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Coffee at Little Angels

by Nadine Rose Larter (Goodreads Author)

3.57 of 5 stars 3.57 · rating details · 61 ratings · 44 reviews

What do you do when you lose a childhood friend? What do you do when you know everyone is expecting you to come home? What do you do if you don't want to?

Phillip, Sarah, Kaitlyn, Caleb, Maxine, Grant, Melanie and Josh grew up in a small town where they spent their high school years together as an inseparable clique. But high school has ended, and they are all living their...more

ebook, 188 pages

Published May 26th 2011 by The Katalina Playroom

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Jul 28, 2011 Peace Love and Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am hooked from the start, I love Philips's introduction, his views on death and the memories of his childhood, it took me back to my own and reflected on how I feel about death. My thoughts momentarily digress to where I stand in all these, starting missing my childhood friends, and reminiscing about my own "funny little town, with funny little people". I have to stop myself a bunch of times while reading this book because it catapults me to my memories.

The story is told separately by each ch...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Cassandra (The Book & Movie Dimension blogger) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: earlybookreader, received-for-review, realistic-fiction

Full, non-spoiler review courtesy at Book & Movie Dimension a Blog

Growing up is hard for a tight-knit group of childhood friends who discover they don't have a lot in common after many years. They have but one thing in common which they have lost. Containing witty sarcasm even in heavily tragic moments. A delicate simplicity is well-drilled into this novel making it all the more winning.

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Sep 25, 2011 Holjo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Summary: Eight people are permanently connected to each other after growing up together in a small town. They have all gone their separate ways since high school, but have been brought together for a weekend after one of the eight dies in a hit and run car accident.

Now in their twenties, each of the friends has built a life. Some are happy, others are not. But what becomes painfully obvious is that there are many unresolved situations and feelings within the group. Being all together in the same...more Summary: Eight people are permanently connected to each other after growing up together in a small town. They have all gone their separate ways since high school, but have been brought together for a weekend after one of the eight dies in a hit and run car accident.

Now in their twenties, each of the friends has built a life. Some are happy, others are not. But what becomes painfully obvious is that there are many unresolved situations and feelings within the group. Being all together in the same place for the first time in a decade, all of the unresolved feelings finally come to the surface. As we follow each character through this sad time in their lives, we learn how important it is that they finally see the truth in each other. Closure comes from honesty, maturity, and a willingness to grow.

Review: I LOVED this book. It is insightful and captivating from the first chapter. Larter is truly a gifted writer. The depth of emotion and honesty from each unique character was outstanding. I felt like I was part of the group. I felt like I knew these people. I could not stop reading once I’d started.

The characters are emotionally raw from both the death of their friend and facing each other again after so many years. Some are angry, some are sad, and others are guilty over not feeling sad enough. In the end, they have all been touched by Philip’s death - and the weekend together - in different ways. A few have managed to make permanent changes in their lives in a few short days. But after going through this entire journey with the group, I still was not prepared for how the story ended. You’ll be surprised.

Keep in mind that the POV changes regularly in this book. We are reading this story from the POV of all eight friends, beginning and ending with the deceased. I know there are readers who don’t care for POV changes, so I felt this was important to mention. In my opinion, this style was perfect for this book. It would not have had the same impact if we didn’t have access to the inner workings of each character.

I highly recommend this book. I don’t have another book or series to compare it to, but I did think of a few movies. If you enjoy ensemble cast movies like Love Actually, St Elmo’s Fire, or The Groomsmen, then I’d bet you would love this book.

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Aug 11, 2011 Weronika rated it 5 of 5 stars

Simplistic narrative and genuine facts of all the random thoughts that run through our minds when faced with someones death.

A touching and beautiful story of childhood friends gathering to mourn the death of a friend from the past.

We get to meet eight characters, and each one takes us on a journey of how they perceived their friendship and past memories. You can't help but sympathize and relate to each one on a different level. At first, when Philip was describing how living in a small town me...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: indie-books, indie-books-read-2012, reviewed

Because I grew up in a small town I can relate to the characters in Coffee At Little Angels, actually I know them all, maybe not by these names but I do indeed know them. This story brings back many memories, good and bad, and reminds me just how much I have missed since moving away from my childhood friends. The last time I saw many of them was, like in this story, at a gathering for the funeral of one of our group members.

