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

hopeful inspiring sad

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

4.0

Overall Rating: 4⭐️

Format: hardback

Favourite Quote: "At the end of the day, whether one returns to the past or travels to the future, the present does not change. So it raises the question: just what is the point of that chair? But Kazu still goes on believing that, no matter what difficulties people face, they will always have the strength to overcome them. It just takes heart. And if the chair can change someone's heart, it clearly has its purpose."

Tropes: time travel, loss of loved one, thought provoking, multiple pov, translated story

The first story in this book is about a woman who wants to confront a man who left them. This story didn’t really capture me that much, I didn’t see her need to travel back into time when she could in the present action her issue, I guess it was her pride so knowing the past helped her decide what to do when she returned to the present but I didn’t think it was a strong start. I was desperate to know what she did if she went after him to America!!

Then part 2 the husband and wife, I cried hard, I re read it and cried again, beautifully written and the letter had me so emotional for them both, I really liked how in the past he knew what was happening and the connection they were able to have before returning to the present it was incredible!

The sisters story again was interesting and added more perspective to the story as a whole because it really emphasises the note that you can’t change the past no matter how much you might want to, I felt sorry for the sisters but it did awaken the idea that time is precious as it moments in time itself. What intrigues me in this part is only one of the staff interacts with the ghost. 

The girl who arrived took me by surprise but then the final chapter, surprise I cried again. It was such a clever thought out book and it must have been Goro in the cafe right? Rightttt? 

This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions, at times it was hard to keep track of all of the characters and I appreciated the relationships map at the start to refer back to. 

Head over to my Goodreads for the full review! Xx (Link in Bio) 

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