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Miri Lives in the Cat's Eyes
The stage is set for a love across time.Youichi Kamisuki is a college student with the uncanny ability to see people’s pasts by gazing into their eyes. After being trapped inside due to the pandemic, his stale, stagnant life takes a turn when his next-door neighbor is murdered. In the chaos, he locks eyes with a stray cat and somehow meets a girl from the past named Miri, who can peer into the future.From across time, Miri warns Youichi that this murder will not be the last. With her help, he sets out to change the fate of his friends. As the two grow close, Youichi finds himself wanting to meet Miri. The only question is…where is she in the present?
232 pages, Paperback
Published March 25, 2025
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74 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 24, 2025
My thanks to NetGalley and Yen Press/Yen On for an eARC of this book to read and review.
Confusing, stupid plot, huge plot holes and characters I could give two rat's posterior's about.
Warning: violence and we see a scene from the POV of a murder victim's last moments, including when they are shot in the back of the head.
While not spoken out loud as such, Miri seems to have suicidal ideation and is determined to die. There were SOOOOO many different ways it could have been adverted. But we are given the cheap, "She can see the future and all futures point to her dying young, so she decided to sacrifice herself to save the boy she loved," as an insulting hand-wavy, 'Just roll with it' from the author.
I was once at a book signing where the author gave a talk and stated that the author was allowed ONE premise that the readers would give the benefit of the doubt on, suspend their disbelief and enjoy the world you created. The SECOND you introduce another premise that is outside of the world you have created, you lose the reader.
I was ready to throw in the towel at 9% and I wish I had. I hate to be so negative and use grade-school insults to describe this book, but it was just STUPID. From the plot to the characters, it was all just DUMB.
Save yourself the headache and avoid this book, unless you like dark stories and like to turn your brain off as soon as you open the book and let the book do the "thinking" for you.
1, I want the time I spent slogging through this back, stars.
Confusing, stupid plot, huge plot holes and characters I could give two rat's posterior's about.
Warning: violence and we see a scene from the POV of a murder victim's last moments, including when they are shot in the back of the head.
While not spoken out loud as such, Miri seems to have suicidal ideation and is determined to die. There were SOOOOO many different ways it could have been adverted. But we are given the cheap, "She can see the future and all futures point to her dying young, so she decided to sacrifice herself to save the boy she loved," as an insulting hand-wavy, 'Just roll with it' from the author.
I was once at a book signing where the author gave a talk and stated that the author was allowed ONE premise that the readers would give the benefit of the doubt on, suspend their disbelief and enjoy the world you created. The SECOND you introduce another premise that is outside of the world you have created, you lose the reader.
I was ready to throw in the towel at 9% and I wish I had. I hate to be so negative and use grade-school insults to describe this book, but it was just STUPID. From the plot to the characters, it was all just DUMB.
Save yourself the headache and avoid this book, unless you like dark stories and like to turn your brain off as soon as you open the book and let the book do the "thinking" for you.
1, I want the time I spent slogging through this back, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2025
*Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review!*
3.25 Stars.
A very light, fast and a fun read with as much as interesting concept, tropes and easy to follow storyline.
3.25 Stars.
A very light, fast and a fun read with as much as interesting concept, tropes and easy to follow storyline.
May 21, 2025
3.5! I think this would have been 4 stars if it weren’t for the fact I’ve not been in a reading habit, so I took like 1.5 months to read it😭 The plot definitely confused me a lot, but it was still enjoyable, especially the last 25%!
March 31, 2025
Thank You NetGalley, Yen Press, and Taiga Shiki, for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Final Rating 4.0
(Note: I accidentally gave the wrong feedback that I intended for another publisher for this book on NetGalley without realizing it, haha. So this is my actual review.)
I found this book quite good in its own way. I don't know how to describe it, and I really don't have much to critique about it. I don't know, I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it either. I certainly think others should give it a read and form an opinion for themselves!
