that I really enjoyed, and felt especially fitting for our main character and her approach to so much of what happens in the final third of this book.
The story here is fairly straightforward—Katie is adrift and directionless, navigating early adulthood with a lack of ease that’s extremely relatable. She finds herself obsessed with her boyfriend’s cat, delighted in her freedom and the simplicity of her life, and allows that obsession to consume her completely. This is where I expected things to take a weirder turn, I think, but instead it landed somewhere firmly aimed at reality instead. I wish it had toed the line a little more, played with how truly strange her obsession was a little more, but maybe that’s just me being a huge fan of other sad weird girl books.
If you loved My Year of Rest and Relaxation, My Husband, and Creep, but are looking for something a little gentler, this might be for you! If you like your weird girls truly deeply weird, this is probably going to be a miss. I’m in the middle on this one. I liked the prose a lot, and I enjoyed my time with the book, but I wish it had taken a bolder swing.
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the eArc!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This debut novel is not quite what I expected and takes a bit to get interesting, but generally I enjoyed this exploration of early adulthood and the growing pains of finding oneself.
The story follows Katie just after she graduates college and has no idea what to do with her life. She feels lost and exercises little agency over her actions and decisions. One night after a party she meets James, who walks her home and proves to make her life easier by making decisions and caretaking her. While with James, she builds a special relationship with his cat Silver, whom she relates to more than James or anyone else in her life. Katie also has a difficult relationship with her mentally unstable mother, which she blames herself for. The story snowballs as James and Katie go on a break to his childhood beach home in Holme where Katie is forced to confront her tendency toward avoidance.
I struggled to relate to Katie. Even in points of my life where I didn’t have a job or encountered a hard time, I’m prone towards action rather than inaction, and think her story would resonate more with more introspective individuals or people slow to action. Still, I think the author deftly portrays many very real feelings that young people face when they graduate college and the real world looms. I found the complicated portrait of James very enticing as well - as the reader, you can never quite place him in Katie’s story. Is he good-natured or deceptive? Does he care about Katie or does he take pleasure in controlling her? These questions make for a very compelling story.
Ultimately, I did rate this as three stars because I think it’s a fine debut novel but it didn’t change my life, and I struggled with the pacing and depth of characters. Thanks in advance to the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book publishes August 4, 2026.
The story follows Katie just after she graduates college and has no idea what to do with her life. She feels lost and exercises little agency over her actions and decisions. One night after a party she meets James, who walks her home and proves to make her life easier by making decisions and caretaking her. While with James, she builds a special relationship with his cat Silver, whom she relates to more than James or anyone else in her life. Katie also has a difficult relationship with her mentally unstable mother, which she blames herself for. The story snowballs as James and Katie go on a break to his childhood beach home in Holme where Katie is forced to confront her tendency toward avoidance.
I struggled to relate to Katie. Even in points of my life where I didn’t have a job or encountered a hard time, I’m prone towards action rather than inaction, and think her story would resonate more with more introspective individuals or people slow to action. Still, I think the author deftly portrays many very real feelings that young people face when they graduate college and the real world looms. I found the complicated portrait of James very enticing as well - as the reader, you can never quite place him in Katie’s story. Is he good-natured or deceptive? Does he care about Katie or does he take pleasure in controlling her? These questions make for a very compelling story.
Ultimately, I did rate this as three stars because I think it’s a fine debut novel but it didn’t change my life, and I struggled with the pacing and depth of characters. Thanks in advance to the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book publishes August 4, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Katie has never met a cat before. This may seem strange, but she is the first to argue that you meet a lot of dogs on the street, but you have to go into someone's house to meet their cat. This all changes when James, Katie’s boyfriend, is asked to pet/house-sit for his parents, and Katie is introduced to Silver, James’s childhood pet. A love Katie has never felt before blooms. She feels fascinated by the mannerisms and secrets that cats reveal.
