The Full Moon Coffee Shop

In Japan, cats are a symbol of good luck. Legend has it if you are kind to cats, they will one day return the favor. In the magical tale of The Full Moon Coffee Shop, if you are kind to the right cat you will find yourself underneath the mysterious coffee shop under a glittering Kyoto moon called The Full Moon Coffee Shop that is run by cats and they can talk! This coffee shop is like no other. It has no fixed location, no fixed hours and appears at random. Customers eat cakes drink teas and coffees and the cats also consult their star charts and offers wisdom helping those who are lost, find their way again.

Writing, Story, Characters, Magic & Lessons

Where do I begin? Mai Mochizuki’s writing is descriptive and magically flows like a stream & I’m a fan of magical realism. I would eat Lunar Chocolate Fondant if it were real! Each of the characters are likeable and they all somehow connect with one another. We have a down on her luck screenwriter Mizuki Serikawa, a romantically stuck movie director Akari Nakayama, Megumi whose a hairstylist who feels something is missing in her life, Satsuki Ayukawa an actress caught in an affair, & Takashi Mizumoto a website designer. All of them are stuck or going through tough times and our talking cat guides read their stars and guide them on the right paths whether its giving a dream another try, starting a new dream, changing as a person or taking a chance revealing his/her romantic love for someone despite being scared to death. Revealing feelings is a scary thing.  You don’t have to be an astrology fan to enjoy the story and relate to the characters and perhaps even learn something. I love the magical realism and how the café just appears at night. I love how the cats are portrayed as anamorphic cats. Venus the white Persian cat I think is my favorite and wisest of all the cats though I’m a cat lover regardless lol!

Overall

If you enjoy magical realism stories, likeable characters that you can relate to, stories that take place in another part of the world, especially Japan, & have a love of cats, then I recommend The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki. It is a quick read and I probably could have finished this in a day, but you are in for a treat no matter how long it takes to read it. I hope there is a sequel coming!