I went to a nearby café to get a coffee to write this review with. It felt appropriate. (A Spanish latte, if you're curious)

Overall, I loved this. The first chapter felt like it was the weakest, but then at the end, I saw how it tied in to the overall plot, so my thoughts on chapter 1 were adjusted.

I greatly enjoyed this. Kawaguchi does an excellent job describing the characters and scenes, which gives a wonderful mental image that really helps me visualize how things are laid out, who's who, what everyone looks like, etc., which I greatly appreciate as a very visually focused thinker.

My only gripe has to do with the translation. I looked up the translator, and he is Australian, which explains a few little quirks (not the things I was annoyed with though). There were a few parts where it felt a little bit muddled at times, and that's what annoyed me.

I grew rather fond of the characters as the book progressed. Even the mysterious lady in the dress had an interesting moment towards the end. I think I would consider Kazu my favourite character.

The plot is where the book absolutely shines. The official blurbs give you an idea of what you're getting into, but then when you're actually in the thick of it, everything clicks, and you realize that it's about so much more than just a quirky time travel situation.

Very mild spoilers follow regarding the overarching theme. I'm not going into details, but if you're reading this prior to reading the book, I'd suggest you stop here. It won't spoil anything technically, but I think it's more interesting to connect the dots on the theme on your own. You have been warned.

That said, the theme of grief and acceptance via a time travel plot is a fascinating way to tackle such a heavy theme. Kawaguchi handled such a delicate and heavy theme with grace, and made me cry. Absolutely wonderful.