This story is an exploration of grief, an estranged relationship between mother and daughter, and what we will do to hold the love and connection that we encounter. It also explores societal and personal expectations of success. And it’s a weird girl lit book — yasss!
TW: There is the death of an animal in this book. It’s essential to the story and was done in a way that I felt was humane. Nonetheless, if this is a no-go for you, be wary.
I loved this book. I never wanted it to end. I finished it at bedtime and couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. What I loved most about this book is that the growing isn’t finished for Katie. A lot of authors want to wrap up a character’s journey where they are just okay at the end, but not Yu. In not doing this, she reminds us that personal growth and self-love are not finished in 304 pages, but it spans weeks, months, and even years. I will absolutely be grabbing a copy when it publishes in August.
What a fantastic debut novel!
Thank you, Netgalley and Random House, for the ARC-eBook in exchange for an honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pub Date: Aug 04 2026
This story is an exploration of grief, an estranged relationship between mother and daughter, and what we will do to hold the love and connection that we encounter. It also explores societal and personal expectations of success. And it’s a weird girl lit book — yasss!
TW: There is the death of an animal in this book. It’s essential to the story and was done in a way that I felt was humane. Nonetheless, if this is a no-go for you, be wary.
I loved this book. I never wanted it to end. I finished it at bedtime and couldn’t sleep because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. What I loved most about this book is that the growing isn’t finished for Katie. A lot of authors want to wrap up a character’s journey where they are just okay at the end, but not Yu. In not doing this, she reminds us that personal growth and self-love are not finished in 304 pages, but it spans weeks, months, and even years. I will absolutely be grabbing a copy when it publishes in August.
What a fantastic debut novel!
Thank you, Netgalley and Random House, for the ARC-eBook in exchange for an honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pub Date: Aug 04 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Stacey Yu’s debut novel, Kitten, was absolutely mesmerizing. I found myself completely captivated by Yu’s storytelling: the poetic and delicate prose, the beautiful and compelling metaphors, and the simple yet profound revelations. Kitten follows Katie, a recently graduated 22-year-old who finds herself in the awkward threshold of young adulthood. She is invited to her boyfriend’s seaside vacation home, and unexpectedly and intensely falls in love with his cat, Silver.
As the novel’s events unfold, we see Katie as impressionable yet complex. Her inner thoughts reveal the juxtaposition between what she thinks and how she expresses herself, and her obsession with Silver reflects the tenuous relationship she has with her estranged mother.
There’s a pureness and naïveté about Katie in this coming-of-age-like story, as she feels perpetually misunderstood and socially awkward, but is desperate to be understood and loved. Her frankness and honesty is refreshing in a world where most people hide behind their words and silence. What I love is that there’s a gentleness to the writing and to all the characters. There’s a yearning to reflect on what it means to live without passivity, to love intentionally, and to nurture without possessiveness.
This entire book was a beautiful reflection on a mother’s imperfect love, and how to learn to love ourselves. My heart is not over how much I adored this book. 5/5 stars for Stacey Yu, thank you for this gorgeous novel!!
And thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
As the novel’s events unfold, we see Katie as impressionable yet complex. Her inner thoughts reveal the juxtaposition between what she thinks and how she expresses herself, and her obsession with Silver reflects the tenuous relationship she has with her estranged mother.
There’s a pureness and naïveté about Katie in this coming-of-age-like story, as she feels perpetually misunderstood and socially awkward, but is desperate to be understood and loved. Her frankness and honesty is refreshing in a world where most people hide behind their words and silence. What I love is that there’s a gentleness to the writing and to all the characters. There’s a yearning to reflect on what it means to live without passivity, to love intentionally, and to nurture without possessiveness.
This entire book was a beautiful reflection on a mother’s imperfect love, and how to learn to love ourselves. My heart is not over how much I adored this book. 5/5 stars for Stacey Yu, thank you for this gorgeous novel!!
And thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In Kitten, Katie, fresh out of college and more than a little adrift in all aspects of her life, follows her boyfriend, James, out of Manhattan and off to his childhood home in Holme. There, she develops an intense attachment to the family's cat, Silver.
