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

emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective 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

𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮

𝙱𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚎 𝙶𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝙲𝚘𝚕𝚍, written by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and translated to English by Geoffrey Trousselot, was a heartwarming and equally heartbreaking novel.
 
In a back alley in Tokyo, there's a cafe called Funiculi Funicula that has served coffee for more than a century. What makes this little cafe special, though, is the urban legend that it is known for. The cafe is believed to offer its customers a chance to travel back in time.
 
The short novel was divided into four chapters. Each part was magical, quirky, and mysterious. And by the first chapter, I had fallen in love with the book.
 
There are many different reasons why I loved this book. First and foremost, there is the plot. Simple and maybe not so special to some, I found it perfect. To me, it was perfectly paced, and it makes you keep wondering what will happen next. How the book was narrated is another reason. Some reviews say that the writing felt repetitive, and I quite agree. But what makes it tolerable is how Arina Ii executed the narration of the audiobook version.
 
Additionally, I loved the characters and the little details each one had. Their characteristics and individual descriptions made them who they were. And the final reason is rather simple: I loved that it made me cry. I empathize with the characters' regrets and shortcomings. I also felt their love for their partners, sister, and child. And right after finishing, I wanted to hug them all.
 
Overall, this was such a great book. I regret not reading this sooner. For those who are looking for a heartwarming book that could be read this weekend and that will also squeeze your heart and make you think someone is cutting onions, I highly recommend checking this out.

📚 | 42
⭐ | 5

•••

My Rating System

5 🌟 - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 ⭐ - I loved it
3 ⭐ - I liked it 
2 ⭐ - It was okay
1 ⭐ - I hated it but decided to  not dnf
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