I am not particularly a cat person. I am always scared they are going to dig their claws into my legs or arms as a show of ‘friendship’. They also make me sneeze. But despite this I was intrigued by the title of this book enough to pick it up and take a look. The basic premise is this; what would you sacrifice for an extra day of life?
What could be quite a deep topic is treated lightly, thanks to a wise cracking ‘devil’ character called Aloha who wears brightly coloured Hawaiian shirts. And of course we discover there is always a consequence to our actions. Even if we don’t like blue suede shoes, someone else might be devastated their favourite footwear has disappeared from the world.
This book is an easy read, with hidden depths. It makes us consider what makes life worth living. Friendships? Chocolate? Cats? It makes us consider what is on our ‘bucket list’. And it makes us really think about how lucky we are. For these reasons, it is well worth a read. In Japan, the book was so popular that the inevitable film adaptation followed. I didn’t enjoy that as much, as it was darker and not as life affirming. Better to stick to the book.
If you enjoyed the Japanese style of writing, you might also like novels by Yoko Ogawa My favourite is the Housekeeper and the Professor. It also considers what is important in life, as the professor is only able to remember eight minutes of short term memory. Happy reading!
Reviewed by Karen Kimura, Learning & Development Manager, GDST.