To start, Yu's writing was instantly a hit for me. It was at once both lovely and yet simple enough to not get bogged down in its own pretentiousness. I devoured chapter upon chapter as Katie slowly became a little bit more obsessed with Silver and a little bit less engaged with James and literally everything else happening around her. Just from the writing alone, I can't wait to see what Yu does next.
For me, personally, I did go into Kitten expecting (and wanting) it to be much weirder than it actually was. Truthfully, there isn't really a lot happening on the page until more than halfway through the book, when tragedy propels Katie forward and forces her to confront everything she's been avoiding. Ultimately, this is a quiet book that explores identity, relationships (of all kinds), and, quite frankly, the very terrifying idea of growing up.
This book reminded me a little bit of My Year of Rest and Relaxation; if you enjoyed that one, or if you like slowly working through sad and, at times, toxic relationships dynamics, then I think this could be a good one for you. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the eArc of this book.
To start, Yu's writing was instantly a hit for me. It was at once both lovely and yet simple enough to not get bogged down in its own pretentiousness. I devoured chapter upon chapter as Katie slowly became a little bit more obsessed with Silver and a little bit less engaged with James and literally everything else happening around her. Just from the writing alone, I can't wait to see what Yu does next.
For me, personally, I did go into Kitten expecting (and wanting) it to be much weirder than it actually was. Truthfully, there isn't really a lot happening on the page until more than halfway through the book, when tragedy propels Katie forward and forces her to confront everything she's been avoiding. Ultimately, this is a quiet book that explores identity, relationships (of all kinds), and, quite frankly, the very terrifying idea of growing up.
This book reminded me a little bit of My Year of Rest and Relaxation; if you enjoyed that one, or if you like slowly working through sad and, at times, toxic relationships dynamics, then I think this could be a good one for you. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the eArc of this book.
March 15, 2026
*eARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
1/5 stars.
Unfortunately this book did not leave a lasting impression on me as much as it did for others. I appreciate the idea this novel tried to convey, but it simply missed the mark.
This book follows a 22-year old Katie as she finally has a thought for the first time in her life.
My main issue with this book is the lack of showing rather than telling. I would have loved if we had actually explored a situation rather than it skipping from scene to scene. Even within one paragraph I feel like we took so many words to say nothing at all.
I, unfortunately, simply did not like Katie at all. From the beginning, I could not sit in her mind for long periods of time. I read other reviews where people said they deeply related to Katie, and I just couldn’t see how that could be possible.
I believe there may be some redeemable features, but unfortunately for me I felt Katie behaved like a child and was incredibly selfish throughout. One example speaks out to me at the end of the first part where Katie locks herself in her boyfriend's family's vacation home with his cat, Silver, because she does not want him to go back to the city with his cat to return it to his parents. This completely baffled me and kind of turned me off of the book from that point forward.
Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the ARC.
1/5 stars.
Unfortunately this book did not leave a lasting impression on me as much as it did for others. I appreciate the idea this novel tried to convey, but it simply missed the mark.
This book follows a 22-year old Katie as she finally has a thought for the first time in her life.
My main issue with this book is the lack of showing rather than telling. I would have loved if we had actually explored a situation rather than it skipping from scene to scene. Even within one paragraph I feel like we took so many words to say nothing at all.
I, unfortunately, simply did not like Katie at all. From the beginning, I could not sit in her mind for long periods of time. I read other reviews where people said they deeply related to Katie, and I just couldn’t see how that could be possible.
I believe there may be some redeemable features, but unfortunately for me I felt Katie behaved like a child and was incredibly selfish throughout. One example speaks out to me at the end of the first part where Katie locks herself in her boyfriend's family's vacation home with his cat, Silver, because she does not want him to go back to the city with his cat to return it to his parents. This completely baffled me and kind of turned me off of the book from that point forward.
Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The experience of reading this book exceeded my expectations. Through the perspective of Katie, a twenty-something who narrates this book with just the right amount of self-despair, we meet her doting newish boyfriend James, and his cat Silver. Katie slowly becomes enamored to the point of obsession with Silver, and spends much of her time wondering what Silver is thinking and how she is perceiving her. In many ways, she allows Silver to be the fixation that prevents her from furthering her relationship with James, as well as a distraction from her crumbling life; she recently got kicked out of her apartment with no job, and is not on speaking terms with her Mother.
James is painfully patient with Katie, as she works through and acts out childhood wounds from her Mother in an immature and volatile way. Silver becomes the only thing that understands her, and her fascination with Silver becomes larger than her, leading to a culmination of unfortunate events.
Katie became somewhat unbearable as time marched on in the book, but I also found myself wanting to understand her, and also relating to her internal train of thought at times. Sometimes a good character is not always the most likeable.
I will be recommending this book to many. Thank you NetGalley and RandomHouse for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this in exchange for my honest review.
James is painfully patient with Katie, as she works through and acts out childhood wounds from her Mother in an immature and volatile way. Silver becomes the only thing that understands her, and her fascination with Silver becomes larger than her, leading to a culmination of unfortunate events.
Katie became somewhat unbearable as time marched on in the book, but I also found myself wanting to understand her, and also relating to her internal train of thought at times. Sometimes a good character is not always the most likeable.
I will be recommending this book to many. Thank you NetGalley and RandomHouse for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
so what if like a girl fell out of love with her boyfriend while falling in love with his cat.....crazy haha unless?
this novel hooked me from the beginning and not because of premise, but because of style. for a debut novel, this blew me away. the writing is so self-assured and crisp, while also being surprisingly poignant about the stagnant nature of your early to mid 20s.
katie felt like if ennui was a person. she's aimless, unmotivated, and incredibly relatable. i enjoyed the complex dynamics between her and her mother; i think it was executed perfectly. many authors try and write a character like katie, but many fail. the unaffected, detached female mc is sooo overdone in the literary fiction space, but stacey yu gets it SO right. trust me, you'll know when you read it.
i loved the cat for all the things it represented, but also for the cute descriptions!!! reading about silver and learning about her personality had me like this the whole time :D. also the cutest cover ever.
not sure what to say about this one. worth reading to find out for yourself. definitely pick this one up when it's released-- especially if you're a girl in her 20s with no idea what she's doing.
*3.5 / thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!
this novel hooked me from the beginning and not because of premise, but because of style. for a debut novel, this blew me away. the writing is so self-assured and crisp, while also being surprisingly poignant about the stagnant nature of your early to mid 20s.
katie felt like if ennui was a person. she's aimless, unmotivated, and incredibly relatable. i enjoyed the complex dynamics between her and her mother; i think it was executed perfectly. many authors try and write a character like katie, but many fail. the unaffected, detached female mc is sooo overdone in the literary fiction space, but stacey yu gets it SO right. trust me, you'll know when you read it.
i loved the cat for all the things it represented, but also for the cute descriptions!!! reading about silver and learning about her personality had me like this the whole time :D. also the cutest cover ever.
not sure what to say about this one. worth reading to find out for yourself. definitely pick this one up when it's released-- especially if you're a girl in her 20s with no idea what she's doing.
*3.5 / thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really loved the book honestly, first of all as someone who is graduating soon from college it really felt like home, especially the question whether you are a teenager or finally an adult ? It's hard to nagivagte your life in your early 20s, especially if you have bad relationship with your parents and those traumatic experiences indeed turn you into an complicated human like Katie and I relate to her on a personal level, her attachments at the same time her avoidance tendencies are natural to her circumstances and even though she had a really good partner like james, she was not able to pinpoint and solve problems like her childish and immature behaviour because it was rooted deep in her due to the things happened in her life how she just wanted to be like silver the cat, helpless and taken care off and then growing attached to the cat because she felt she finally belonged to someone or something belonged to her, I don't condone her behaviour but it was raw and human, and how as a person she was able to grow after James left, was able to amend things with lou and her mother and then the indication of her trying with james and make things better again. In my own opinion this book was really brilliant and simple read with deep rooted themes that stays with you for a long time !!