The author can’t be any more accurate about the nuances of a group of fr...more

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Sep 03, 2011 Siobian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction, read-in-2011

Sarah, Phillip, Kaitlyn, Josh, Maxine, Melanie, Grant, and Caleb were inseparable growing up in their small hometown. However, as is inevitable, some of them moved away and began a new life, leaving their childhood friendship behind. When Phillip is killed in a hit-and-run accident, the friends all return to mourn his loss. Getting back together proves difficult for some of them and past grudges, heartbreaks, and arguments rear their ugly heads once again.

To be completely and perfectly honest, I...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review. It's not my usual sort of read, but it sounded intriguing and I found myself accepting.
Phil dies in a hit and run accident, Sarah - his girlfriend just feels numb, Kaitlyn takes charge and gets everyone back together to say goodbye, but none of them really want to be there. Over the years they have grown apart, moved on and are no longer a part of each others lives.
This book deals very well with the issue of death an...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Avery rated it 5 of 5 stars

***May contain spoilers***

It isn't often that I read books outside of YA paranormal and almost every time that I do read books out of my comfort zone I am blown away by them (and typically kick myself for being so close-minded when it comes to other book genres), this book is no exception (it being what I would personally consider a contemporary adult fiction- a book which reads somewhat similar to "The Time Traveler's Wife" or "The Lovely Bones"). Everything in Nadine's book rings true, especi...more ***May contain spoilers***

It isn't often that I read books outside of YA paranormal and almost every time that I do read books out of my comfort zone I am blown away by them (and typically kick myself for being so close-minded when it comes to other book genres), this book is no exception (it being what I would personally consider a contemporary adult fiction- a book which reads somewhat similar to "The Time Traveler's Wife" or "The Lovely Bones"). Everything in Nadine's book rings true, especially what it is like to live in a small town (Me? I live in a hamlet that constitutes less than 75 people- we don't even have a convenience store, the closet store one is to the south in a small town which has a population of ~1900).

While I read a book I always make note of memorable passages/ quotes and I must say that I have never come across so many before as I did while reading this book. I think that why I encountered so many memorable passages is because Nadine has a way of words unlike anything I have ever seen before- while you are reading her book it is near impossible not to visualize everything going on within it and it is near impossible to not connect to the characters as each is so entirely realistic- primarily because each and every one of them is flawed to some degree.

All in all, if you are looking for a book that you can make a true connection with and one that will have you thinking about it days, if not weeks, after having read it, I think that this book is just for you!

Memorable lines from the book:

"Loving Sarah is like reading a particularly good book. That pressing and overwhelming need to just devour it as fast as possible is matched only by the need to savor it slowly and completely, lest it all come to an end too soon" (pg. 15).

"She loves me, I know, but not quite in the way that she needs to. Not in the way I do her... I still find it impossible to walk away from the possibility that maybe one day she will learn to love me properly" (pg. 16).

"Maybe you just feel love harder when you're still a kid. Maybe time and age jade you and help to cushion the blow of passion in favor of sanity or self preservation" (pg. 36).

"You don't get to choose your friends when you live in a small town. There are simply people in your general age group that you make do with because you don't have a choice. There are no strange clubs to join. There's no separation between the jocks and the nerds. There are no Goths or skaters. If anything, there's perhaps a small distinction between the popular, the sort-of-popular and the not-so-popular. And even those lines can be relatively blurry, in a "flavor of the week" kind of way" (pg. 37).

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Aug 07, 2011 Ivana rated it 5 of 5 stars

I so loved this novel.

I loved the beautiful simplicity of the prose. There's no fidgeting but sheer honesty and sincerity in the narrative, and a down-to-earth, realistic tone while talking about the small things that make our lives and the things that we all think about when faced with the death of someone close.
Nadine perfectly captured the image of a small town life. There's no name to the town on purpose and it could be just any small town in the world, including mine, a town stuck in time...more I so loved this novel.

I loved the beautiful simplicity of the prose. There's no fidgeting but sheer honesty and sincerity in the narrative, and a down-to-earth, realistic tone while talking about the small things that make our lives and the things that we all think about when faced with the death of someone close.
Nadine perfectly captured the image of a small town life. There's no name to the town on purpose and it could be just any small town in the world, including mine, a town stuck in time, bordering on racism and homophobia.
There is a plentiful of characters, but Nadine shifts the POV effortlessly. Each one of the eight main characters has a distinct personality and a crystal-clear, unique voice. I loved the characters and found bits of myself in each one of them. The beginning and the ending of the story are told from Phillip's perspective. Here is another quote, my favorite from the book, where Phillip talks about his love for Sarah.
"Loving Sarah was like reading a particularly good book. That pressing and overwhelming need to just devour it as fast as possible is matched only by the need to savour it slowly and completely, lest it all come to an end too soon. The all-consuming emotions are so many and varied that it is almost impossible to pick out one for a few minutes attention. They mainly stay jumbled and unattended, and for the most part not entirely understood or satisfied. But then, maybe it is in the understanding of our love for someone that the love itself disappears altogether. If so, then I don't want to understand, and I remain content to simply experience her. Somehow, the more I learn about Sarah, the better I understand myself.
And the more I fall in love." p74

Coffee at Little Angels is not just the kind of reunion where everyone is praising the deceased (there is some of it later), rather a revisiting of an old life, and burying own demons from the past. Shifting through perspectives, we are given a background for the characters, their present and past relationships, dreams and hopes.
The pacing is great, it doesn't rely on the outer action, even the inner observations and dialogues have a great tempo that make this novel a fast and easy read without a dull moment. It's equal parts sad and funny, nostalgic and entertaining. This novel has so much spirit that it's impossible to put it down, and is bound to stay with you after you read the final line.

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Oct 11, 2011 Sonny rated it 4 of 5 stars

In a small town, eight children, all very different become fast and close friends. Their childhood and teen years are filled with laughs, kisses, coffee, and love. As the friends grow older, they grow farther apart until most of them no longer know one another.
Years later, Phil dies in a freak hit and run accident. With the death of a once close friend, the group comes back together in their hometown for the funeral. Through the death of their friend, these young men and women grow somewhat clo...more In a small town, eight children, all very different become fast and close friends. Their childhood and teen years are filled with laughs, kisses, coffee, and love. As the friends grow older, they grow farther apart until most of them no longer know one another.
Years later, Phil dies in a freak hit and run accident. With the death of a once close friend, the group comes back together in their hometown for the funeral. Through the death of their friend, these young men and women grow somewhat closer together while facing the complications in their own lives.
Written to show the thoughts of each character separately, these friends all have their own way of dealing with Phil’s death, along with their own feeling on their sudden reunion.

My Thoughts
Coffee at Little Angels is written in the point of view of eight different people, including Phil who is the one that is killed. I really liked that I was able to hear all of their point of view, especially the one of Phil. He was such a great character for me. And it was a little sad that he was the one who died.
I haven’t read any books quite like this before. It was sad, a little tormenting for a heart, and it really brought my emotions to the surface. I cried the whole last part of the book and actually had to put it down for some time. But the tears were well worth it. I was very engrossed with all the emotion of the characters.
The eight characters themselves were interesting. I loved Maxine. She is the one that is kind of in your face, this is the way it is going to be. She kept waiting for the hurt to start, but was in too much shock to feel for a time. But, what she did in the end was very touching and motherly. I really would love to see if her and Josh come back together. Melanie just plain old ticked me off. She was so conceded and arrogant, and her husband was gag worthy. I am glad there was not too much of her thoughts in the book. One of my other favorites was Sarah. Although I was frustrated with her from time to time, she was interesting to listen to. She was Phil’s girlfriend who was not sure of how she felt of him while he was alive, and is now realizing what and who she has lost. I feel sad for her losing the man she loved before ever finding it out for herself. All the characters where genuine and relatable and I was able to attach to them in some way.
Coming from a small town myself, I could definitely relate to the description of their surroundings. It is a little rundown, but always comfortable, drably beautiful, and absolutely home. The descriptions of the cold are amazingly on cue with the feelings of it in real life. And a loved the fantastic writing about the ice world that was made over night.
This story is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and relatable. Some of the characters will grab your heart and others will leave you angry. Every emotion is spilled on the pages to make Coffee at Little Angels engrossing and warm in your veins.
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Nov 30, 2011 Bonnie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-request, my-library-ebooks, owned-read-ebooks, general-and-contemporary, my-whole-library

You can find this review, along with others, at Bookish Ardour.

Not surprisingly, Coffee at Little Angels is a read tinged with emotion. Seven past friends are brought together again because of the death of an eighth member in their circle, but I found the story to be far more than dealing with the death itself, instead analysing life and friendships as one is wont to do when such a tragedy shakes them.

There are few stories I’ve read where the narrative is told from so many different perspectives...more You can find this review, along with others, at Bookish Ardour.

Not surprisingly, Coffee at Little Angels is a read tinged with emotion. Seven past friends are brought together again because of the death of an eighth member in their circle, but I found the story to be far more than dealing with the death itself, instead analysing life and friendships as one is wont to do when such a tragedy shakes them.

There are few stories I’ve read where the narrative is told from so many different perspectives, each character taking turns to share the story in first person, and usually I find it a nuisance to follow each change. In CALA, the character’s P.O.V.s don’t herald a new chapter; instead you’re being bounced back and forth between them all during one chapter, which are set out in four days. At first, like I find with any story involving more than a certain number of characters, having so many personalities to follow is on the overwhelming side. I think Larter has a way of writing her characters to be both believable and enjoyable to the point of emotionally roping you in, offering very distinct personalities, and this helps to alleviate any confusion when it comes to going from P.O.V. to P.O.V.

The first P.O.V. we’re introduced to is Phil’s, the friend who passes away, and his first line “I went jogging on the morning that I died.” There are many reasons why that first line is a punch in the face of sorts. For one it is enough to pique a reader’s curiosity. Two, and this is the one I find somewhat dicey, is because it makes the reader question what is going on in relation to a past tense narration by a dead person.

When I begin reading a story with the above happening I feel dubious because in order to make a story believable, no matter how fantastical it may be, everything needs to fit into the world somehow. Making a reader question uncertain elements and leaving them unexplained can, in my mind, be distracting and off-putting. At first I felt that dubious feeling, but I decided to give it a shot seeing as we don’t know where the story is going to go do we? Apart from being a depressing character, Phil’s internal speculation roped me in and before we know it he leaves the picture, in a sense.

I don’t know what was going on there with Phil’s P.O.V., I put it down to him being a ghost, but then that opens up all sorts of other questions if I think about it too much. Luckily the story is taken up more by the other characters, their issues between each other that are yet to be resolved after so many years, and trying to understand their grief or what they perceive as a lack thereof.

I found myself enjoying quite a few of the characters, especially Maxine, Grant, and Caleb. They offer a much needed sense of humour to cope with the narrow minded and arrogant world view of Melanie’s (I swear she deserves a good dose of public humiliation) and Maxine’s hard edge counteracts the flights of fancy, especially when certain parties begin to unravel psychologically.

Coffee at Little Angels is a very character driven story, and while it appears short and sweet at 138 pages in length, it is not a story to plough through, rather to contemplate as well as having plenty of personalities for a reader to identify with.(less)

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Aug 09, 2011 Pixie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: indies

You can read my full review at http://the-bookaholic.blogspot.com

I enjoyed the characters of Coffee at Little Angels. They were all crafted so diversely and unique in each their own way. I really disliked a particular few, and then really connected with others in a way that I didn’t want to see them go.

The opening is a real hook that pulls you right into the story immediately. Attention-grabbing!

My only complaints are that at times, mostly the ending, I felt incomplete or detached. Phil’s acci...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Tammy rated it 4 of 5 stars

One of the main character’s I was able to attach myself to is Sarah. Throughout the book you watch as Sarah grows and comes to the realization of the man she really loved was not the man she thought she should have loved. She thought she had to love the other man because she had always loved him when they were younger. There were many characters one can get to click with in the book. All the characters were developed in a way that you can understand. You were able to see how they were at a young...more One of the main character’s I was able to attach myself to is Sarah. Throughout the book you watch as Sarah grows and comes to the realization of the man she really loved was not the man she thought she should have loved. She thought she had to love the other man because she had always loved him when they were younger. There were many characters one can get to click with in the book. All the characters were developed in a way that you can understand. You were able to see how they were at a young age and while they were adults. While reading the book and getting to know each character it is hard not to draw yourself in and become friends with them. The characters are likeable and you want to meet them outside of the book. They could be anyone’s friends, or your own friends that you are reading about.
I also fell in love with Phillip throughout the story. As you read through out the story you learn about Phillip and all of his friends. And he is the reason why they are meeting again long after high school is over. You find that they all don’t like each other anymore, but they find a common ground through Phillip and get along for a brief time. He finds that his little circle of friends are only friends because of him.

