Starred review from June 17, 2024
Mochizuki dazzles in her beautifully crafted contemporary fantasy debut. Washed up television writer Mizuki Serikawa now pens scripts for supporting characters in a video game dating sim but she’s hoping her last ditch pitch to director Akari Nakayama will result in a better gig. After Akari lets her know the production company’s executives have passed, Mizuki is totally adrift—until two odd-looking strangers invite her to “The Full Moon Coffee Shop.” This turns out to be a very unusual cat café staffed by feline astrologers who pick out celestial desserts like Lunar Chocolate Fondant, Planetary Affogato, and Astral Syrup to aid their customers in their quests for self-knowledge. The coffee shop appears to several other Kyoto residents facing unexpected troubles in their personal and professional lives: director Akari, who’s struggling against an unexpected attraction; actor Satsuki Ayukawa, whose career tanked after her affair with a married costar; hairdresser Megumi Hayakawa, who isn’t satisfied in what she thought was her dream career; and IT startup founder Takashi Mizumoto, who is plagued with inexplicable tech trouble. The stories of all five characters subtly but cleverly intersect, pointing to an act of kindness in their pasts that gets mystically mirrored back to them in the present. Just as sweet and satisfying as the scrumptious desserts served at the eponymous café, this gentle fantasy is not to be missed.
December 6, 2024
Best-selling Japanese author Mochizuki stepped away from writing manga to pen this charming novel that is steeped in magical realism, talking cats, astrology, and second chances. Customers of the Full Moon Coffee Shop get more than just a coffee or a stack of pancakes in the moonlight--their star charts are interpreted by the loving cat baristas, and they leave with a renewed sense of purpose and a plan to tackle their future. In this tale told through multiple perspectives, the coffee shop is visited by a has-been screenwriter, a movie director, a stylist, and a web designer, who are all at different stages of life. These people and storylines all come together toward the end of the book, and readers will delight in the way their paths merge. Narrated by Sadao Ueda, Tomoko Komura, and Yuriri Naka, this translation is marvelously performed for English listeners. Two of the three narrators have pronounced Japanese accents, which lends to the work's authenticity and helps build the scene. Having multiple narrators also helps differentiate among the three different storylines. VERDICT This quick read is the first in a series, and readers will be eagerly waiting for the other books to be translated. Heartwarming and unusual, this is magical realism at its finest.--Erin Cataldi
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