Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

145 reviews

bluelien's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing 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? Yes

3.5

This book reminded me of why I picked up the first one. I've always been a fan of observing the way others live their lives, which is why "before the coffee gets cold" appealed to me. What's more fun than observing the customers in a coffee shop? So many people, so many lives. Since this isn't your typical cafe, I was immersed in its ins and outs and forgot my original goal. This second book gave me what I was looking for in the first place, now that I'm familiar with the staff and the workings of the cafe, I could comfortably focus on the patrons. To put it briefly, I found this an enjoyable read. There were a lot of life lessons to pick on, but if there's one thing that will stay with me, it's that we should strive to live a life with no regrets. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Death

Minor: Child death

julierambaeck's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This series is lovely, although the books are almost the same. Nothing new really happened in this book, it was just a new set of characters that visited the café. The critiques I have heard about this series is that it is very repetitive - and I 100% agree. I do also get the characters mixed up, because I try to remember if they were in the previous book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Death of parent

Moderate: Death, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

alainajreads's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Overall, this was a solid follow-up to Before the Coffee Gets Cold, set about 7 years after the original, and I enjoyed the reoccurring characters and that we got to learn more of Kazu’s backstory. I love the atmospheric setting of the Café Funiculi Funicula, and seeing it through the seasons, in each story as a new person travels to the past. Three of the four stories involve someone returning to visit a deceased loved one, and the messages of some of the stories felt a little on-the-nose but still hit hard emotionally. Though formulaic, these stories always touch me and I feel better for having read them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Miscarriage

Minor: Pregnancy and Cancer

m_a_j's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Cancer

Minor: Pregnancy

lizbeththesimp's review against another edition

emotional inspiring relaxing 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Car accident, Miscarriage, Death, and Death of parent

seubecca's review

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Cancer, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

diana_raquel's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Death, Grief, and Death of parent

saphfics's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Pretty similar to the first book. Every story is centered around someone's dead seemingly which can make it feel redundant. However I think the ending of this does feel like a full circle moment 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, and Death of parent

katiewhocanread's review

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

kukazashi's review

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Death, Terminal illness, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

Minor: Injury/Injury detail