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

mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The book is set in a coffee shop in Japan where there’s rumours that you can travel to the past- or future - if you sit in one specific chair and get served up a coffee. This comes with its rules of course, you can’t move from the seat when you travel back or forward in time, you can only travel back to a day where the person you want to visit was in the cafe, nothing you say or do can change the outcomes in the future and the most important rule- you must finish the coffee you get served before it gets cold to return back to the present. 

We follow the stories of a few frequent visitors of the cafe, and some who work there as we learn about their lives and the reasons they wish to travel back or forward in time. It’s a story of frustrations, hopes, heartbreak, light and a little bit of magic. I found the concept really intriguing and I was excited to learn the author had written more books following on from this one.  It makes you question what you yourself would do given the opportunity to travel in time. 

At times I found phrasing or expressions within the text after the translation from Japanese to English a little hard to follow but overall it was a very easy read that leaves you wanting more. 
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