I was a bit nervous about The Nine Lives of Summer… in this novel, the nine lives of a cat does not refer to them sleekly escaping death and thus “losing” a “life”. Rather, the cat dies - actually dies - and is reincarnated as another cat, in a different place, and with different humans.

I was wary of reading about a cat dying eight or nine times; and the Syrian war setting at the beginning of the book would add to my sadness. Indeed, I cried a lot during the 159 pages of this little book. At least once for every life - but often more.

Author Jem Vanston captures the personalities of cats beautifully, as well as the relationship between cats and humans. Summer, in every life, is a delightful cat with great loyalty. But she never forgets her mission: to be reunited with her first two-legs, Sami.

As much as this is marketed as a book for kids and adults, I think it might be a bit heavy for kids. Perhaps if a parent were reading out loud to them, they could gloss over the details of the end of each life.

I have two issues that really bug me though, and they relate to the writing rather than the narrative.

First, Summer often translates her cat-speak to the reader. I think it takes away from reading experience. She shouldn’t need to clarify that “two-legs” means “human” - it’s easy enough to figure out.

Second, when Summer is reincarnated into a life where English is not her owner’s first language, their speech is in broken English. Why would a Japanese national speak English to their cat? Surely they would raise the cat in their own language, and so Summer would understand it.

"The Nine Lives of Summer" by Jem Vanston is a captivating novel that explores the power of resilience and reinvention. As the protagonist, Summer, navigates the challenges of life's twists and turns, readers are treated to a poignant journey of self-discovery and transformation. Vanston's storytelling is heartfelt, her characters vivid, and the narrative thought-provoking. This book is a beautifully written reminder that, no matter the setbacks, there's always a chance for a fresh start.

This is a lovely cat story! I love books about cats. This is a wonderful story and the ending made me so happy and made me cry. I can be very short about this: any pet lover would enjoy this story and feel a lot of emotions!! Well done author! :)

This is the kind of book that breaks your heart to pieces, then puts it back together only to smash it apart once again, in the most beautiful way.
The Nine Lives of Summer is the perfect book for all cat-lovers. The story follows the life of Summer, a sweet little cat who belongs to a sweet little girl named Sami, who is living in Syria at the beginning of a war.
Summer and Sami are separated and Summer works through her nine lives to try to reunite with her once again.
Not only is this book from a lovely cat's point of view, but it also brings to life the reality that domesticated animals face around the globe, and the place they hold in society and in our lives.
As one cat lover to another, I recommend you read this book and also enjoy the headbonks from your furry little companions.

I tried very hard to read this, but having jut lost my cat suddenly and unexpectedly I had to give up. If I try again at any time I will give an honest review - sorry !

If you like cats, this one is for you. I have a dog, so I may not be the best audience, but this is a fun and emotional story for cat lovers and others.

The Nine Lives of Summer follows a cat as they transition through their nine lives, trying to find their way back to their first human. The lives take place all over the world in different countries, and explore what life may be like for a cat living there.

As a cat lover and someone who enjoys animal memoirs, I adored this book. Though I was always sad when another of Summer's lives ended, I looked forward to reading about where the next life would take place. Throughout this book I laughed and cried, and shared in the joy of each of Summer's humans. This would be a great book to read for any age.

Thank you to NetGalley and Two Fat Cats Publishing for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pretty fun overall. This has it's sad moments, but that is part of what made it a good read. Wasn't sure what to expect here, but I enjoy it.

I really appreciate the free copy for review!!

I pretty much ugly cried through the entire book. There's a lot to unpack here as Summer searches for Sami and I don't think I really went into this expecting just how deep this was going to go. I really liked "A Street Cat Named Bob", so this was right up my alley from start to finish. The Nine Lives of Summer would fit in very well in our classroom.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This started off well but seemed to lose momentum quickly. I found it hard to decide who the book was aimed at and felt it was unsuitable for primary age. Enjoyable enough but not one I would go back to.
Thanks to Netgalley and Two Fat Cats Publishing for an advance copy.

Summer is a beautiful calico cat living with her owner 10-year-old Sami and her family in Syria. Things are going at a well-established pace until the war breaks out in Syria. The family must flee leaving Summer behind. Sami and Summer are determined to meet up again at some point.
Summer goes through nine cat lives as she is in different countries in her multiple lives. The author does a wonderful job of adding the correct cultural foods, languages, and descriptions of each area. From the frozen tundra to the hottest jungle, the fish wharf and more. Summer's life is a struggle for survival in this emotional story. As a lover of cat stories, I enjoyed this one very much especially reading about the many lives the cat lived. It reeled me in, and I read it in an afternoon. Prepare yourself to be emotionally invested in the adventures and survival of Summer and her friends. Recommended!