Thank you again, NetGalley, Yen Press, and Taiga Shiki, for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Final Rating 4.0
(Note: I accidentally gave the wrong feedback that I intended for another publisher for this book on NetGalley without realizing it, haha. So this is my actual review.)
I found this book quite good in its own way. I don't know how to describe it, and I really don't have much to critique about it. I don't know, I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it either. I certainly think others should give it a read and form an opinion for themselves!
Thank you again, NetGalley, Yen Press, and Taiga Shiki, for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review.
April 18, 2025
With the eye-catching cover, title AND premise, I was very intrigued to see what this book is about. Many thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC!
College student Youichi has a special ability: When looking into someone's eyes, he can see their memories. One day in the middle of the covid-lockdown, a woman in his apartment building is shot. On the search for clues about this crime, Youichi looks into the eyes of a cat and sees a different woman in its memories - a woman who speaks to him. Her name is Miri and she has the ability to look into the future. She foresaw that the crime that just happened is only the beginning of an awful murder series and asks Youichi to help her find the culprit. As part of his investigation, he joins the university's drama club and also spends more time with Miri in the cat's memories. Unfortunately, the murder series becomes more and more opaque as the possibility of curses and stories from the theater plays starts to feel more real. At the same time, Youichi is trying to find MIri in the present with the foreboding that everything might end in tragedy.
This short novel is filled with literary references and fascinating theories on art and theater, reality and humanity. At the same time, it tells a dark story about murder, hate and loss. These contradicting aspects make for a very interesting atmosphere. Youichis style of narration feels a little awkward sometimes, thought that might be just a result of translation.
The hook of the story is the murder investigation. However, most scenes are about Youichi befriending the drama club, falling in love with Miri, or about the consequences of his gift. That doesn't mean that the suspense is lacking; the general mood does count down with a constant sense of dread toward an inevitable end. Another interesting aspect is the setting during the time of the Corona pandemic. It has a big influence on the characters and is often mentioned. Since it is still in such recent memory, it was a little strange to read about it, but it is tightly woven into the plot and makes sense, so it was handled well.
The story contains many side characters, which are a bit confusing at times. I managed, most likely because of the way the mysteries get solved. Youichi often figures something out without telling the reader, and then explains in the end. This way, all the twists and revelations are neatly presented without the reader feeling like they missed something. Unfortunately, at other times, the story did get too complex to follow along easily. This happens mostly with the timelines between which Youichi and Miri communicate. Present, past and future keep changing and it is a bit tough to keep up.
In the end, I did greatly enjoy the story. It is a moving peace filled with love for theater and art with an emotional end. There are beautiful illustrations throughout that only enhance the reading experience. I would definitely reccommend this book for fans of complicated love storys, theater and time travel!
College student Youichi has a special ability: When looking into someone's eyes, he can see their memories. One day in the middle of the covid-lockdown, a woman in his apartment building is shot. On the search for clues about this crime, Youichi looks into the eyes of a cat and sees a different woman in its memories - a woman who speaks to him. Her name is Miri and she has the ability to look into the future. She foresaw that the crime that just happened is only the beginning of an awful murder series and asks Youichi to help her find the culprit. As part of his investigation, he joins the university's drama club and also spends more time with Miri in the cat's memories. Unfortunately, the murder series becomes more and more opaque as the possibility of curses and stories from the theater plays starts to feel more real. At the same time, Youichi is trying to find MIri in the present with the foreboding that everything might end in tragedy.
This short novel is filled with literary references and fascinating theories on art and theater, reality and humanity. At the same time, it tells a dark story about murder, hate and loss. These contradicting aspects make for a very interesting atmosphere. Youichis style of narration feels a little awkward sometimes, thought that might be just a result of translation.
The hook of the story is the murder investigation. However, most scenes are about Youichi befriending the drama club, falling in love with Miri, or about the consequences of his gift. That doesn't mean that the suspense is lacking; the general mood does count down with a constant sense of dread toward an inevitable end. Another interesting aspect is the setting during the time of the Corona pandemic. It has a big influence on the characters and is often mentioned. Since it is still in such recent memory, it was a little strange to read about it, but it is tightly woven into the plot and makes sense, so it was handled well.
