Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

70 reviews

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

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

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

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

fabell6's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Infertility

Minor: Dementia

passionatereader78's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

I love the way the stories unfold. The beautiful writing. I enjoyed this book. This was filled with hope. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Car accident

Minor: Terminal illness and Suicidal thoughts

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

cartermon4's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness

Minor: Murder and Death