Review: The Full Moon Coffee Shop

Title: The Full Moon Coffee Shop

Author: Mai Mochizuki

Publisher: 27th August 2024 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 240 pages

Genre: Japan, Magical Realism, fantasy, cats

My Rating: 3.5 cups

Synopsis:

Translated from the Japanese bestseller, this charming and magical novel, inspired by the myth of cats returning favors to those who care for them, reminds us that it’s never too late to follow our stars.

In Japan cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they’ll one day return the favor. And if you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a glittering Kyoto moon. This particular coffee shop is like no other. It has no fixed location, no fixed hours, and seemingly appears at random to adrift young people at crucial junctions in their lives.

It’s also run by talking cats.

While customers at the Full Moon Coffee Shop partake in cakes, coffees, and teas, the cats also consult them on their star charts, offer cryptic wisdom, and let them know where their lives have veered off course—because every person who visits the shop has been feeling more than a little lost. And for a down-on-her-luck screenwriter, a romantically stuck movie director, a hopeful hairstylist, and a technologically challenged website designer, the feline guides will set them back on their fated paths. After all, there is a reason the shop appeared to each of them…

My Thoughts

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki is a magical novel about a Kyoto pop-up café that will suddenly appear (no set location or hours) to people needing advice and guidance in their life. Out of this cafe come talking cats, consulting astrological charts. 

‘In the middle of the temple grounds was what looked like a mobile coffee shop … Just then, a large tortoiseshell cat wearing an apron emerged from the truck and set out a sign. The sign read: The Full Moon Coffee Shop.’

The cafe suddenly appears to select people who have lost their way in life and the cats not only serve food and drink but also a reading from the character’s astrological chart. This will assist them to overcome their current obstacle and guide them once more in the right direction. It’s a cute and very quick read about understanding what motivates us and channeling that to lead a fulfilling life. 

‘And that is the story of the strange moonlit night on which I learned to know myself - and finally move forward with my life.’

If you like cats and you like astrology and you are a fan of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Days at the Morisake Bookshop and Butter, then you are in for a treat. 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.