The story contains many side characters, which are a bit confusing at times. I managed, most likely because of the way the mysteries get solved. Youichi often figures something out without telling the reader, and then explains in the end. This way, all the twists and revelations are neatly presented without the reader feeling like they missed something. Unfortunately, at other times, the story did get too complex to follow along easily. This happens mostly with the timelines between which Youichi and Miri communicate. Present, past and future keep changing and it is a bit tough to keep up.
In the end, I did greatly enjoy the story. It is a moving peace filled with love for theater and art with an emotional end. There are beautiful illustrations throughout that only enhance the reading experience. I would definitely reccommend this book for fans of complicated love storys, theater and time travel!
April 15, 2025
Finishing up Miri Lives in the Cats Eyes, it was very clear that it was trying to evoke a similar feeling of Mokoto Shinkai (Your Name, 5 Centimeters Per Second). While telling the story of youth, the deeper themes are meant to explore young love and the hole that can leave behind. While the novel has a very impressive premise, its execution leaves a lot for me to be desired.
Miri builds up a lot of good will with the opening section, introducing an interesting time-travel element, a murder mystery, and allusions to live theatre (which greatly appeal to me). There are a lot of things that Miri has to balance, and with that, it looses focus a lot.; I gave Miri the benefit of the doubt early on, even when it takes some leaps in the storytelling that don’t feel congruent.
Where the novel broke for me was in the first third, where it spends several pages summarizing a play the characters are reading. It completely threw off the pacing. It really highlighted that there was no strong focus on any of the novel’s key elements, having it feel jumbled. With the murder mystery that drives the plot, the audience isn’t given enough clues to follow along, and with the cast of characters, not enough were unique enough personalities to make interesting suspects or victims. When the mystery is solved at the end, I was confused by who the killer even was.
There was so much promise in the novel, and I can own up to possibly me not being aware of key things. The novel references As You Like It a lot, which I have very little knowledge of. I might have also just aged out of the target audience for these kinds of novels.
Miri builds up a lot of good will with the opening section, introducing an interesting time-travel element, a murder mystery, and allusions to live theatre (which greatly appeal to me). There are a lot of things that Miri has to balance, and with that, it looses focus a lot.; I gave Miri the benefit of the doubt early on, even when it takes some leaps in the storytelling that don’t feel congruent.
Where the novel broke for me was in the first third, where it spends several pages summarizing a play the characters are reading. It completely threw off the pacing. It really highlighted that there was no strong focus on any of the novel’s key elements, having it feel jumbled. With the murder mystery that drives the plot, the audience isn’t given enough clues to follow along, and with the cast of characters, not enough were unique enough personalities to make interesting suspects or victims. When the mystery is solved at the end, I was confused by who the killer even was.
There was so much promise in the novel, and I can own up to possibly me not being aware of key things. The novel references As You Like It a lot, which I have very little knowledge of. I might have also just aged out of the target audience for these kinds of novels.
June 2, 2025
If someone were to read this book because of the synopsis in hopes of experiencing an interesting murder mystery they would surely be disappointed just as I was. This book tries to be a lot of things and unfortunately in it's attempt to do so it fails to be a good murder mystery as there's nothing particularly clever or engaging about it.
There where times where the constant references really annoyed me. To emphasize how much the main character reads the writer had the main character at random times just reference random titles that barely had anything to do with the situation he was in and it felt really unnatural for him to reference books the way he did.
It wasn't all bad. I did like the Shakespeare references. The story is centered around a certain play so the references to Shakespeare felt natural and the writer used the quotes in interesting ways. The references to certain books also served as clever foreshadowing but as I mentioned I think the author could have done a better job at integrating the references into the story.
Despite all that, I ended up liking the book because the dynamic between the main character and heroine was incredibly interesting. It was an excellent and unique take on the concept of lovers separated by both space and time. There were aspects that I found incredibly creative. The mystery element of it was so good that it sort of made up for the bad murder mystery.
To put it simply Miri Lives in The Cat's Eyes is like Your Name mixed with a bad murder mystery. I would recommend it if you liked Your Name and want to experience a story that's similar but with it's own unique twist to it.
There where times where the constant references really annoyed me. To emphasize how much the main character reads the writer had the main character at random times just reference random titles that barely had anything to do with the situation he was in and it felt really unnatural for him to reference books the way he did.
It wasn't all bad. I did like the Shakespeare references. The story is centered around a certain play so the references to Shakespeare felt natural and the writer used the quotes in interesting ways. The references to certain books also served as clever foreshadowing but as I mentioned I think the author could have done a better job at integrating the references into the story.
Despite all that, I ended up liking the book because the dynamic between the main character and heroine was incredibly interesting. It was an excellent and unique take on the concept of lovers separated by both space and time. There were aspects that I found incredibly creative. The mystery element of it was so good that it sort of made up for the bad murder mystery.
To put it simply Miri Lives in The Cat's Eyes is like Your Name mixed with a bad murder mystery. I would recommend it if you liked Your Name and want to experience a story that's similar but with it's own unique twist to it.
March 24, 2025
Title: Miri Lives in the Cat’s Eye
Where I Read: ARC via @netgalley and @yenpress
Synopsis: The stage is set for a love across time.Youichi Kamisuki is a college student with the uncanny ability to see people’s pasts by gazing into their eyes. After being trapped inside due to the pandemic, his stale, stagnant life takes a turn when his next-door neighbor is murdered. In the chaos, he locks eyes with a stray cat and somehow meets a girl from the past named Miri, who can peer into the future.From across time, Miri warns Youichi that this murder will not be the last. With her help, he sets out to change the fate of his friends. As the two grow close, Youichi finds himself wanting to meet Miri. The only question is…where is she in the present?
.
The RayView: ✨✨✨✨
The HeatRay: 🍬
.
I’ll be honest, I’m not big on the whole time traveling trope. I find it much too complicated for me no matter how well it’s written. I imagine I’d have had an easier time if I had seen it instead but this is indeed a light novel and that’s on me. I enjoyed the mystery aspect to it. It wasn’t too easy or too over complicated which made me curious to continue. It being during the COVID pandemic made it one of the most modern stories I’ve read as of late and honestly it was comforting to read. Sounds strange to say given the devastating time of our lives but seeing and reading about the anxiety, the panic, the changes that the pandemic brought to others filled me with a sense of kinship for my own experiences.
Where I Read: ARC via @netgalley and @yenpress
Synopsis: The stage is set for a love across time.Youichi Kamisuki is a college student with the uncanny ability to see people’s pasts by gazing into their eyes. After being trapped inside due to the pandemic, his stale, stagnant life takes a turn when his next-door neighbor is murdered. In the chaos, he locks eyes with a stray cat and somehow meets a girl from the past named Miri, who can peer into the future.From across time, Miri warns Youichi that this murder will not be the last. With her help, he sets out to change the fate of his friends. As the two grow close, Youichi finds himself wanting to meet Miri. The only question is…where is she in the present?
.
The RayView: ✨✨✨✨
The HeatRay: 🍬
.
I’ll be honest, I’m not big on the whole time traveling trope. I find it much too complicated for me no matter how well it’s written. I imagine I’d have had an easier time if I had seen it instead but this is indeed a light novel and that’s on me. I enjoyed the mystery aspect to it. It wasn’t too easy or too over complicated which made me curious to continue. It being during the COVID pandemic made it one of the most modern stories I’ve read as of late and honestly it was comforting to read. Sounds strange to say given the devastating time of our lives but seeing and reading about the anxiety, the panic, the changes that the pandemic brought to others filled me with a sense of kinship for my own experiences.
March 24, 2025
This was a very interesting concept, but it definitely got a bit confusing at times. The story is centered around a boy who can see into the past and a girl who can see into the future. There are a string of murders happening and the girl claims he must figure out who the murderer is before more people get injured.
I disliked how excessively Covid was mentioned. To me, it felt like it didn't really have any impact on the story and kept getting thrown in randomly. I also wished that the story would have taken place in other settings instead of usually being with the drama club and its members. While I do understand the importance that held to the story line, I just think it would have been more enticing to add in other suspects or scenarios.
The ending was interesting, but seemed like a bit of a stretch. I don't see how a college student would have had money to do some of the things that the female main character claimed to have done. The relationship between the two was interesting and I'm not sure I could find it believable that they loved each other without ever really meeting. Thank you to Netgalley, Yen Press, and Taiga Shiki for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.
I disliked how excessively Covid was mentioned. To me, it felt like it didn't really have any impact on the story and kept getting thrown in randomly. I also wished that the story would have taken place in other settings instead of usually being with the drama club and its members. While I do understand the importance that held to the story line, I just think it would have been more enticing to add in other suspects or scenarios.
The ending was interesting, but seemed like a bit of a stretch. I don't see how a college student would have had money to do some of the things that the female main character claimed to have done. The relationship between the two was interesting and I'm not sure I could find it believable that they loved each other without ever really meeting. Thank you to Netgalley, Yen Press, and Taiga Shiki for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.
March 19, 2025
The premise is absolutely bananas, and trying to explain it just makes one sound insane. But the meat of the story was compelling. A boy who can reach into the past and a girl who can see the future, colliding across time and space, building an elaborate theater together (and in competition with each other - how very Night Circus of them). We had a whodunnit - complete with explanations of each of the increasingly impractical steps the killer needed to take + a uniquely bizarre setting with the Goddess House. We had COVID being a fundamental part of the story - both in solving the murders and also explaining Youichi’s mental state and how he reacts to each of the people in Drama Club.
Things did get waaaay harder to buy into by the end, when we get the big reveals. But I think overall it was definitely worth the read.
{Thank you YenOn for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review}
Things did get waaaay harder to buy into by the end, when we get the big reveals. But I think overall it was definitely worth the read.
{Thank you YenOn for the complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review}
May 11, 2025
Leí mi primera novela ligera! Y me gustó mucho esta experiencia.
Una historia con misterio, toques sobrenaturales y una pizca de romance que se lee rápido y resulta bastante atrapante. En plena pandemia, Youichi, un estudiante universitario con una habilidad especial para ver el pasado a través de los ojos de otros, se cruza con Miri, una chica que puede ver el futuro. Lo curioso es que se comunican a través de un gato. Lo que parece una historia extraña se convierte en una investigación a contrarreloj cuando descubren que un asesinato es solo el comienzo. Juntos intentarán evitar una cadena de tragedias.
Aunque en algunos momentos se detiene demasiado en ciertos detalles, como el teatro, tiene giros interesantes y una ambientación original. Una lectura entretenida que combina crimen, destino y un poco de ternura felina.
Muchas gracias YenPress por el ARC que leí en NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.
Una historia con misterio, toques sobrenaturales y una pizca de romance que se lee rápido y resulta bastante atrapante. En plena pandemia, Youichi, un estudiante universitario con una habilidad especial para ver el pasado a través de los ojos de otros, se cruza con Miri, una chica que puede ver el futuro. Lo curioso es que se comunican a través de un gato. Lo que parece una historia extraña se convierte en una investigación a contrarreloj cuando descubren que un asesinato es solo el comienzo. Juntos intentarán evitar una cadena de tragedias.
Aunque en algunos momentos se detiene demasiado en ciertos detalles, como el teatro, tiene giros interesantes y una ambientación original. Una lectura entretenida que combina crimen, destino y un poco de ternura felina.
Muchas gracias YenPress por el ARC que leí en NetGalley a cambio de una reseña honesta.
