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bookwyrm_lark's review against another edition
5.0
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
I absolutely loved Gwen Cooper’s first novel, Love Saves the Day. To be honest, when I read that one of the main characters was a cat, I was expecting something cute or overly sweet, but this book is neither. It’s warm and down-to-earth and sometimes heart-wrenching, and the characters, even Prudence the cat – no, especially Prudence – are completely real and believable.
The narrative jumps back and forth between three points of view and almost thirty years of living. Prudence and Sarah tell their stories in their own words, while the sections about Laura – arguably the main character – are told in third person limited. Prudence’s voice is perfect (I’m tempted to say “purrfect”.) Cooper has captured exactly how I imagine a cat would think and talk, if they could. That’s probably not surprising, given that her first book was Homer’s Odyssey, the story of her blind cat. (I reviewed it here.)
Sarah’s narration partway through the book came as a surprise, because you realize quite quickly that Sarah is dead; how Prudence and Laura deal with her death are two of the central elements of the book. But Sarah narrates not in the present, as a ghost, but from the past, which works surprisingly well. The sections focusing on Laura are equally well-written, and the third-person viewpoint emphasizes the distance Laura kept between herself and Sarah, and then Prudence.
The secondary characters are just as believable, though not as thoroughly fleshed out as Prudence, Laura, and Sarah. I really liked Laura’s husband Josh, who is a good partner for her. Their marriage is strong, but not idyllic; they argue realistically, and his job loss and her long hours take a noticeable toll. Free-spirited rocker Anise, Sarah’s best friend, appears in person only toward the end, but she’s a significant presence in both Sarah and Prudence’s memories.
It’s not just the characters that are well-drawn. Cooper expertly evokes New York, particularly the Lower East Side, Laura’s childhood home. Reading the book, the sights, sounds, and even smells of the city came alive. They provide a vivid backdrop to the novel’s theme of grief, anger, love, and healing.
I loved the time I spent with Prudence, Sarah, and Laura. Love Saves the Day is a keeper.
FCC disclosure: I won a review copy through Goodreads.
Read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.
I absolutely loved Gwen Cooper’s first novel, Love Saves the Day. To be honest, when I read that one of the main characters was a cat, I was expecting something cute or overly sweet, but this book is neither. It’s warm and down-to-earth and sometimes heart-wrenching, and the characters, even Prudence the cat – no, especially Prudence – are completely real and believable.
The narrative jumps back and forth between three points of view and almost thirty years of living. Prudence and Sarah tell their stories in their own words, while the sections about Laura – arguably the main character – are told in third person limited. Prudence’s voice is perfect (I’m tempted to say “purrfect”.) Cooper has captured exactly how I imagine a cat would think and talk, if they could. That’s probably not surprising, given that her first book was Homer’s Odyssey, the story of her blind cat. (I reviewed it here.)
Sarah’s narration partway through the book came as a surprise, because you realize quite quickly that Sarah is dead; how Prudence and Laura deal with her death are two of the central elements of the book. But Sarah narrates not in the present, as a ghost, but from the past, which works surprisingly well. The sections focusing on Laura are equally well-written, and the third-person viewpoint emphasizes the distance Laura kept between herself and Sarah, and then Prudence.
The secondary characters are just as believable, though not as thoroughly fleshed out as Prudence, Laura, and Sarah. I really liked Laura’s husband Josh, who is a good partner for her. Their marriage is strong, but not idyllic; they argue realistically, and his job loss and her long hours take a noticeable toll. Free-spirited rocker Anise, Sarah’s best friend, appears in person only toward the end, but she’s a significant presence in both Sarah and Prudence’s memories.
It’s not just the characters that are well-drawn. Cooper expertly evokes New York, particularly the Lower East Side, Laura’s childhood home. Reading the book, the sights, sounds, and even smells of the city came alive. They provide a vivid backdrop to the novel’s theme of grief, anger, love, and healing.
I loved the time I spent with Prudence, Sarah, and Laura. Love Saves the Day is a keeper.
FCC disclosure: I won a review copy through Goodreads.
Read more of my reviews at The Bookwyrm’s Hoard.
mtequia87's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this book. It was very interesting to read a book from the perspective of a cat. Now that I have a cat, I can totally understand why Prudence acted the was she acted. It had it's happy times, it's sad times. I must say though, this is not a books for everyone. It's more of a book for animal people.
nataratatata's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
wrapmeupinplastic's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
patsaintsfan's review against another edition
2.0
Prudence the cat is what gets this book it's two stars!
biblioholicbeth's review against another edition
3.0
This review is a little different for me to write, since I loved part of the book and disliked another. The story itself ended up being more about the power of family and of love than about the actual cat, Prudence. However several of the chapters were narrated by here. This is where I had some issues.
Prudence's narration left a bit to be desired in some places. Particularly in the beginning, it felt like she was speaking in an overly simplified voice, similar to how an adult talking to a 5-year-old might speak. It was, to say the least, highly aggravating. It's hard for suspension of disbelief to take effect when there is so much irritation. I can't imagine how difficult it could be to successfully write in the "voice" of an animal, and I will say that I feel like Prudence's narration improved as time went on.
The story itself, honestly, left me in tears at the end. Family is universal, and it doesn't matter who that family is made up of. Blood doesn't necessarily define family, and, as I'm sure many would agree, neither does species.
I was surprised, after the rough start, that I would end up enjoying the story. Maybe it helps that I have my own 2 (male) versions of Prudence - one of whom even has white socks.
Prudence's narration left a bit to be desired in some places. Particularly in the beginning, it felt like she was speaking in an overly simplified voice, similar to how an adult talking to a 5-year-old might speak. It was, to say the least, highly aggravating. It's hard for suspension of disbelief to take effect when there is so much irritation. I can't imagine how difficult it could be to successfully write in the "voice" of an animal, and I will say that I feel like Prudence's narration improved as time went on.
The story itself, honestly, left me in tears at the end. Family is universal, and it doesn't matter who that family is made up of. Blood doesn't necessarily define family, and, as I'm sure many would agree, neither does species.
I was surprised, after the rough start, that I would end up enjoying the story. Maybe it helps that I have my own 2 (male) versions of Prudence - one of whom even has white socks.
mholles's review against another edition
4.0
Make sure you have tissues handy for this sad story. Told from the point of view of Prudence the cat. We feel her confusion when her owner doesn't come home and her move to the daughter's house. We feel her fear when she gets sick. And feel her contentment when she grows close to the daughter and her husband and becomes a part of thier lives.
bosoxamy's review against another edition
5.0
Have your tissues handy! http://bosoxamysbooks.blogspot.com/2013/01/book-3-love-saves-day-by-gwen-cooper_21.html
imalwayswrite's review against another edition
1.0
Couldn't finish it. The story moves so slowly, and not only that, most of the chapters are narrated by a cat. It's cute for about one chapter. Then I couldn't take it anymore.