Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

64 reviews

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

cutepatzie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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

5.0

I recently lost my mom so this book gives me a lot of hope and reflection on myself. I really appreciate the book that gives everyone some kind of closure. And the part about losing a baby and the happiness that left. And the change of the perspective for all the characters, and letting them be happy. Really helped me in my own dark and cold winter. Amazing book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, Grief, and Death

mamaewalk's review against another edition

emotional reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts

twister's review

emotional hopeful 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Terminal illness, Cancer, Death, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy

mybestfriendsarefictional's review

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This was such a Sunday read - perfect little bitesized chunks to read over the day.

I enjoyed this one more than the first one. Maybe because I knew the backstory?  

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Cancer

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.75

This did not resonate with me as hard as the first book of the series. It did explain more of the system behind the magic and I thought that it was well thought out. There are some wonderful quotes to keep in mind when regarding relationships that still exist in the present. 
This book primarily takes place after the events of the first book with glimpses to earlier moments. We get to see who the ghost is by way of someone returning 30 years to the past. In that chapter we learn three rules for those who pour the coffee

they must be female and of a specific line, they must be at least seven years old, and one more. They will lose the ability to take someone to the past once they have become pregnant with a girl, as the power will leave the mother for the baby.

I do wish the reveal had come earlier but we also had last-chapter reveals in the first book so that may be a stylistic choice.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Cancer, and Terminal illness

Minor: Pregnancy and Murder

readingsponsoredbybts's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective 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

4.25

i cried he crew we crode

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, and Death