March 31, 2025
Definitely unique in terms of plot if not a bit confusing. The writing is solid in parts and deals with everything from self harm and grief to murder. I did find it a bit meandering and confused about what genre it wanted to be. One part murder mystery, one part drama club. Which could’ve blended together, but tended to distract from the main story. It reads more like a love letter to the art of drama with the murder plot line sprinkled in. Parts were just references to movies and long acting monologues or descriptions of monologues. And Covid being used as some kind of plot point was a bit weird. It fell apart in the third act for me. If you like time travel and introspective ghosts. You’ll probably like this. (Thanks to Netgalley and Yen Press for the arc)
April 28, 2025
Youichi Kamisuki became involved in a murder investigation when his next door neighbor was shot. Then when he looked into a cat's eyes and connected with a girl named Miri who could see the future he learned that this was only the first of many murders. The two work on figuring out who the murderer is while Youchi tries to find out about Miri and meet her in the flesh. All he need to do is figure out a way to change the future so she does not suffer her fated death. And of course solve the murder all while becoming a star in the drama club. An interesting and engaging tale of how the future and love are always in motion.
Thanks Netgalley and Yen Press for the chance to read this title!
Thanks Netgalley and Yen Press for the chance to read this title!
May 2, 2025
thanks to netgalley for the chance to read & review this arc! enjoyed it a lot more than i first thought i would <3
dual timelines, murder mystery, theatre vibes, star crossed lovers/time travel, fate!!
absolutely loved the folklore element that blended into the present day with yochi’s pov. some parts i felt were a bit overly fast paced but i didn’t mind! other times i felt that there was TOO much happening with the dual timelines, but also time travel stuff confuses me in general lmfaoo the imagery and writing were soso beautiful and had me deeply in my ✨feels✨ at times lol but this was a cute and emotional story with a whodunnit plot that worked really well with it:):)
finished this book wanting to have yochi and miri be my new best friends 😭🥹
dual timelines, murder mystery, theatre vibes, star crossed lovers/time travel, fate!!
absolutely loved the folklore element that blended into the present day with yochi’s pov. some parts i felt were a bit overly fast paced but i didn’t mind! other times i felt that there was TOO much happening with the dual timelines, but also time travel stuff confuses me in general lmfaoo the imagery and writing were soso beautiful and had me deeply in my ✨feels✨ at times lol but this was a cute and emotional story with a whodunnit plot that worked really well with it:):)
finished this book wanting to have yochi and miri be my new best friends 😭🥹
April 5, 2025
Miri Lives in the Cat's Eyes is a quick read with elements of time travel and a central murder mystery plot. I enjoyed it overall, but I felt that the pacing was a bit slow (especially when explaining theatre productions in great detail) and that some parts of the story were confusing. I was initially worried about the COVID setting, but I thought that this was a nice touch that provided a different perspective on the murder mystery genre. There were also a few lovely illustrations throughout that added to my enjoyment. Thank you NetGalley and Yen Press | Yen On for providing this e-ARC for an honest review.
April 23, 2025
This had a really interesting premise- a boy who sees the past, a girl who sees the future, and a killer stalking a theater group. Unfortunately at times it felt more like an outline of an idea than a fully fleshed out story. And then the mystery is solved in a way where the reader doesn’t have the chance to try to solve it along with the characters. It was an interesting setup, but needed more focus.
Thanks to netgalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to netgalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2025
Miri Lives in the Cat's Eye was a captivating and charming read! The story was unique, blending mystery and fantasy with a touch of whimsy. The characters were well-developed, and the plot kept me intrigued throughout. It’s a wonderfully imaginative book that I really enjoyed.
January 9, 2026
4.25
A little confusing, but it kept me gripped to the end. I will definitely be thinking about this one for a while despite the somewhat preposterous storyline. But then again, it's a fantasy dark academia, so what's reality got to do with that?! This was a fraught, but good time.
A little confusing, but it kept me gripped to the end. I will definitely be thinking about this one for a while despite the somewhat preposterous storyline. But then again, it's a fantasy dark academia, so what's reality got to do with that?! This was a fraught, but good time.
June 11, 2025
Una novel molto carina, con un espediente narrativo intrigante. Consigliata.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews