I loved Lonely Castle in the Mirror by the author, so I was really looking forward to this book. But unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectation. It is inevitable for a collection of short stories to leave a reader wanting more. I kept wanting more from each story. Also, character development wasn’t sufficient for me to connect with the story. But I know the author has a knack for character development if it’s a novel.

Another problem is that there are way too many Japanese books like this now where a person meets a departed. Before Coffee Gets Cold, The Lantern of Lost Memories, The Chibineko Kitchen. I’ve already read three books this year very similar to this, so this book didn’t stand out as special.

It’s a market saturation problem rather than the author’s fault, but I would like to see other works by the author that is more like Lonely Castle in the Mirror.

I had requested this book because I had read “Lonely castle in the mirror,” but when I started it I thought I had in my hands yet another copy of the hot coffee thread. Fortunately that was not the case even though it does not stray that far, only the level of cynicism is much higher. Unfortunately, moreover, it wasn't until the end that I realized that this was only the first book in a series, the target audience of which I don't even seem to be. Better, because I wasn't going to continue reading it.

Avevo richiesto questo libro perché avevo letto "Lonely castle in the mirror" ma quando l'ho cominciato ho pensato di avere tra le mani un'altra delle ennesime copie del filone del caffé caldo. Fortunatamente non é stato cosí anche se non ci si allontana poi tanto, solo il livello di cinismo é molto piú alto. Purtroppo inoltre, solo alla fine ho capito che si trattava solo del primo libro di una serie, il cui target non sembro nemmeno essere io. Meglio, perché non avrei proseguito.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

“When a life was lost, who did it belong to? What were those left behind meant to do with the incomprehensible, inescapable loss?”

Is there anyone you wish to see?
So asks the smart young man wearing a designer duffel coat to his clients who have come to him for a reunion with the person who once changed their life. But it is no ordinary reunion. The people they ask to see have passed away.
With each heart-breaking reunion, tantalizing clues are scattered to piece together the mind-blowing emotional truth behind the boy in the duffel coat.
So, who would you like to see?

If I were to ask myself, I couldn’t begin to explain what prompted me to request an ARC of this book. Fantasy is not a genre I willingly choose, and fantasy in the realm of faith and spirituality would hardly ever make it to my reading list. Yet, between this cover image and blurb, I was immediately captivated.

The author’s writing is powerful and emotionally charged in exploring themes of pain, regret, and longing. Even though all four stories are bound by a common theme, the author approaches them differently, artfully weaving the narrative in a way that hooks the reader. It makes you ponder on the meaning of life and death, and wonder about existence on the other side, while creating an aura of suspense.

An unusually deep, thought-provoking novel, the intersection of these stories resonates deep within you.

This ARC courtesy of @netgalley and Transworld Publishers.

I have been so excited for this book, based on the description and I was not let down! I read this in two nights, I could t leave it alone!I will, be reading through this with my students! Perfect book. So very lucky I was allowed a copy. Thank you.

This book is an amazing exploration of handling grief, memories, and how we connect even after someone’s gone. The story starts with an intriguing teenage 'Go-Between' who sets up meetings between the living and the dead, which is a fascinating concept but Tsujimura's way of telling the story makes it shine. I have always loved magical realism, and this is the best in that genre that I have read in a long time.

The book starts with five linked tales, showing us different kinds of loss and longing, and each one uncovers a different meaning. The way the author captures genuine feelings really helps you connect with the characters. And instead of feeling like a gimmick, those moonlit meet-ups hit home about how we deal with grief and the ways we look for closure.

Don't let the cover fool you into thinking this is a mild, lovey dovey kind of book. This is one of those rare reads that shifts your perspective on life, death, and the impact of memories. Tsujimura has created something special - a heartfelt, thought-provoking look at loss that sticks with you well after you finish the book.

