Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

33 reviews

cozycactus's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

This is four short, interconnected stories. Although the translation leaves the writing feeling wanting, the overarching message is embedded in the story quite well.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death of parent, Mental illness, and Car accident

picaresquedreamer's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy and Grief

Minor: Car accident, Death, Abandonment, Mental illness, and Death of parent

roadesntoades's review against another edition

inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

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

3.75

It’s honestly a really good book but at times the stories felt too disjointed if that makes sense. Like there seemed to be some bigger through plot but it was always missing something to move that larger plot along. It is a really great casual read though and it’s a nice reflective book with no pressure to get to the end

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Medical content

tofuwater's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Dementia, Car accident, and Grief

stwriter92's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

I have been meaning to read this book for months (added it to my TBR last December!) and finally got my hands on it while on layover at Heathrow! 

The story centers on a small, windowless cafe in Tokyo that claims that it has the power of sending people back in time. However, there are some rules that each person must follow:

1. They must sit in a specific seat, which they cannot leave at any point.
2. They cannot change the past and anything they do will not change the present.
3. They can only meet people who have been to the cafe.
4. They MUST come back before their coffee gets cold.

The book itself is divided into four parts, each one focusing on a customer that travels through time for some reason. While the novel itself didn’t seem to be a lot of people’s cup of tea (going by the reviews), I still believe it was really good. It did not follow the usual western story telling structure. Instead, it gave us windows into the lives of each of the customers. At its core, it’s a story that shows that all of us crave connection. It displays the bittersweetness of life in the same way it serves its coffee: quietly, subtly, and with a tinge of magic.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dementia

Minor: Mental illness, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, and Pregnancy

aleilvandrea's review against another edition

emotional inspiring lighthearted sad fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Dementia, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness

jackiie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Sexism, Grief, and Misogyny

Moderate: Car accident and Pregnancy

sk_09's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.75

It was my first time reading a Japanese book, and I found this one really comforting. The vibe of the cafe was described well. The pace was a bit slow, but as you become invested in the characters and their life stories it becomes more interesting. I especially loved the last two stories instead of the first two. The language was a bit too simple, I guess it's because of the translation, but it served it's didactic purpose. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Death

timeforproblems's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Grief

Minor: Abortion, Car accident, and Miscarriage

esalan's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Chronic illness, Pregnancy, Car accident, Dementia, Grief, and Mental illness