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Kitten
Not yet published
Expected 4 Aug 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 August 4, 2026
3620 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
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January 24, 2026This cover means everything to me I'm so serious
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January 24, 2026This may be the most important read of my life
January 31, 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”, 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”, 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.
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.
February 8, 2026
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!
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
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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Writing that's precise, cool like water, sparing but rich. I suspect Yu is an excellent short story writer, as well: this is a small, contained story that finds beauty in restraint in the way of Keegan or even Lahiri. My emotional response built slowly, and I was impatient at first, but by the final phone call, I cried!
I've read a lot of fiction recently with this sort of solitary, off-putting, socially inept protagonist, and in my estimation, Katie falls somewhere between Paradise Logic (Kemp)'s ineffable Reality and Sky Daddy (Folk)'s Linda. Katie wants for so much, and needs so much, and lacks so much, and even so, she remains lovable. The reader is bound to make sense of her as a character just as she makes sense of Silver: desperately, approximately, precisely, with love and good intentions and room to be wrong.
A staggeringly good debut! I will be buying a physical copy as soon as I can to mark it up and highlight all the gorgeous turns of phrase. Thanks to Random House for the ARC!
I've read a lot of fiction recently with this sort of solitary, off-putting, socially inept protagonist, and in my estimation, Katie falls somewhere between Paradise Logic (Kemp)'s ineffable Reality and Sky Daddy (Folk)'s Linda. Katie wants for so much, and needs so much, and lacks so much, and even so, she remains lovable. The reader is bound to make sense of her as a character just as she makes sense of Silver: desperately, approximately, precisely, with love and good intentions and room to be wrong.
A staggeringly good debut! I will be buying a physical copy as soon as I can to mark it up and highlight all the gorgeous turns of phrase. Thanks to Random House for the ARC!
February 2, 2026
3.5 stars rounded up…
Wowie. This was a trip. Our FMC needs therapy. Period.
Katie is sad, and clearly looking for acceptance in spaces she doesn’t have it. She has the loving support of James, her put-together boyfriend and his entourage of family and friends, yet she’s running from her own familial judgement, and past due bills and a tanking bank account.
That is until she meets Silver… James’ family cat who whisks her off her feet, sparking an obsession like no other.
Yep, you read that right. Homie needs THERAPY.
Her obsession disconnects her from reality and she continues to push away her human companions and long to be one with her feline love, that is until tragedy strikes.
I did enjoy this read, but was just dumbfounded at how selfish our main character was with 0 to very little accountability taken. Character flaws.
I am so thankful to NetGalley, Random House Books, and Stacey Yu for advanced access before this bb hits shelves august 4, 2026.
Wowie. This was a trip. Our FMC needs therapy. Period.
Katie is sad, and clearly looking for acceptance in spaces she doesn’t have it. She has the loving support of James, her put-together boyfriend and his entourage of family and friends, yet she’s running from her own familial judgement, and past due bills and a tanking bank account.
That is until she meets Silver… James’ family cat who whisks her off her feet, sparking an obsession like no other.
Yep, you read that right. Homie needs THERAPY.
Her obsession disconnects her from reality and she continues to push away her human companions and long to be one with her feline love, that is until tragedy strikes.
I did enjoy this read, but was just dumbfounded at how selfish our main character was with 0 to very little accountability taken. Character flaws.
I am so thankful to NetGalley, Random House Books, and Stacey Yu for advanced access before this bb hits shelves august 4, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
For the cat ladies with mommy issues. I have to admit that this one disappointed me. I didn’t understand her issue with her boyfriend because he seemed great and understanding, considering how she was behaving. I’ll have to revisit this one later to see if I connect to it more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
for the girls with mommy issues and codependent relationships with their cats (me)
Want to read
January 31, 2026thoughts as i bookmark: this character (described by user bewareofpity ok tiktok) sounds just like me so i can't wait to read it and get heartbroken
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews