Imagine if the Room of Requirement was a coffee shop that popped up to give you the answers you seek. This is a cozy and heartfelt novella with three main intertwined stories. Not exactly magical realism, but still a feel-good flight of fancy serving up coffee, tea, and desserts with a side of astrology.

Recommended for cat lovers, horoscope girlies, and fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi or Midnight Diner the tv series.

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine for the ARC!

The pitch for the Full Moon Coffee Shop is quite endearing. A little shop, staffed by celestial cats, that magically appears and helps you work through major shifts in your life.

Unfortunately for me, the pitch is where the magic ended. While sweet at times, I found this short novel to be a trudge.

I think this would make a lovely movie. But on the page, nearly everything is told via either dialogue or clunky internal exposition from the current POV character. In such a charming setting, you should be able to feel it more. I felt very disconnected from the characters and the world they existed in.

I would certainly not say it's objectively bad, it's just not to my taste. If you enjoy cozy dialogue-heavy stories, it may be just for you.

ARC provided by the NetGalley and Ballantine Books.

This was not something I would have typically requested and thought I would give it a try. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

I don't think I’ve ever read a novel by a Japanese author before, but I have the sense that, even so, this novel might be unusual. It’s a fantasy novel but it’s more than that. It's also a psychological novel, in which the life problems of the characters are analyzed at the Full Moon Coffee Shop. What’s unusual about that? The Full Moon Coffee Shop appears randomly, but only on nights when the moon is indeed full. And the employees are all star-reading cats. If you don’t believe in astrology, just suspend your disbelief and enjoy the story for what it is.

I'm not sure I'm describing it well, but this is actually a charming and intriguing story by an author who is well-recognized in Japan for her “Holmes of Tokyo” young adult series. The Full Moon Cafe is well-weitten enough that I may dip into one of her “Holmes” mysteries just for fun.

The novel has a Prologue and Epilogue and is divided into three sections. Each one has a different main character with a different need, but they’re all interlinked. I think Mouchizuki’s main point is “be yourself.” sounds simplistic, but maybe a message we all need to hear right now. Simply put, I loved this charming tale.

A magical coffee shop that only appears as needed and run by talking cats who share astrological information pertinent to the guest? The Full Moon Coffee Shop is terrific magical realism read full of kindness and empathy for cat and astrology lovers alike.

This is a coffee shop I’d love to come across.

I really enjoyed my reading of this; the premise and plot worked well for me, and I found the astrology aspect really interesting - cats discussing birth charts and astrology was something I didn’t know I needed.



Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the DRC

This is whimsical and mystical read for fans of Studio Ghibli. It's divided up between four characters and shows how their lives have intertwined. Each encounters a magical coffee shop where they speak to cats who help them interpret their astrology to make a decision on something they're facing. I enjoyed it although it felt slow and hard to engage at times. This is likely due to translations and author style, but definitely a neat premise!

I love this trend of Japanese literature where the protagonist is a struggling someone and there is a person out there that has the answer to their problems whether it’s through a book, through food or in this case through astrology. It’s fantastical obviously but it has such a wistful and dreamy element to it that’s so soothing. Also as someone who grew up with classical music (both listening and playing) the references were an added bonus. It’s curious - I’m such a skeptic when it comes to astrology because I can’t fathom placement of planets and stars determining what my life could look like. But this read made me question it all, and I think that’s a really beautiful thing.

Book: The Full Moon Coffee Shop
Author: Mai Mochizuki
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Ballantine Books, for sending me an arc. Now, this book is out in Japanse, but, at last, I cannot read Japanese, so I have to settle for the English version. I found this one to be very charming and cosy. It kind of gave me the same vibes as Legends and Lattes.

In this one, we follow a group of characters who all need or are looking for something. They can’t shake cats though. According to Japanese legend, if you are good to cats, they can bring you good luck and will return the favour. The characters in this book find their favour being paid in a rather odd way. You see there is this coffee shop that randomly appears on the full moon. That’s not the strangest part about it. It is run by cats. Everyone who finds this shop is a little lost and the cats know just what to do. While they do serve the normal coffee shop items, they also offer more. They look at their star charts and let them know where their lives veered off course. It gives the characters a chance to look within and find out what path they are supposed to take.

This is a strange book. There is no other way to put it, but it is a good kind of strange. It has charm. It has magic. It has human life. The story is woven in a way that is very magical, very calming, and full of a lot. We have characters who are very down on their luck and lost. Now, this should not have a calming tone to it, but it does. Now, when the characters are lost, the tone leans into that. We can feel that our characters have hit rock bottom and don’t know what to do or where to go. The coffee shop offers this calming tone. You get the sense that everything is going to be okay, that things will work out, and all you have to do is slow down and listen.

The coffee shop does offer our characters advice. Now, it is based on astrology, which is kind of strange because it uses Western instead of Eastern, but we are just going to do with it. This element of the book did take me by surprise-even though it is mentioned in the summary. I am not a big astrology person, but, once again, something was calming about it. It added a sense of hope and purpose to the book. It allowed our characters to take a step back and see where they lost themselves and see what they needed to do to get back to who they used to be.

