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.)

Lonely Castle in the Mirror has been one of my all time favourite books since I read it. SO I was so excited to get this advanced copy!!!
The concept here is lovely - being able to bring together the dead and the living for one day, and only once. My minor issue with it, was that this seems to be a common theme in Japanese literature these days. If I hadn't already read "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" and a few other similar books, this would have been an immediate 5 star read, because the concept and the writing are both very strong.
I do think the writing here is stronger than the other books I had mentioned. It is highly emotive and translated so well it really transports you into the world of the book. But simply because I have read this concept multiple times before, I couldn't give it a full 5 star.

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

If you had an opportunity to meet someone you lost again, who would you choose? And would they choose to see you, too? Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon is a collection of 5 short stories, following people from different backgrounds and life stages, who wished to have another chance to see a person who passed away. The meetings are arranged by the 'Go-Between' - a person who communicates this request to the deceased and arranges a hotel room for them to meet the requester, during the full moon. Each story is its own tale with different characters and their challenges, however one link is Ayumi, who acts as a 'Go-Between'. As the story progresses, we slowly learn about Ayumi and the heavy burden he carries within himself.

It's a beautiful story that focuses on regrets, compassion, longing and loneliness, with a touch of magical realism. Each chapter introduces a new protagonist: a salarywoman who wished to see a famous idol, a grumpy old man who longed to see his mother, a jealous high-school girl who wanted to see her classmate and a distraught man who needed to meet his long-lost fiancé. We get to learn about them and understand why the request was important to each person. I loved the first and last stories - they were really well put together! It was hard not to feel sorry or feel pity for most of the requesters and the theme of loneliness was explored well. In the end, you learn a bit more about the process itself which I felt took away the novelty and should've just left as a secret.

This wasn't a bad story by all means, however I heavily struggled with the flow and structure. The chapters felt disjointed and lacked continuity which made the reading experience difficult to enjoy and I struggled to keep going, it just wasn't as engaging. This might be due to translation, but it lacked some emotional resonance, considering the themes that it was exploring and it impacted my ability to connect with some of the characters. Overall, this was an okay book, but I wish it was better structured.

I really enjoyed this book, it gave off very similar vibes to Before the coffee gets cold and it made you reflect.

An absolutely beautiful read - as someone who adored Lonely Castle In The Mirror, this lived up to every expectation. This book was emotional, gripping and has left a lasting impression. I’ll be thinking about this story and these incredible characters for a very long time. I’ll be recommending this one left and right!

I struggled with this one to begin with but glad I kept pushing through. I didn't read her first book so this was a new author for me.

This book has unique concept, which is about "the go between" who can manage a meeting between the life and death. Every story tell us about the meaning of say goodbye. This book is remind me with Funiculi Funicula series (Before the Coffee Gets Cold), since that book also can manage a meeting with people who has died by time traveling to the past. So, if you are a fans of Funiculi Funicula series, give this book a try.

However, each story has longgggg part. It often tell us about the past until the day when the person die. That's why, sometimes I find it boring and distant with the main character. I need more times to finish this book, because on some part, I missed the "sparks". Plus, the translation is not "flowing" enough. I've read Lonely Castle in The Mirror, that's why I expect more from this book.

Overall, this book still enjoyable since it has heart-warming sides and comforting., although there are some flaws in it.

A collection of interconnected stories featuring a go-between acting to arrange meetings between the living and the dead. Each character's story is emotional and thought-provoking and not always a happy ending. It is the story of the go-between himself that is the most intriguing and it is his story that links the book together. A very enjoyable read.

Whimsical and beautifully written, this meditation on loneliness has a lot in common with Lonely Castle in the Mirror. A light fantasy frosting over deeper human issues. Very much enjoyed.

A quiet, gentle and heart-tugging book that I couldn't help but devour in one sitting. Each story in this book was different and unique but everything linked up in the end in the most satisfying and well written way. I'm so keen to read more of these short stories about The Go-Between!

I loved Lonely Castle In The Mirror so was super keen to read something else by this author. Straight away the style felt comforting, calming and familiar. I liked the concept and how everything came together at the end. The only thing that was a bit weird for me was the titles of all the chapters. They felt kind of oddly translated to me. I'm keen to read the next one when it's translated, but I didn't enjoy it as much as Lonely Castle as despite the chapters being interrelated and tied together by the Go-Between, it felt like a collection of short stories and I just don't like short stories as much as a novel.

Heartwarming and exactly what I was expecting, in a good way. This book takes a look at the connection between the living and the dead, and how sometimes we need a final goodbye. Told in a collection of short stories that all connect, the book takes the reader on a journey of regret, friendship and love. I enjoyed some characters a lot more than others, and I found the ending a little rushed. I still thought this was a really sweet story and I really liked the family aspect and focus on hope.

rating: 3.75* (rounded up to 4)

I loved Lonely Castle in the Mirror so much that when I found out the author is coming out with a new book and that it was on Netgalley - I knew I had to try requesting for it. Imagine my surprise when I got it. Thank you Netgalley and Doubleday!

Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon is a collection of five short stories about the Go-Between, a service provided by a strange young man in a coat and a lovely old lady where the living can request to reunite with a deceased loved one/acquaintance during a full moon.

One thing about short story collections is that sometimes because of the length of the stories, as a reader we would feel distant with the characters as they didn't have enough space to grow, or feel dissatisfied as we feel there could've been more to be explored in the story. Another worry that I have sometimes is when the collection is interconnected with the same "theme", the stories would feel too monotone.

What I appreciate about these stories is how interconnected they are. Each narrative is connected to the next - starting with subtle connections that gradually build in strength as the collection progresses. The characters, settings, and events intersect very subtly, which I really like because it feels cohesive and gives some of the characters some extra space to develop. I also appreciated how distinct the themes are in each story, so I don't feel bored reading them.

However, compared to Lonely Castle in the Mirror, I still feel like there was something missing from this book? I feel like the characters could've been fleshed out a little more hence why I was still feeling distant from the characters while reading this book. I still very much would recommend this, especially if you're a fan of cozy Japanese literature. I will also definitely be reading The Go Between #2 (whenever that is).

What would you do if you could have the opportunity to speak one more time to somebody who once changed your life? A person who is now dead.

That is precisely the opportunity offered by Ayumi, who lays down strict rules to his clients about the conditions under which they can have such an encounter.

Despite that, any number of people are willing to do whatever is necessary - whether it is to assuage their anxiety about a lost loved one, or to secure their financial interests, or to find the answer to a question that has been plaguing them for years.

This is a thought provoking and memorable book, while also being quirky and unusual - something that Japanese writers seem to specialise in. It will be enjoyed most of all by those who have enjoyed books like The Kamogawa Food Detectives, but has wider appeal for readers that goes beyond that specialised niche. It gets 3.5 stars.

Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon was a captivating read. I liked the premise of being able to meet with the dead once while alive and with the living once when deceased. The stories had a lot of emotion behind them, and since each chapter was an individual story, you could comfortably complete one or two stories per night. This is a book that will certainly appeal to fans of works along the lines of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. I saw at the end of this book there was a snippet from the follow-up volume. For me, that's the only negative with these types of stories coming out of Japan lately: the first book is wonderful and new, but it becomes boring when the same premise repeats in book two, then book three and on. Therefore I am not sure yet if I will read on to a second volume, but this first book was definitely an enjoyable read with a plot idea that was fun but which still packed an emotional punch. The translation flowed well and the pacing within each story was good, making it easy bedtime reading. I am giving it 4.5 stars.