YMMV / Cat's Cradle

• Hilarious in Hindsight: The ditzy and ice-powered Touhou Project character Cirno (who likes to use her powers to freeze frogs) is memetically associated with the number nine, though not because of the story.
• It Was His Sled: Everyone likes to point out first and foremost that this is an apocalypse story. Even book covers of some printings state that the story involves global destruction along with Ice-Nine.
• Tear Jerker: Mona's death.
• Values Dissonance: The word "midget" wasn't considered offensive at the time, so be prepared to cringe a fair bit whenever Newt comes up.
  • John outright rapes Mona near the end. Neither are particularly bothered by it (Mona just doesn't want to risk bringing a child into a world that's in its death throes).