I really loved the book honestly, first of all as someone who is graduating soon from college it really felt like home, especially the question whether you are a teenager or finally an adult ? It's hard to nagivagte your life in your early 20s, especially if you have bad relationship with your parents and those traumatic experiences indeed turn you into an complicated human like Katie and I relate to her on a personal level, her attachments at the same time her avoidance tendencies are natural to her circumstances and even though she had a really good partner like james, she was not able to pinpoint and solve problems like her childish and immature behaviour because it was rooted deep in her due to the things happened in her life how she just wanted to be like silver the cat, helpless and taken care off and then growing attached to the cat because she felt she finally belonged to someone or something belonged to her, I don't condone her behaviour but it was raw and human, and how as a person she was able to grow after James left, was able to amend things with lou and her mother and then the indication of her trying with james and make things better again. In my own opinion this book was really brilliant and simple read with deep rooted themes that stays with you for a long time !!
March 23, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the digital ARC!
Kitten is a coming of age story that covers the uglier parts of growing up which creates a sense of discomfort in the story. It's frustrating yet relatable and I think my main issue with the story was the pacing and how long it felt to get from one major moment to another.
Started off slow and took a good chunk of the book to really get into it but I enjoyed the ending and wished the writing was more consistent with the end throughout. The first part of the book dragged quite a bit and the writing itself was not lush so my curiosity really drove my desire to keep reading and see where this plot would go. As Katie expanded on her relationship with others and we learn about the environment she is in and becomes a part of, there's more of a purpose to read on.
Katie as a character is pretty unbearable in my opinion. She's young and confused which is normal when learning to live in your early twenties but I feel like her level of immaturity felt exaggerated? I was like.. Girl get up! Do something!!
The relationship between Katie and her mom and Katie and Silver is what I think I'll really spend time thinking about post-read. It's so interesting and I think became more obvious with each chapter which is why despite having complaints about the pace of the book and likability of the main character I rate this fairly high.
Kitten is a coming of age story that covers the uglier parts of growing up which creates a sense of discomfort in the story. It's frustrating yet relatable and I think my main issue with the story was the pacing and how long it felt to get from one major moment to another.
Started off slow and took a good chunk of the book to really get into it but I enjoyed the ending and wished the writing was more consistent with the end throughout. The first part of the book dragged quite a bit and the writing itself was not lush so my curiosity really drove my desire to keep reading and see where this plot would go. As Katie expanded on her relationship with others and we learn about the environment she is in and becomes a part of, there's more of a purpose to read on.
Katie as a character is pretty unbearable in my opinion. She's young and confused which is normal when learning to live in your early twenties but I feel like her level of immaturity felt exaggerated? I was like.. Girl get up! Do something!!
The relationship between Katie and her mom and Katie and Silver is what I think I'll really spend time thinking about post-read. It's so interesting and I think became more obvious with each chapter which is why despite having complaints about the pace of the book and likability of the main character I rate this fairly high.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I first saw the author’s TikTok talking about the design of the cover and how it relates to the story. I was immediately so intrigued and wanted to read this story. It did not disappoint! Just to reassure everyone, the love that Katie develops for Silver, the cat, is an innocent one, the same way a child loves deeply their pet.
This new love comes at a turning point in Katie’s life. She just graduated, she has no job, a non existent relationship with her mom and a new older boyfriend. I loved Katie’s voice and how she was somewhat self-aware of her issues but also unwilling to change.
As I’m around the same age as Katie, I could relate to some of her struggles. I loved how this story was written, it was entertaining but also thoughtful and deep. I think this story might help people, especially younger adults in their twenties, and remind them that they can ask for help when there is a tough situation and that they are deserving of love.
