Reviews

Surprisingly down on the book for a 4 star rating because while I liked it a bunch, it felt a little more ephemeral than I expected. The concept is great—love some light magical realism, clever time travel, stories about the impossibility of outrunning a past, things of that nature—but I left most of the stories wanting. The revelations and emotions were glancing more than devastating. There’s a gear I would have liked to see that was missing. Was I moved? At times, but it felt like we settled on whimsy when wonder was right there.

lenachiara's review against another edition

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mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

css13's review against another edition

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3.0

very average. mid, as the kids would say.

milicavujovic's review against another edition

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2.0

I expected this book to be far more interesting, but the plot was mundane and the entire time I waited for something to happen. The characters are not very likeable and everything happens inside of the cafe. The book has potential but I feel like it could’ve been much better. Overall it was okay, but I wouldn’t really recommend it to a friend.

sachavanhelly's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

this book was an interesting read for me. initially i was drawn in by the idea of a time travelling cafe (of course i was i mean that’s sick isn’t it) but when i began reading i found it hard to connect with the characters as the first 1/4 didn’t seem personal but as each segment of the book came i found that they all linked up and facts i had previously overlooked became important. though i initially found this book hard, i realised not only was this beautiful in the sense that the writer had connected the chapters so gently and perfectly, but also that i got to acknowledge what i had overlooked. i was made to see what i had dismissed and i was shown how big and gorgeous each story truely was, and that through each quarter not only was a new story introduced but i was also creating a connection with previous chapters. this book is hard to explain in a black and white, good or bad spectrum but I am glad i read it, it was hard to stay motivated some times but in the end it was worth it

madonnawithoutchild's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.25

The idea is great, but I didn't love the implementation. I see it working as a play though! But the adaptation to a short story format feels somewhat incomplete, so that the writing is stuck between descriptive and plot/action-oriented play and a "real" short story/novel style with more insight into the characters' toughts and feelings. I found it hard to care for the protagonists and only felt emotional reading the last story. Also there was way too much commenting on the female protagonists' looks for my liking.
The slow pace and repetitiveness made me kind of wish it would finally end. Maybe I just expected too much considering the hype it got on the internet and my friends' recommendation. I tried to like it, but it just isn't for me.

reangelic's review against another edition

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3.0

This book was a really light, emotional, and nice read that I finished overnight. The writing style was well and the storytelling and cafe description were really wholesome and nice. The only thing to comment about it which is completely personal is that it was hard for me to memorize the names since it’s a Japanese novel but I got used to them eventually. I loved this book so much and would recommend it if you’re looking for a warm, nice book.

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