A review by stwriter92
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have been meaning to read this book for months (added it to my TBR last December!) and finally got my hands on it while on layover at Heathrow! 

The story centers on a small, windowless cafe in Tokyo that claims that it has the power of sending people back in time. However, there are some rules that each person must follow:
  1. They must sit in a specific seat, which they cannot leave at any point.
  2. They cannot change the past and anything they do will not change the present.
  3. They can only meet people who have been to the cafe.
  4. They MUST come back before their coffee gets cold.

The book itself is divided into four parts, each one focusing on a customer that travels through time for some reason. While the novel itself didn’t seem to be a lot of people’s cup of tea (going by the reviews), I still believe it was really good. It did not follow the usual western story telling structure. Instead, it gave us windows into the lives of each of the customers. At its core, it’s a story that shows that all of us crave connection. It displays the bittersweetness of life in the same way it serves its coffee: quietly, subtly, and with a tinge of magic.
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