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

emotional reflective sad

4.0

This is another short story collection that I wished I had spread out over a few days.  The intro and rules became a bit repetitive  when reading them all in one sitting.  That being said, I found this collection more impactful and emotional than The Kamogawa Food Detectives.  With a little bit of backstory into each tea drinker's history and reasoning for wanting to travel back in time, it really made each character feel real and like actions in the world had consequences.  Maybe not in the present, but I think the overall message of each story could be interrupted differently depending on the reader.

I did like that the first story eases you into the concept before the stories start to break your heart.  You're introduced into the world and the rules. Following the first characters debat on whether not it would be worth it based on the rules.  Again, it really helped flesh out the world/magic, and surprising in less than 300 pages.

The Husband and Wife story was my favourite, followed closely by The Sisters.

If you're in a good mental space and can handle the content covered (see content warnings), then I think this would be a great collection to space over time.  I really hope to continue the series soon, but take more time with the book.
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