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tinypear's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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? Yes
4.5
“Well, I read that when you give a gift to someone who is striving to achieve their dreams, you have to give them the most cherished thing you have. Some days, that person who is chasing their dreams will not be able to find the strength to keep going. It will be bitter and painful, and they will have to weigh up their dreams and reality to make a choice. When that happens, the person gifted with the most precious thing will be able to fight on a little more. It apparently helps them to feel they are not alone. So, I'm giving you this book because I want you to fight for your dream.”
I found this instalment of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series to be the most heart-warming, heart-wrenching and immersive. Kawaguchi’s storytelling seemed to take a step up for this one, with the stories becoming a lot more in depth and layered.
I loved how this story took place in a different location, with different regulars (but still a few of our original cast), and how all of these new characters meshed together to create a web of new storylines and levels to each chapter. Kawaguchi’s storytelling and character building felt much stronger in this book and his style of writing seems to have evolved alongside this, which made this one a much more enjoyable read and made characters ten times more loveable for me. Once again, this book is separated by four chapters with four different main actors time travelling in the cafe, but this time I found myself gripped by all four stories pretty equally. My favourites have to be the last two chapters, The Sister and The Young Man. I thoroughly enjoyed how all of these stories revolved around death, human emotion and regret during our lifetime, and the implementation of Sachi and her little (well, quite big) book as a plot device.
Another point that stood out to me was the ending of this book. I have always found Kawaguchi’s books to end on a somewhat uplifting and happy note, however this book left me with whiplash through the final pages. I did not expect to read what I did on the last few pages, but this added to the impact of the book as a whole. The only reason I can’t rate this one 5 stars is because I didn’t feel an urge to finish this book too quickly. This book has been my definite favourite read out of the series and I hope Kawaguchi’s storytelling continues to be on this upward trajectory. ✨
I found this instalment of the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series to be the most heart-warming, heart-wrenching and immersive. Kawaguchi’s storytelling seemed to take a step up for this one, with the stories becoming a lot more in depth and layered.
I loved how this story took place in a different location, with different regulars (but still a few of our original cast), and how all of these new characters meshed together to create a web of new storylines and levels to each chapter. Kawaguchi’s storytelling and character building felt much stronger in this book and his style of writing seems to have evolved alongside this, which made this one a much more enjoyable read and made characters ten times more loveable for me. Once again, this book is separated by four chapters with four different main actors time travelling in the cafe, but this time I found myself gripped by all four stories pretty equally. My favourites have to be the last two chapters, The Sister and The Young Man. I thoroughly enjoyed how all of these stories revolved around death, human emotion and regret during our lifetime, and the implementation of Sachi and her little (well, quite big) book as a plot device.
Another point that stood out to me was the ending of this book. I have always found Kawaguchi’s books to end on a somewhat uplifting and happy note, however this book left me with whiplash through the final pages. I did not expect to read what I did on the last few pages, but this added to the impact of the book as a whole. The only reason I can’t rate this one 5 stars is because I didn’t feel an urge to finish this book too quickly. This book has been my definite favourite read out of the series and I hope Kawaguchi’s storytelling continues to be on this upward trajectory. ✨
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Medical content, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
amandaisok's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Mental illness
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Every time I read another installment of this series, I am left an absolute wreck. I love the way Toshikazu Kawaguchi's writing is so direct and straightforward, yet also manages to punch you in the gut with such visceral emotions.
I loved this book, I loved the messages (especially as someone who is perpetually unimpressed and angry) and I am so glad I listened to the audiobook on Everand <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Mental illness and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicide, Car accident, and Pregnancy
ciecyreads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I like the overall message but the story gets repetitive after awhile
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Grief
cnannery19's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
kenshi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Mental illness, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
pikkumarja's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
This third book in the series is hopeful, cute and emotional like the first two books. I did not feel as strong connection to the characters as before but nevertheless the stories were beautiful!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
bluelien's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
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
4.0
Even though I wanted to be consistent and give all the books in this series a 3.5 stars, I couldn't resist giving this one a higher rating. It had all the good elements the previous books had, but it also made me feel emotional at times, which warrants an extra 0.5 star. I was worried at first I wouldn't like the change in setting, but it was surprisingly fine and refreshing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent
_fathimanourin1234_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
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? N/A
4.5
This book actually made me so emotional like the other 2 books. The characters was so sweet. I felt their emotions. My Fav chapter was the last chapter named "The Young man".When Reiji gone back to the past to see Nanako and told her that she is going to be his wife in future. But at the end Nanako died. I really cried in that part. Because they deserves a better ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Grief
vaguelyredhead's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Terminal illness
Minor: Mental illness