At first the storyline is a bit confusing. The way the Nadine Rose Larier has written the “chapters” is with the person who is talking. The first few “chapters” you were not able to figure out who is doing the talking. Once the friends are all together you are able to follow the storyline a lot better. I think that the author could have made a bit more of a separation in voice for the first few chapters. That would have made things a bit smoother in the beginning.

The reason why I gave it 4 stars is the way it took me in. I felt like I was there within the book, and they were my friends, not just a book full of friends sharing a common grief. I had a hard time putting down the book, when I had to put it down I felt like I was missing out on something. Like my friends were no longer around. Another reason why I loved this book is it made me cry. When Sarah finally was able to cry, I was able to feel her grief, her sorrow, her burden with her. It made me think “This is what I would feel if I no longer had my husband anymore.” The way that Nadine Rose Larier wrote this one specific chapter with Sarah, I was able to understand totally what Sarah was going through. This is a must read for everyone.
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Aug 21, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

REview from Much Loved Books Review-Coffee at Little Angles

Coffee at Little Angels was sent to me from the author, Nadine Rose Larter, who contacted me regarding a review. I read the description and thought it sounded interesting so of course I agreed to read and review for her, and I am so glad I did.

This book is typically out of my genre comfort zone, but it had me hooked from the very first sentence
"I went jogging on the morning that I died"

Coffee at Little Angels is broken up into sections...more

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Aug 03, 2011 Patty rated it 4 of 5 stars

Book summary...

A lovely book about a group of friends who come together after a tragedy befalls one of their own.
The book is divided into individual sort of chapters that are told from the viewpoint of each friend. The book takes place about 10 years after high school.

My thoughts...

I love books like this. Each friend's life and personality gently unfold as the story progresses. Some of the group are married, some have children, some are gay, some are work oriented, and some are just lost or sad....more

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Aug 04, 2011 Niina rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone!

Shelves: absolutely-beautiful

(includes Author Interview at the end)

A heart breakingly beautiful story of eight friends back from high school days remember life and each other adjusting their current life when one of their group is killed in a hit and run.

Each of the eight friend’s first person narratives runs through contemplating their friendships of the past and how each one was back then, while going through the motions of grieving the loss of their friend.

Sarah's is the most heartbreaking to read, and brings tears to yo...more

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Sep 04, 2011 The Pen & Muse added it

Coffee at Little Angels is a tale of how tragic events can bring people together. Each chapter a view point on each of the friends, you will get an in-depth look at what its like for people to come together once more after a tragic event. Although each friends lives has changed since they were smaller, they are all in a different stage of their lives. Larter writes beautifully and we feel like we are part of this group of friends. We learn what they learn that although life moves on, there are t...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Naberius rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a really interesting story, full of engaging characters. The author has a very fluid, somewhat lyrical style of writing. Example (p. 15) "Loving Sarah is like reading a particularly good book. That pressing and overwhelming need to just devour it as fast as possible is matched only by the need to savour it slowly and completely, lest it all come to an end too soon." Sigh. I found myself reading this book slowly, so I could really luxuriate in the writing.

Really an enjoyable read, even...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Sonja Arlow rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story is told from the perspective of 8 childhood friends coming together again, years after leaving high school, to deal with the death of one in their group. I picked this up after my own recent reunion with a school friend I haven’t seen in 10 years.

The book starts of on a great note even allowing for Phil (the dead guy) to form part of the narrative:

“"I went jogging on the morning I died"

The story is very character driven and all the emotions experienced by each of the group were intere...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Joe Young rated it 4 of 5 stars

Interesting interplay of characters a decade after their graduation from High School and their dispersion from the small town they had been raised, into the world and their individual fortunes. One of their HS group who had remained in their home town was killed early in the morning while out jogging with his dog by a hit'n'run driver. Their remaining hometown friend, Kaitlyn, contacted the group of friends and extracted a promise to return for the funeral to honor Phillip (even though all of th...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Nicole Green rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book as AMAZING! Nadine's Coffee at Little Angels reminded me a little of George R.R. Martin in that each chapter was written from the perspective of a different character. I felt for each and every character as they went through being reunited with one another after months and years of separation and the way Nadine wrote as these characters made me feel for them as they all experienced the death of their friend.

