Book Review: "Dewey's Nine Lives" by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter

Dewey's Nine Lives offers nine funny, inspiring, and heartwarming stories about cats—all told from the perspective of "Dewey's Mom," librarian Vicki Myron. The amazing felines in this book include Dewey, of course, whose further never-before-told adventures are shared, and several others who Vicki found out about when their owners reached out to her. Vicki learned, through extensive interviews and story sharing, what made these cats special, and how they fit into Dewey's community of perseverance and love. From a divorced mother in Alaska who saved a drowning kitten on Christmas Eve to a troubled Vietnam veteran whose heart was opened by his long relationship with a rescued cat, these Dewey-style stories will inspire readers to laugh, cry, care, and, most importantly, believe in the magic of animals to touch individual lives.

Ok, I'm going to honest. I am not a cat person. Yes, all you cat people can gasp in horror. I love dogs. I've just never been a fan of cats. It's nothing personal. They can be cute and I'm sure they are wonderful companions for a lot of people. But I just don't have a dying love for them like I know some people do. Which makes it all strange that I'm a big Dewey fan. I had listened to the audiobook version of Dewey's first book and I really enjoyed reading how he touched the lives of the people in his community.

This new book is a collection of stories from people who were affected by Dewey's story as well as owners who loved their cats as much as Myron loved Dewey. Many of these stories involve people whose lives are changed after a certain cat comes into their lives. The owners weren't even necessary looking to own a pet much less a cat when that certain feline entered their lives. It's interesting to read how such a small animal manages to work its way into the heart of a person.

I will admit that since some of these stories didn't have anything to do with Dewey at all, I found some more interesting that others. This might also have to do with not being a cat lover because in some certain instances I could not relate with the owners at all. However, Myron's narrative throughout each story is very engaging which made each story more enjoyable.

SPOILER: I will warn those who are cat lovers: all the cats in the book die. BUT they don't die from horrible deaths but instead natural deaths after a long and happy life with their owners. This is just a warning for those who can't stand to read about any pets dying.

The best story of all is the very last story as it involves a certain twist of fate and a happy ending. It's just amazing how much Dewey's legacy still managed to live on even though he's been gone. While this book doesn't exactly live up to the first book, it's still an enjoyable read. Cat fans will want to add this to their collection and even non cat fans (such as myself) will enjoy this collection of inspiration and love.

Dewey's Nine Lives by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter is published by Dutton (2010)

This review copy was provided by the publisher

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