Before the Coffee Gets Cold
A quiet, bittersweet time-travel tale with heartwarming moments but uneven pacing keeps it from greatness.
Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi & Geoffrey Trousselot (Translator)
I finally picked up Before the Coffee Gets Cold, my next-in-line on my reading list, as it was gifted to me by
! đSo, the book is based in a little Tokyo cafĂ© where you can time travel but only under super-specific rules. I went in expecting something cozy and a little magical and that's pretty much what I got. The book feels like itâs meant to be read with a warm drink in hand, maybe on a rainy day, just vibing. Itâs quiet, slow and kind of emotionally gentle but also kind of emotionally distant, if that makes sense?
There are four main stories here, all tied to different customers visiting this mysterious cafĂ© with hopes of reconnecting with someone from their past. Some of these really hit home, especially the one about the woman trying to say goodbye to her husband with Alzheimer's. That one kind of crushed me. But other stories didnât quite land the same way though. They felt a little formulaic and the emotions didnât always feel earned. Also, the rules of time travel are explained a lot, to the point where it gets repetitive.
The writing itself is a mixed bag. The ideas are thoughtful but the translation feels stiff sometimes. Like, the characters would say something super emotional but it wouldnât hit as hard because the dialogue just didnât flow naturally.
I think this book works best as a quiet little story that makes you think about what you'd say if you could have one more conversation with someone from your past. Itâs sweet in that way. But it also drags in parts and the emotional payoff doesnât always feel consistent. For me, it was decent but not mind-blowing.
Smash Hit Score: 3/5