I would have to say that Maxine is my favourite character. She reminds me a lot...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Sandra Stiles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, realistic-fiction

This was an interesting book. I first thought about the movie “Sweet Home Alabama” where the main character has to go back to her home town to get her divorce papers signed so she can get remarried. At the beginning we see her behaving like she doesn’t belong there at all. As the movie progresses we see her becoming comfortable with who she is inside. In the book we hear from each character, beginning with the deceased. We learn what has happened to each of them as they have moved on with their...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Sandra Lopez rated it 2 of 5 stars

My thoughts: It begins with a small forward by Phillip as he relays about the things he used to do when he was alive. The reader is then introduced to Maxine, a no-nonsense, fearless woman who doesn’t like to show emotion—bad or good. Next, we meet Josh, a divorce lawyer with a loony secretary; then came Sarah, the old high school girlfriend still holding on to an un-proclaimed love; then Kaitlin, the one who runs Little Angels coffee shop; then Grant, the prankster; then Melanie, the boy-lover;...more My thoughts: It begins with a small forward by Phillip as he relays about the things he used to do when he was alive. The reader is then introduced to Maxine, a no-nonsense, fearless woman who doesn’t like to show emotion—bad or good. Next, we meet Josh, a divorce lawyer with a loony secretary; then came Sarah, the old high school girlfriend still holding on to an un-proclaimed love; then Kaitlin, the one who runs Little Angels coffee shop; then Grant, the prankster; then Melanie, the boy-lover; and finally, Caleb, Sarah’s first crush and, apparently, the one that brought together this group of high school friends, friends that stayed together all four years and then parted ways in the end. The heartbreaking news of Phillip’s sudden death is what reawakens their past and triggers a long-awaited reunion.

I liked how this book doesn’t really have chapters; it has sections that allow the reader to enter the mind of each character, all of which have their own individual story that they are narrating in their own voice. The characters are distinguished by their livelihoods, morals, and personal issues, and it is the distinct memories of their past that meld them together in a unified abstract form.

Each character was enjoyable in their way, but I must say that I liked Maxine the best simply because I related to her most. She keeps the dating scene real. She’s not into the whole “love is a fairy tale” thing. The problem was that she was dating Prince Charming, a nice guy that liked to give her massages and flowers, and liked to talk about feelings and watch romantic comedies, and always remembered an anniversary, even if it was only 3 weeks old; he was the type of guy that never forgot to end his sentences with an “I love you,” and he absolutely adored the idea of marriage and children. Can you say, Gag!? I know there are probably a lot of women who would love a guy like this. But, in the words of Maxine, “On paper, he’s perfect. In reality, I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to breathe…” (pg 58) Unfortunately, perfection can be boring, and, let’s face it, it can make you want to stick a fork in your eye. To me, that whole “perfect boyfriend” charade is phony and superficial. It’s like having a Ken doll around, in which he is nothing but a plastic head completely devoid of male genitalia. I’m sorry, but I’m with Max: I want a guy that I can be a bitch with.

At first, the writing style grabs your interest as if you were talking to an old friend in a coffee shop, which I’m sure is the reason the book got its title; however, at the same time, my efforts were waned by the monotonous flow of the story. I felt that the author needed to mix up the pace a little using the old “Show, Don’t Tell” rule. But since I was a reader that often likes to see a story to the end, I continued reading, at times skipping some of the superfluous details.

It’s a quick read that makes you ponder what it would be like to reunite with someone you haven’t known in so long. The words dread, regret, and sheer awkwardness would sum it up quite nicely, and they certainly all come into play when these old friends come together again. And although tedious at times, I still could not help but wonder how this reunion would turn out, especially since these friends were all involved with each other in some way. I thought it would be like reading an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210, where guy A breaks up with girl A to go out with girl B after cheating on girl A, who cheated on guy A with guy B yadda-yadda-yadda. But the story takes on a deeper meaning as each character reflects on their memories of growing up in that coffee shop, and everything else sort of “comes out” in that coffee shop. Eventually you start to feel like a psychiatrist to this group because of the constant exchange of emotions, which I found a bit wearing.

Overall, I’d say this book was okay but just not particularly tailored to my niche. (less)

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Aug 07, 2011 Tracey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Coffee at Little Angels has an intriguing opening line:

"I went jogging on the morning I died".