I really loved Kitten, it was a well written coming of age story. The exploration of Katie’s relationships with her mom, her boyfriend and her friend was also very interesting. I can’t wait for people to read this book !
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book, opinions are my own.
This new love comes at a turning point in Katie’s life. She just graduated, she has no job, a non existent relationship with her mom and a new older boyfriend. I loved Katie’s voice and how she was somewhat self-aware of her issues but also unwilling to change.
As I’m around the same age as Katie, I could relate to some of her struggles. I loved how this story was written, it was entertaining but also thoughtful and deep. I think this story might help people, especially younger adults in their twenties, and remind them that they can ask for help when there is a tough situation and that they are deserving of love.
I really loved Kitten, it was a well written coming of age story. The exploration of Katie’s relationships with her mom, her boyfriend and her friend was also very interesting. I can’t wait for people to read this book !
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book, opinions are my own.
February 17, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC! This review is voluntary, and all opinions are my own.
Everyone keep calm, the weird girl read of the year officially has a release date and it’s July 30th.
Our main character Katie has just turned 22, and is grappling with the struggles of having to be an adult. Her POV is easy to relate to, as a 20-something, but it’s also very clear that our girl Katie needs therapy.
The story follows Katie’s growing obsession with her boyfriend’s cat Silver, and the events that occur as a result. It’s interesting following along with Katie and James’ (her boyfriend) relationship. James is 26, and it’s very clear from the get-go that they’re in two very different places in life.
It’s hard to believe that ‘Kitten’ is Stacey Yu’s debut. Her characterisation is done beautifully all the characters felt very real, and she brought a lot of life even to minor side characters.
Yu also explores the contentious mother-daughter relationship in the novel in such a way that it feels very real and refreshing.
This was a 4.5 ⭐️ read for me! This is a solid, well-rounded read that definitely deserves the booktok hype.
Everyone keep calm, the weird girl read of the year officially has a release date and it’s July 30th.
Our main character Katie has just turned 22, and is grappling with the struggles of having to be an adult. Her POV is easy to relate to, as a 20-something, but it’s also very clear that our girl Katie needs therapy.
The story follows Katie’s growing obsession with her boyfriend’s cat Silver, and the events that occur as a result. It’s interesting following along with Katie and James’ (her boyfriend) relationship. James is 26, and it’s very clear from the get-go that they’re in two very different places in life.
It’s hard to believe that ‘Kitten’ is Stacey Yu’s debut. Her characterisation is done beautifully all the characters felt very real, and she brought a lot of life even to minor side characters.
Yu also explores the contentious mother-daughter relationship in the novel in such a way that it feels very real and refreshing.
This was a 4.5 ⭐️ read for me! This is a solid, well-rounded read that definitely deserves the booktok hype.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A quiet, introspective story about a recent graduate caught in that strange, uncertain space after college, this book follows Katie as she struggles with feeling inadequate and unsure of who she is, while her love for her boyfriend’s cat Silver grows. It captured the disorienting transition into adulthood well-the sense that everyone else knows how to move forward while you remain stuck, avoidant, and checked out.
At times, Katie felt emotionally distant as a protagonist. While that distance may have been intentional given her uncertainty and low confidence, it made her harder to connect with. I also found her frustrating at times, wishing she would speak up and stop keeping everything in. I struggled through some parts that felt repetitive or less engaging, particularly her relationship with her mom, which comes up frequently throughout the story. I found the ending satisfying and thought it was a thoughtful exploration of identity, early adulthood, and the struggle of figuring out who you are, plus there’s a cat.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
At times, Katie felt emotionally distant as a protagonist. While that distance may have been intentional given her uncertainty and low confidence, it made her harder to connect with. I also found her frustrating at times, wishing she would speak up and stop keeping everything in. I struggled through some parts that felt repetitive or less engaging, particularly her relationship with her mom, which comes up frequently throughout the story. I found the ending satisfying and thought it was a thoughtful exploration of identity, early adulthood, and the struggle of figuring out who you are, plus there’s a cat.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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