by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
A Fantasy, 2015 by Picador, 213 Pages
What I Didn’t Like:
- Some repetition of ideas or phrases. Some of this can be because of the translation.
- That final time travel was very predictable. It didn’t ruin the story but it was underwhelming.
- The author sort of beats you over the head with the theme at the end of the story. You had a great story with rich development and solid themes. You didn’t have to recap the themes. We got it.
What I Did Like:
- Rich character development. You get the immediate feeling that every single one of these characters is someone with a real and powerful backstory, even if it’s not part of the story itself.
- The rules governing the time travel are well established and fun. They seem ridiculous on the surface, but that’s the best part! It’s fun to imagine whether the rules were designed on purpose or whether the cafe owners discovered them by accident over the years.
- When you first hear the rules you wonder why anyone would agree to this. It’s even the question asked by reporters. But where this story shines in the way it shows you exactly who would do it and why it can still be beneficial.
Who Should Read This One:
- Fans of time travel stories. This one has great rules and good lessons.
- Fans of great characters, big lessons, and strong relationships.
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