A review by snipinfool
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

A small underground coffee shop in Tokyo had a rumored ability to allow patrons to travel in time. The cafe had many people visit in hopes of attempting to go to a specific time, but once they realized the specific requirements of the trip, few made the choice to give it a try. The rules, while simple, were very specific. One, the person had to sit in a certain seat. That seat was rarely vacant. Two, once you went to your intended point in time, you could not leave your seat or you would return to the present. Third, the visit lasted as long as it took to drink a cup of coffee. The time traveler had to finish the coffee before it grew cold or there was a penalty. Four, the person they wanted to see had to be in the café at the specific time they wanted to go to or they risked not seeing them on the trip. Finally, the traveler could not change the present by returning back in time. One summer, four people made the decision to take a turn in the special seat and go to a specific point in time. 

This was a quick read. I liked the premise of people taking a brief trip in time to an important point in their life. Most of the stories tugged at your heart. I wished the stories were longer as we learned very little about most of the people outside of what happened in the café. I can see this being expanded and made into a movie. The book was originally written as a play in 2010 and later published as a novel. I think it works better as a play, but I did enjoy the short stores of each time traveler.
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