The Full Moon Coffee Shop

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.

Starred review from July 1, 2024
Five people find their lives changed by their encounters with the Full Moon Coffee Shop. T he shop appears and reappears on nights of a full moon and is staffed by giant, talking cats. While serving delicious coffee and decadent desserts, the cats read their customers' star horoscopes. Each chapter focuses on one of five people: a screenwriter and former teacher whose career has floundered as tastes have changed, a TV director who needs the courage to follow her own heart and desires, an actress who is undergoing a possible career-ending scandal, an IT-company founder who is frustrated by his bad luck lately, and finally, a hairdresser who is struggling to find joy in her career. After their dreamlike visits to the caf�, the f ive use the wisdom of stars to chart new courses in their lives. A best-seller in Japan already, this charming book is based on the belief that if you are nice to a cat, one day it will repay your kindness. This lovely, short read is perfect for book discussions, readers of feel-good fiction, and all those needing a redirection in their own lives. Highly recommended.

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