My simple answer to whether I like this book or not is; Yes, absolutely loved it.
I really enjoyed the idea of a bridge “Go between” that would allow the living talk to the dead. I’m sure if you imagine this in your own life, you’ll understand the rabbit hole and strength of emotions that you would fall into. The author has done an excellent job of conveying those emotions through the story that is told here.
Such an immersive read, I can’t wait to have more from this author in the future.
Would recommend without a shadow of a doubt. Thank you so much for allowing me an arc. Very much appreciated.

I was a fan of the author’s last translated work, Lonely Castle in the Mirror, and was looking forward to to reading this as a consequence! This story is more in the vein of the popular series, Before the Coffee Gets Cold: in a very similar proposition, a series of people contact a mysterious person known as the ‘go-between’, who has the power to arrange meetings with the living and the dead - for one night only, during the full moon. As with the time travelling premise of Coffee, there are various rules attached to this magical element: you can only meet one soul during your lifetime, and the ghosts can also only have one meeting once they have passed on. They can make a request but the departed person can say no. I wasn’t too sure about the first couple of stories, but I think the book came more into its own with the story of Ayumi, who is learning how to take on the responsibility of being the go-between from his grandmother. I actually liked that it explained the mechanics a bit at this point, and analysed the first couple of stories and why they had been good or bad for the characters. But maybe not as original as Lonely Castle in the Mirror had been - I feel like this follows the setup of several other similar Japanese novels and thus isn’t quite so unique. I did enjoy it though, and it’s a fairly easy read.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher, Doubleday, part of Random House for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was so excited to get a copy via NetGalley as I love this author. I was bit disappointed. I read it during a flight, and then also during the night as I wanted to finish it. Lovely book.

I haven't realised immediately that the author of this book also wrote 'Lonely Castle in the Mirror'. If I did I would've been less surprised by how much I loved this book as well. In the beginning I was slightly wary: recently there were too many books published following the same template where people seemingly fixed their lives by coffee/cats/books etc. This book then looked like just another entry on this list, only this time with dead people instead of cats or books. And yet even though the idea is indeed the same the way it is written is so loving, elegant and at the same time understanding of the human condition I couldn't help but fall in love with this book by the end of the 1st chapter, and it only got better from then on. I would absolutely recommend this novel to everyone who enjoyed this author's work before, and to those who haven't yet maybe even more.

A delightful story about reconciling with loss of a loved one. This tale has 5 separate but interconnected stories about a "go-between" who arranges meetings between the living and the dead. With each story, you see a little more about the go between, culminating in his own story at the end of the book. I was so pleased to see that a sequel is on its way and will look forward to reading more from this author.
Many thanks to netgalley for this ARC.

This was a lovely heartwarming read but surprisingly a lot more emotional and heavy than a lot of other similar books I’ve read in this genre.

That being said it was still a very enjoyable read and easy to get through despite the subject matters raised and I look forward to the sequel!

For fans of Before the Coffee gets Cold.
A collection of stories about meeting the departed via the go-between. Both the living and the dead are allowed only one meeting in their lifetime on the night of a full moon. One night, from sundown to sunrise.

This deals a lot with grief, guilt, and obligations.

The writing lacked that musical, magical quality of Lonely Castle in the Mirror and there is little time to get invested in the characters and their plights.

1 Beloved Icon - about a fan and idol and life feeling pointless and boring.

2 The Rule of the Eldest Son - an eldest son visiting his mother feeling the weight of obligations.

3 The Rule of the Best Friend - a best friend feeling guilty and ashamed and jealous.

’My mum always says, Don't give up before you try,' Misono said. ‘It's better to do something and regret it than to regret not doing it at all.’

I'd felt pain constantly since the moment of Misono's death, didn't know how to describe it, except to say that I pictured a black, dense smoke like that of burnt tyres, circulating up and down my insides. I couldn't tell whether I'd been swallowed up by the smoke, or whether it was erupting out of me.

