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A review by happea
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
reflective
medium-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? It's complicated
2.25
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is a quaint café novel that examines the essence of human relationships under the scope of time travel. It captures a mood of spiritual tranquility combined with supernatural elements, all in a cohesive storyline of characters who independently reconcile with the drawbacks of life.
This was one of the first trendy books I'd taken a chance at reading because I was attracted to the melancholic ambiance. If I'm being forthright about it, I found the experience bland. Translational inconsistencies could be a factor, but overall I found the structure of each chapter repetitive. The descriptions of minute behaviours consisted of language that felt monotonous and rudimentary. Moreover, any storyline predicament would be followed with a trifling explanation that just seemed like an idle fix on the author's part.
I enjoyed the rules that were implemented (the first time they were brought up) because it confined the motive of time travel to humanity rather than personal exploitation. Many points were left unanswered in the end such as why Kazu had the ability to interact with the ghost or how the power was passed down to Miki (Kei's daughter). I also wish that we'd been able to witness a character breaking the rules and turning into a ghost for climatic effect.
Overall, like a cup of coffee, the innovative idea roused my interest on the many possible ways it could be approached. By the end, the structure and writing style left me weary and bitter of continuing the series.
This was one of the first trendy books I'd taken a chance at reading because I was attracted to the melancholic ambiance. If I'm being forthright about it, I found the experience bland. Translational inconsistencies could be a factor, but overall I found the structure of each chapter repetitive. The descriptions of minute behaviours consisted of language that felt monotonous and rudimentary. Moreover, any storyline predicament would be followed with a trifling explanation that just seemed like an idle fix on the author's part.
I enjoyed the rules that were implemented (the first time they were brought up) because it confined the motive of time travel to humanity rather than personal exploitation. Many points were left unanswered in the end such as
Overall, like a cup of coffee, the innovative idea roused my interest on the many possible ways it could be approached. By the end, the structure and writing style left me weary and bitter of continuing the series.