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A review by kelly_e
Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.25
Title: Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Café
Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Series: コーヒーが冷めないうちに #2
Genre: Magical Realism
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: September 17, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Quirky • Reflective • Emotional
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Welcome back to Funiculi Funicula Café in Tokyo. A place which has been serving coffee for more than a hundred years. But this coffee shop is a little different, offering its customers the opportunity to travel back in time. The opportunity doesn't come without risks, and some rules, most notedly that they must return before the coffee gets cold.
In Before the Coffee Gets Told: Tales from the Café four new customers: a man who goes back to see his best friend; a song who was unable to attend his mother's funeral; a man who travels to see a girl he could not marry, and a detective who never gave his wife a certain gift.
💭 T H O U G H T S
In this second installment, I had the pleasure of being introduced to four new characters and their stories for wanting to travel in time. I was more prepared for the structure this time around, which helped me enjoy this one better than the first. Still overly repetitive, I felt like I connected a bit more with the characters and their individual vignettes.
A nice escape from reality, I'm looking forward to the upcoming release just to see where the author goes next. Because I love the concept so much, it's easy to put aside the less than stellar execution. And it's no surprise that I am a huge fan of books that make me reflect on what I would change if I could travel back in time.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers that liked
• time travel trope fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"There is no greater suffering than that of a parent who is unable to save their own child who wants to die."
"Seasons flow in a cycle. Life too, passes through difficult winters. But after any winter, spring will follow."
Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Series: コーヒーが冷めないうちに #2
Genre: Magical Realism
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: September 17, 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Quirky • Reflective • Emotional
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Welcome back to Funiculi Funicula Café in Tokyo. A place which has been serving coffee for more than a hundred years. But this coffee shop is a little different, offering its customers the opportunity to travel back in time. The opportunity doesn't come without risks, and some rules, most notedly that they must return before the coffee gets cold.
In Before the Coffee Gets Told: Tales from the Café four new customers: a man who goes back to see his best friend; a song who was unable to attend his mother's funeral; a man who travels to see a girl he could not marry, and a detective who never gave his wife a certain gift.
💭 T H O U G H T S
In this second installment, I had the pleasure of being introduced to four new characters and their stories for wanting to travel in time. I was more prepared for the structure this time around, which helped me enjoy this one better than the first. Still overly repetitive, I felt like I connected a bit more with the characters and their individual vignettes.
A nice escape from reality, I'm looking forward to the upcoming release just to see where the author goes next. Because I love the concept so much, it's easy to put aside the less than stellar execution. And it's no surprise that I am a huge fan of books that make me reflect on what I would change if I could travel back in time.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• readers that liked
• time travel trope fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"There is no greater suffering than that of a parent who is unable to save their own child who wants to die."
"Seasons flow in a cycle. Life too, passes through difficult winters. But after any winter, spring will follow."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Cancer, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Miscarriage