4 The Rule of Lost Love - a fiancée left wondering about the disappearance of his partner.
This one was the most heartwarming and had the biggest ‘twist’ so to say. I was most invested in the mystery and the meeting.

5 The Rule of the GoBetween
This is the story of the young boy acting as the go-between and connects all the previous stories together.

Who did dead people exist for? For what reason?

Ultimately, let down by the simplicity of this book. There is a sequel in the works, but I won’t be picking it up as this theme genre doesn’t work for me (I wasn’t a huge fan of the preachy style of Before the Coffee gets Cold either).

Thank you to Double Day UK for sending me a physical arc in exchange for a review.

This was just as magical and heartfelt a novel as Lonely Castle in the Mirror, but it follows a different narrative structure. In Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon, we follow five different storylines. It explores themes of grief and what the people left behind are willing to do for closure. Even though the book is translated from Japanese, I was able to sink right into the story and the writing. The characters feel so real. It's impossible to read this book without the glimmer of a tear in your eye (just like with Lonely Castle in the Mirror). I recently suffered a loss, and this book was exactly what I needed to start working through the complicated emotions brought up by that grief and start healing. Tsujimura is an auto-buy author for me now and I hope they never stop writing.

Thank you to Random House UK and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon is a captivating collection of five stories that delve into the depths of grief and the human desire for closure. In this imaginative book, a mysterious figure arranges one final meeting between the living and the dead, offering people a chance to say goodbye. Each story explores a different kind of loss—whether through regret, longing, or acceptance—and reveals how grief lingers and transforms us.

What sets this book apart is its unique blend of the supernatural with raw, authentic emotion. The characters feel real and relatable, their stories filled with emotional complexity that leaves you questioning who truly deserves your sympathy—the living or the dead. The unpredictable endings only heighten the tension and keep you invested until the last page.

But Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon isn't just a meditation on loss. It’s also a reflection on the power of those final moments and the importance of moving forward, even when life doesn’t go as planned. The stories will make you think about how you might handle the chance to reconnect with someone you've lost, leaving you to reflect on the value of closure. With its relatable themes and emotionally charged narratives, this book is a thought-provoking, moving read that lingers long after you've finished it.

Thank you @netgalley and Random House UK for the ARC!

Once again a phenomenal book from a great author. I have heard that this is the first of a series and I certainly hope so as it has all the hallmarks of a cracking series.
The premise is great that there is a go between for the living and dead and you can as the go between to meet once person that has passed away. They can either accept or not. You can only ask to meet one person in your lifetime so use it well.
The stories are really good and there is a twist!

Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon is the new novel from Mizuki Tsujimura, author of Lonely Castle in the Mirror. This latest novel, which comes out in English in February 2025 is already a popular series in Japan, I believe aimed at young adults.

The closest comparison I can think of is The Five People You Meet in Heaven, but I far prefer Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon. The first part of the novel is about various different people, connected by the special opportunity to meet someone they know who has passed away. For one night, after contacting a young man known as The Go Between, they can meet this person in a hotel room on the night of a full moon and seek closure, or comfort. The book took an unexpected turn by focusing in the latter half on the Go Between himself, which gives a more cohesive feel than the more scattered beginning.

It's a very different structure and story to Lonely Castle in the Mirror, but still has a strange, special quality, and a unique idea to express very universal emotions of grief, and helplessness, and anger, and confusion after the death of a friend of loved one.

It's a nice read, but I wish I'd known that it was the first in a series and for a younger age group, the former of which would have admittedly put me off at the outset, but it was certainly frustrating thinking that everything would wrap up neatly only to end quite suddenly - though the first pages of the next installement were available in a preview, and it does seem to be going in a cool direction.

Was not expecting a rollercoaster of a story. Thoroughly enjoyed this book! An amazing translation and incredible writing. Loved reading the different perspectives from each character especially Ayumi’s side of the story - tied the story together really well. PASS ME THE SEQUEL RIGHT NOW!