Pub Date 01 Mar 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I cried bucket reading this heart wreniching story that talks about a war, a cat and the path to find her human again.
There's a lot of tears but there's also hope. A perfect book for cat lovers.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Thank you to Net Galley for this wonderful copy of The Nine Lives of Summer by Jen Vanston in exchange for a honest review.This heart- warming feel good book tells the story of Summer and her human mistress Sami who has to leave her behind when her family flees Syria after her brother Shaheen is killed in a bombing attack..Throughout time and nine lives Summer vows to find Sami again while having many adventures along the way.A great book for cat lovers of late elementary school(5-6th grade) age and above..Definitely a tear jerker.

This was an interesting read. The cat is different in each life. The author must have a cat. The things they do are true and he's a pretty kitty.
Two Fat Cats Publishing and Net Galley let me read this book. It has been published and you can get a copy now.

It's fun to read about his colors changing and how he's female most of the time.

Life is an adventure for a cat. You never know what he is going to do or who he is going to meet.

I enjoyed reading this but I'm a cat lover....

Princess Fuzzypants here: Summer and Sami are so happy together until the war in Syria splits them apart. Summer makes a pledge that she will find Sami again and throughout all of her nine lives, no matter what form, no matter whether it is long or short, happy or tragic, her quest is to find the little girl she loved so well in her first life.

Each time Summer dies, when she is reborn, she remembers who she was in the beginning. Helping her with her quest is the ghost of a family member who died in the bombing during the war. Each journey takes Summer to some place new around the globe. She meets good people and bad people and often runs into a friend she made in that first life, Honey.

It is not until her ninth and final life that she is reunited with Sami. But will Sami recognize the cat who is so different to the kitty she once was. Will love find a way? In a heart wrenching tale of trials and tribulations, the reader knows that somehow Summer will make Sami understand. It is a moving reunion as are many of the stories throughout Summer’s nine lives. Be prepared to care a lot about this little cat. Be prepared to be touched deeply.

Five purrs and two paws up.

Wasn't quite too sure what this book would be about but did find it interesting enough that I chose to give it a chance to get into it. And although it was sold to me along the lines as a book for children I may have to raise that to a book for young adults and even then it would have to be for children that aren't sensitive since dear Summer has some interesting yet traumatic experiences to deal with.

To me the book <i>The Nines Lives of Summer</i> felt like it was a mix of <i>Racing In the Rain</i> and <i>The Midnight Library</i>, which are two reads that I found were quite opposite in how I received them. Like the former the story is told from the perspective of the narrator who is an animal that understands/alludes to the concept of reincarnation although in the former the goal was to be reborn human and in this one it is to find one's way home as a result of making a promise to one's adoptee.

The story was rather decent while keeping the same voice of the protagonist throughout the whole plot. And although it does help in keeping track for the reader it doesn't take into consideration the various changes of the background while to me it would have been nice to have included a bit more localized lingo to base the story in each of its own corner.

All in all it was rather decent even with small slip-ups like the explanation of a tortoiseshell coloration for a calico. Otherwise if you like warm cat stories and a chance to get more than one story at a time than this may be the book for you.

**I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I love animals, especially cats. I've been fortunate to share much of my life with these furry, funny, fabulous creatures so I was excited to read The Nine Lives of Summer by Jem Vanston, but my heart was not ready to face the heartache contained within these pages, and yet I'm happy I read the book for it's wondrous tale of a love that transcends lifetimes.

Vanston's depictions of war-torn Syria are gut-wrenching, as are the trials faced by Summer (the cat) and her family. The emotional parting between Summer and her beloved Sami struck a deep chord within me because I've had to make the hard decision to leave a beloved furbaby behind in order to move to a new place. (Granted, I wasn't in a war-torn area and was eventually reunited with my furry companion because I was able to leave him with family, but it still dredged up some painful memories.) However, Sami leaving Summer behind is only the beginning of the emotional rollercoaster ride Vanston has created.

Through years and multiple lives, Summer is always looking to be reunited with Sami. Some of the lives are long and comfortable. Some are short and filled with struggle. All of these combine to create an incredible journey that is both life-affirming and guaranteed to hit you right in the feels...hard. At times poignant, humorous, sad, and harrowing, the end result is a tale that makes me hug my own kitties a little tighter in appreciation for their companionship and endless love.

Overall, The Nine Lives of Summer is perfect for anyone who likes animal stories, but be warned--this book will make you ugly-cry. Also, it may not be suitable for young kids as it does contain a couple of graphic scenes as told from a cat's point of view.

This is the happiest, saddest, tearjerker of a book. As a cat person I love stories about cats especially when a happy ending is included.