Take a photo of a barcode or cover
sashajwolf 's review for:
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
dark
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read this for a challenge and was looking forward to discovering a genre that is new to me. Unfortunately, I didn't like the style very much. It felt dry and unemotional. I'm not sure how much of that is down to the translation, but the overall effect detracted from the "healing" aspect, which only seemed to come into play in the last sentence or two of each story. There was also a lot of telling rather than showing, and there are a couple of odd breaks in POV. Both of these issues contributed to making me feel distant from the narrative.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abortion