This book also allows you to reflect on your own life. Now, you may not be going through what the characters are, but it allows you to slow down and think about where you are now. If you don’t have joy, it may give you something to think about and give you a chance to look back on life.

Overall, I am very happy that I read this one.
As I said at the start of my review, this book is out now in Japanse. It will be out in English on August 27, 2024.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/0evtnhsbmf4

An absolutely delightful Japanese tale involving a coffee shop run by talking cats. A must read for lovers of Japanese fiction!

Touching Japanese novella that shows the connection of people through cosmic cats that operate a special coffee cafe when the moon is full.

Like Dorothy falling into Oz or Alice and that kooky rabbit, Mizuki’s first view of The Full Moon Coffee Shop was a wondrous experience. The descriptive writing set the scene and invited the reader to come along. Your tour guide for this adventure are hilarious cats, wise ones, cranky ones, authentically fabulous cats.

We all have different life phases such as a moon phase from birth to six where you develop your perception, sensitivity and emotions. If you don’t do these things during that phase you will need remedial learning at a later life stage.

Mizuki needed to appreciate her now to get to her next.

There were other stories that accentuated this theme written in a beautiful style. Now how do I find the Full Moon Coffee Shop. I want to visit.

This one is a magical story that caught my attention right from the start!

Set in Kyoto, Japan, it tells the stories of several interconnected characters. They each have their own life issues that they are dealing with: love life, career, self-confidence, etc. And each is invited to the “Full Moon Coffee Shop,” which just happens to appear, right around the corner, and just when they need it! And, guess what -- the coffee shop is hosted by cats! Yes, that’s what I said ;)

These cats are expert in using each character’s horoscope and star signs to tell what is needed to change the character’s life, if they so choose.

The story and storytelling are unusual but compelling, keeping the reader’s attention throughout. And right when you’re wondering how these people are connected to each other, the author ties up the book with a nice neat bow (the cats are also explained!). How satisfying!

I really enjoyed this author’s writing and storytelling styles. The book is fun and light, but also thoughtful and inspiring. I highly recommend this book, and will definitely be looking for more by this author!

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Mai Mochizuki, and Random House/Ballantine Books for the advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

This book reminds me of books like Tuesdays with Morrie of the Alchemist. It talks about social, philosophical, psychological themes that I think we already know about, but it’s a nice reminder when told through someone else’s story. Even though this book is labeled as fantasy, it is very grounded in real life. It’s a reminder to do what you love earlier rather than later when you will only regret time lost. It’s a reminder to “go for it” just because you can and you want to. It was short and sweet. No fluff. It’s translated, and you can tell at times but it doesn’t get in the way of a clear message coming across.

PS. There was a lot of Astrology, which I’m not super familiar with so I glazed over that a bit.

Magical coffee shop, talking cats, astrology, piano music, people having to rethink their life choices- I thought this was so fun. And I’m not even that interested in astrology! I loved how it took a cutsey idea like cats serving coffee, and then used it to kind of drag the characters into recognizing the changes they need to make in their lives. And I really liked all the characters we meet in this book, even though we only get to see quick snippets of their lives.

This was a quick and charming story. I truly felt for all the characters and how their lives were going. I love the visits and advice each person received from the Full Moon Coffee Shop not to mention the delightful treats that they received.

The moral of this book, I believe is to truly know yourself. When you know who you are and how you function, you are capable of happiness.

I loved that each of these characters were connected in some way. And I loved how the story came full circle. It was truly a heartwarming wonderful tale.

I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballentine Books for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a cute short story.. I enjoyed that the stories were interconnected and the reveal of how they were all related at the end. I think those who are big on astrology and horoscopes would especially enjoy. Maybe because it was short I didn't feel any strong connection to the story or the characters.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing / Ballantine Books for the ARC of the translated copy of this book!

Gentle is the best word to describe this book. And what a fun idea. I’m usually a dog person but having mystical cats reading your charts is such a great and fun way to experience the occult. lol.

“The Full Moon Coffee Shop” is a book to read with no expectations. Not in a way that is doubtful, it in a way that you are left marveling at the author’s careful weaving of each storyline together in a magnificent braid. And then, once it’s concluded, go back and watch the pieces fall into place. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and how the events in our lives affect and shape us in so many different ways.

This is not a long novel, and if you are looking to savor that jumps straight into a story filled with magical realism, this is one for you!

"Translated from the Japanese bestseller, a charming and magical novel that reminds us 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 it seemingly appears at random.

It's also run by talking cats.

While customers at the Full Moon Coffee Shop partake in cakes and coffees and teas, the cats also consult their star charts, offering cryptic wisdom, and letting them know where their lives veered off course.

Every person who visits the shop has been feeling more than a little lost. For a down-on-her-luck screenwriter, a romantically stuck movie director, a hopeful hairstylist, and a technologically challenged website designer, the coffee shop's feline guides will set them back on their fated paths. For there is a very special reason the shop appeared to each of them..."

I want to go to there.

Although I enjoyed this I can see where this would not be for everyone. I can see where if someone is really into astrology this would be a top read for them.
It seems to be marketed as cozy, cat, cafe vibes and I felt like that was very lacking.
Overall an interesting premise and a quick read.