Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

14 reviews

kyriannaj's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I think a lot was lost in translation when it comes to the emotional pull of this book. The plot beats were emotional, but the writing and words used were very blunt and to the point. The world building around time travel was incredibly well done and drew me in. Although this is commonly talked about like a short story collection, it’s much more a novel with recurring characters, a singular setting, and plot points building on one another throughout. Apparently the author first wrote this as a play, and thinking about it like that makes perfect sense.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia and Grief

Moderate: Chronic illness, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Death, Medical content, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

martzi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

_al's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Sometimes the book has everything you like and it just doesn't hit, like this one for me. I adore time travel, love short stories, and love love when book character-driven. But this one in a little more than 200 pages was so difficult to get through for me. Closer to the end I found out this was a play originally and I think I would enjoy it more on stage.
But like this i didnt a good time in the slightest and I'm not sure it was because of translation or author's style or me not just vibing with it.
2.6 stars for last story and very interesting concept of time travel and its rules. I think I will try one more book with different translator to get it but I don't think I will continue with whole series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Dementia, and Grief

Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

koplomps's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Car accident, and Pregnancy

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

nick_thebucket's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I'm sure everyone hates the rule about not being able to change the future, but I think it's actually what makes this such a good depiction of grief.

I'm grieving someone right now; and it's hard. There is so much I would give to go back and to be able to at least say a proper goodbye, to let them know once more how much they meant to me, even if I never get to see them again. I think a lot of people forget how important closure is because they're so focused on what they lost. Like yes, I would much rather have them back in my life, but that's not how the world works, so at the very least I want to be able to make peace with my goodbye. 

The book is really just a reminder to tell your loved ones how you feel, even if it's difficult or awkward and to say what you really mean, before it's too late.

I think the way so many of the people who time travel get choked up is pretty annoying and frustrating, but it's accurate. When the moment finally arrives, when you can finally let the words you've been dying to say out, your emotions clog your throat. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

erisouls's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Loved this book but the blurb on the front is misleading. The whole shtick is that you can’t change anything by sitting in the chair. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia and Grief

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

singalana's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book broke my heart. I didn't expect to feel so deeply and find philosophical meaning in this work. In Tokyo, there's a café that can allow you to travel in time to meet someone who has visited that café, but you only have time until the coffee gets cold. At first, I wasn't sure whether I was going to like it or not. In the beginning of the book we get to know how the process of going back works, and I was sceptical whether it will be executed believably. 

In this book, we follow four different storylines. Even though all of them were touching in their own way, the second one was really heartbreaking, and made me bawl my eyes out. 

The book still feels like it sort of keeps the reader at an arm's length, something I find that many japanese authors do, it manages to pack a punch, and make the reader ponder on philosophical questions. It does that by gently leading the reader to think on their own. 

If the purpose of art is to make people feel something, then this book certainly delivers. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Dementia, Car accident, and Death of parent

Minor: Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

gabriella_'s review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

But Kazu still goes on believing that, no matter what difficulties people face, they will always have the strength to overcome them. It just takes heart. And if the chair can change someone’s heart, it clearly has its purpose.

I like the plot points throughout and felt the world building intriguing. The magical realism elements had a way of grounding the reader while still giving you a bit of whimsy and imagination. I would’ve liked more characterization, but maybe the sequels develop the characters more? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence and Abortion

cristinareading's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia

Moderate: Death, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury