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A review by eva_k
Tales from the Café by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Much like the first book, Tales from the Café continues to have the unique capability of giving you the same warm and cozy feeling as a warm cup of coffee. Specifically, a warm cup of coffee that makes you cry and helps you learn how to be happy.
I especially loved the use of the seasons in this novel, I felt like the gradual changing of seasons in each story perfectly accented the mood that was supposed to be carried across to the reader. And, while the stories themselves were pretty similar to those in the first book, Kawaguchi still found beautiful ways to make them interesting and just as touching (if not more, since I feel like I could personally relate to some of these stories more than those in the first novel). I also loved that Kawaguchi made the effort to further the development of Nagare and especially Kazu's characters; it absolutely warmed my heart to see Nagare interacting with his daughter and finally having a glimpse into both Kazu's life outside of the café and her internal struggles truly made this book worth reading.
I especially loved the use of the seasons in this novel, I felt like the gradual changing of seasons in each story perfectly accented the mood that was supposed to be carried across to the reader. And, while the stories themselves were pretty similar to those in the first book, Kawaguchi still found beautiful ways to make them interesting and just as touching (if not more, since I feel like I could personally relate to some of these stories more than those in the first novel). I also loved that Kawaguchi made the effort to further the development of Nagare and especially Kazu's characters; it absolutely warmed my heart to see Nagare interacting with his daughter and finally having a glimpse into both Kazu's life outside of the café and her internal struggles truly made this book worth reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Death of parent