‘Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon’ is a short story collection that gives similar vibes as ‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and ‘The Lantern of Lost Memories’ by Sanaka Hiiragi. In these five short stories, we meet the Go-Between, who has a service where the living can request a night with the deceased during a full moon. The issue is that they only have until sunrise, and they can both do it once.

As much as I love short stories, I do always have issues with the repetitiveness, which can have that monotone effect which can cause the book to become boring in a way. What I do love about them if they are done correctly, is that it can feel like a new refreshed narrative for the same story. Both occurred to me when reading this book. After the first few chapters, I got distracted and found it hard to read; however, the last few chapters were easier to read and flowed quite well.

I like how you learn more about Tsujimuragradually through all the stories as well as his grandma. While it is mainly set in a hospital, it is not a clerical atmosphere; it feels somewhat homely, memorable, and comfy. It does not feel too heavy considering it is full of heartache and grief.

As much as I enjoyed the book, I only gave it three stars, because although the storyline is original, it is similar to other books that I prefer such as ‘The Lanterns of Lost Memories’ by Sanaka Hiiragi and I just did not enjoy it as much as them. I also felt like something else was going to happen but it never did. It was somewhat anticlimactic, though I am excited that there

Mizuki Tsujimura is an inspiring storyteller. She tells stories with a whimsical and fantasy theme, but the issues and the characters felt so real. I love how I felt emotionally invested in all characters, no matter how little in common we have, especially the grumpy middle-aged man who requested to meet his late mother.

Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon is a collection of 5 short stories, where 5 different protagonists have the once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet with the dead during a full moon with the help of a Go-Between - a society/organisation that provides service pro-bono. I love how each characters’s stories are subtly interconnected and mentioned in different chapters. The book delves on human relation issues between family members and friends, loneliness and regrets, with the vibe of Before Coffee Gets Cold (BCGC), if you’re familiar with that book franchise. Perhaps because this is the first, it didn’t feel repetitive or monotonous to me when the Go-Between tells the rules of meeting the dead, unlike how I felt with BCGC.

I love the reading especially the last story and Ayumi. There is a sequel and I can’t wait to learn more about him.

Grief is such a heavy feeling. You never get rid of it. Once you’ve lost someone, you carry their absence with you, but you also carry the unasked questions, the things you never got to say or do with them, and the goodbyes that were stolen from you. Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon is a book for those of us who know what it feels like to have lost someone. What if you could meet that person you lost one more time? Would you do it?

Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon is the first instalment of The Go-Between series. The go-between is a person who has a gift and can arrange for you to meet a deceased individual. The only rules are that, when you are alive, you only get to meet one dead person. And when you are dead, you can only accept to see one person. The deceased person has to accept meeting you and you can only meet them one night while the full moon is out.

The book is told in five episodes. Each episode follows different characters who seek the go-between to speak with someone who has passed away. We learn about their background leading to losing the person and why they’d want to see them again (i.e., what is left unsaid/questions to ask), how they find and meet the go-between, and the day they meet their loved one.

I adored the first, fourth (I’ll be forever crying about Kirari and Tsuchiya), and fifth stories. I was crying non-stop in the last 100 pages, the book made me so emotional. And it was strange because I did not care for the second and third stories, but the ending of both had me IN TEARS. It was such an emotional rollercoaster of a book. The episodes were just so easy to read and it was so easy to empathize with the characters. The last chapter was so satisfying because we got answers about who the kid is, how the go-between business works, and a beautiful reflection of the whole thing (meeting with the dead).

I’m going to keep this review short. This is a great book for book clubs and just as therapy. I think the reflection at the end about how important it is for us, the living, to feel the dead watching us was beautiful. I just felt it was all very touching. Again, as someone who has said a thousand times that I’d give anything I had to see my grandma again, this book just broke me. It felt like a warm hug. I just wish the go-between was real. I can’t wait for the next book. (PS: I think I liked this more than Lonely Castle in the Mirror.)