The only reason I read the second installment of Before The Coffee Gets Cold is my curiosity about the resident ghost in the cafe.
In the seat that takes you back to the past is a woman in a white dress. She had gone to the past to meet her dead husband and failed to return to the present. If you try to forcefully remove her from the seat, she curses you. You can only occupy the seat when she leaves the seat to use the toilet once a day. Yes, this ghost uses the toilet!!
While I did find out the identity of the ghost, it was just a few short sentences. The author did not explain why she failed to return. The reader is left to assume that she lost track of time and her coffee went cold.
I will not go into detail what the theme of the book is about. You can check out my review of the first book here.
The second book has the same flaws as the first book, excruciating repetitive details of clothes, appearances and re-introduction of characters, with permanent thought bubbles above their heads.
The method would have worked better with a play than a novel. The actors could step up to the front of the stage and whisper their thoughts to the audience.
Related topic:
Book Review: Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
