Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have been following Courtney (better known as Poetssquare in my mind) for a couple years now on social media. I've attached myself to her cats and cried when they died. I've donated money to various gofundmes and amazon wishlists. I've refreshed her tiktok and instagram, waiting for updates on my favorite cats. When she announced she was writing a book, I knew I was going to consume it in less than a day. And that's exactly what happened. Just like her instagram posts, I devoured this book and sobbed after almost every chapter. I remember when she bought the house at Poets Square and I remember when she started working on the Trash Colony. This book is just a fraction of the stories she has about the cats she's cared for at Poets Square and around Tucson. This book is, of course, a must read. But even more so, her social media is a must-follow.

“Feral, for all the wildness it implies, just means that an animal was abandoned by the system that created it.”

Full disclosure: I have followed this author on Tiktok and Instagram for years and have been a fan of her storytelling the entire time. I knew going in that I would, if nothing else, at least appreciate this book because I love the cats who were written about and deeply respect the author - the cats and author alike have personally impacted me enough that I got involved with a cat rescue organization in my own community.

This book isn’t a feel-good memoir about how the author started caring for the feral cats in her neighborhood and everyone lived happily ever after - it’s gritty and sad and touches on a lot of tough subjects (both human and cat-related), and it refuses to shy away from the harsh realities of the brutal, short lives that feral cats live. But where there is darkness, there is always hope, and this book does a great job at showing how much change can be affected by one person, so long as they’re armed with hope.

Yes, this is a book about cats. But at the same time, it’s not really about cats at all. It’s about how sometimes it’s easier to love the idea of 30 feral cats who live in your driveway than it is to love yourself. It’s about how animal rescue is inherently political, and how human and animal welfare are intrinsically linked. It’s about wealth inequality and misogyny and what it’s like to suffer from imposter syndrome over the very basics of your human foundation: Am I a good person? Or am I not?

But down to its essence, this book is about friendship and love and community, and about how those of us with the tender, bleeding hearts are the strongest of us all, because those soft hearts take a beating day after day and they still keep coming back for more.

As I said in the beginning, I knew that I would at least appreciate this book because of how attached I already was to the people and the cats it’s about, but I genuinely and truly loved this book. It’s the kind of book that breaks your heart and then puts it back together again - painful and heartfelt and full of love.

Courtney Gustafson’s *Poets Square* is a heartfelt memoir that beautifully intertwines the themes of community, care, and personal healing with the unexpected journey of rescuing feral cats. Set against the backdrop of a pandemic-stricken world, this intimate narrative reveals how a seemingly insurmountable problem—caring for a colony of thirty feral cats—became the unlikely catalyst for Gustafson's own emotional recovery and a testament to the power of small acts of kindness.

When Gustafson moved into a rental house in the Poets Square neighborhood of Tucson, Arizona, she was already struggling with the challenges of a new relationship, poor mental health, and a precarious financial situation. The discovery of thirty feral cats living on her property added another layer of complexity to her life, one that she was initially reluctant to embrace. Yet, as the cats’ pleading eyes and visible suffering became impossible to ignore, Gustafson found herself drawn into the world of animal rescue—a world that was as heartbreaking as it was rewarding.

*Poets Square* is not just a book about cats; it’s a poignant exploration of how caring for others, even when we feel broken ourselves, can lead to profound personal transformation. Gustafson’s writing is raw and honest as she shares her struggles with mental health and the immense pressures of living in a world that often feels like it’s falling apart. The cats—each with their own quirky personality—become symbols of resilience and the small but significant impact that one person can make when they choose to care.

The memoir also touches on the broader issue of animal rescue, shedding light on the often-overlooked problem of feral cat colonies in neighborhoods across the country. Gustafson doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of rescue work—the grief, the frustration, the overwhelming sense of responsibility—but she balances these with moments of joy and connection that come from building a community around a shared purpose. The TikTok and Instagram accounts she created to document the cats’ lives not only brought attention to their plight but also helped her to save her home, illustrating the unexpected ways in which care and community can intersect in the digital age.

Gustafson’s story is also about hope—what she calls “a little bit of dumb hope”—and the belief that even in the darkest times, small acts of kindness can light the way forward. Her narrative is compelling and tender, filled with moments of both despair and triumph as she navigates the challenges of rescue work and her own personal struggles. The feral cats of Poets Square, with their wild spirits and enduring will to survive, serve as a mirror to Gustafson’s own journey toward healing and self-acceptance.

In *Poets Square*, Gustafson writes toward a vision of connectedness that extends beyond the boundaries of her own driveway, encompassing the neglected homes and dark alleys where she feeds the cats, and the broader community of people who come together to support one another in times of need. It’s a book that will resonate not only with animal lovers but with anyone who has ever felt the weight of the world on their shoulders and wondered how they could possibly make a difference.

In conclusion, *Poets Square* is a touching and powerful memoir that reminds us of the importance of care, both for ourselves and for the world around us. Courtney Gustafson’s journey from reluctant caretaker to dedicated animal rescuer is a testament to the transformative power of compassion and the profound connections that can be forged through acts of kindness. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a story of hope, resilience, and the enduring impact of community.

A really fantastic memoir that's about cats but also not really about cats. Full disclosure, I've followed the author on Instagram and Tiktok for a long time and have been a big fan of her content. She's a natural storyteller, and she's quite moving on social media and in written, novel form.

The author, Courtney, has a powerful voice (her Instagram captions alone have made me happy cry and sad cry more than once) and she is able to convey emotion and empathy in her storytelling in a really forthright manner. Her prose isn't dense, verbose, or overly flowery; she says exactly what needs to be said. The format of the book was really unique and interesting and made moving from lighthearted to really heavy topics very digestible. I read her book very easily in almost one sitting.

I'm really impressed with how vulnerable Courtney was in this book, able to really understand the cats but also very self-aware when her emotions seemingly about the cats were really directed inward. I feel like I intimately know every cat she described, and it was really fun to hear the backstories of cats and events Courtney has mentioned online. She's so introspective and open in this book that I think most everyone will relate to at least one of her characteristics or experiences. Courtney is also just really funny in a silly, kind-spirited way. It's very easy to see why she's been so successful online and in community organizing.

I'm usually skeptical about memoirs written by young people (how much can there be to talk about when you're not even halfway through your life?) but Courtney really told the full spectrum of the human experience. I smiled, shook my head, laughed, cried, and made comments to my own cat while reading this book. There are serious topics discussed, including mental health issues, poverty, unhoused community issues, relationship abuse, grief, and, of course, the hardest parts of pets and animals. Courtney approaches her story and the cast of characters and cats with honesty and respect. I'll definitely buy a physical copy when this book is out and bug everyone I know to read it. I will also read all of her next books, which I hope are forthcoming.

I was thrilled to get this arc, and it didn't disappoint. Thank you, Crown Publishing!