It was this first line that primarily convinced me to read this book from author Nadine Larter, and I'm glad I did. It was a voice I wanted to know more about.

You can read my full review here: http://myfourbucks.blogspot.com/2011/...

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Nov 23, 2011 Margaret rated it 3 of 5 stars

An interesting look at a group of friends from high school who reunite for a funeral. I liked the dynamic relationships and how they changed from the different points of view depending on who's point you were reading from.

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Aug 02, 2011 Sophie Gonzales rated it 3 of 5 stars

Check out my review on my blog:
http://www.lifebetweenpages.net/2011/...

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Jun 23, 2012 Bonnie (Words at Home Blog) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, contemporary-month-2012

Review originally posted to Words at Home June 24, 2012: http://www.wordsathome.ca/2012/06/cof...

I always love a good multiple point of view story. I find it so interesting to read about the same story from different perspectives – It feels as though I gain more insight into what is actually going on, and when MPOVs are done well I find that they add so much to the story. Larter definitely took on a heady task choosing to tell this story from eight (count them 8!!!) different perspectives! At fi...more Review originally posted to Words at Home June 24, 2012: http://www.wordsathome.ca/2012/06/cof...

I always love a good multiple point of view story. I find it so interesting to read about the same story from different perspectives – It feels as though I gain more insight into what is actually going on, and when MPOVs are done well I find that they add so much to the story. Larter definitely took on a heady task choosing to tell this story from eight (count them 8!!!) different perspectives! At first I wasn’t sure what to think, it can be hard to keep several main characters straight let alone trying to distinguish (and remember) who was who when the perspective changed every few pages. If I’m being honest it did take me a little while to get used to the many different perspectives but I found that Larter gave each character such a distinct voice that once I got into the novel it really wasn’t difficult at all to follow the story.

I really enjoyed the characters that Larter created in this novel. I wouldn’t say that they were all developed equally – some definitely were treated with more care, or respect than others. It was actually Maxine that I connected with the most, which if you asked me at the beginning of the novel I wouldn’t have expected. I found her characters to be crass, devoid of any real emotion or substance, and quite shallow. As I read it seemed as though her character was allowed the most growth and by the end of the novel she was definitely my favorite and the one that I wanted to know more about. But regardless of who was my favorite, Larter has definitely created a cast of extremely interesting characters with a dramatic and entertaining pull to each other. The group dynamic was incredibly described and through the MPOV the reader was really able to understand how Phil’s death, as well as simply being in the presence of long ago friends, affected (or didn’t affect) each of the characters. If you are a reader who loves a good character or relationship this is a book that you are going to want to pick up. Coffee at Little Angels was an incredibly honest portrayal of group dynamics, as well as the way that distance and time can affect the relationships that we thought would last forever.

It wasn’t until the end of the novel that I really “got” the story. The entire time I was reading I was drawn to this novel but couldn’t quite put my finger on the reason why. It was as I got to the end of the novel that I started to think “yes…. This is a beautiful story”. The beauty was not so much in what was happening but in the way that each of the characters was able to connect to each other and in effectively to themselves as they processed the death of a friend they used to know. This is a novel that didn’t just tell a story but rather took the reader on the emotional journey of 8 different individuals.

Coffee at Little Angels is a beautiful examination of the way we deal with death, whether it is the death of a loved one, a childhood friend, or simply someone who touched our life in some significant way. I found myself extremely drawn to the characters and it was such a unique reading experience that I highly recommend it to fans of contemporary fiction and multiple point of view stories. I also feel that I should warn you the last page of this novel felt like a punch in the gut (but in a completely shocking and satisfying way) – don’t say that I didn’t warn you!

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Dec 19, 2011 Lainy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Blurb From Goodreads

Phillip, Sarah, Kaitlyn, Caleb, Maxine, Grant, Melanie and Josh grew up in a small town where they spent their high school years together as an inseparable clique. But high school has ended, and they are all living their own “grown up” lives, each under the impression that their group has basically come to an end. When Phillip dies in a hit and run accident, Kaitlyn summons the others to all come back home, forcing a reunion that no one is particularly interested in partaking...more Blurb From Goodreads

Phillip, Sarah, Kaitlyn, Caleb, Maxine, Grant, Melanie and Josh grew up in a small town where they spent their high school years together as an inseparable clique. But high school has ended, and they are all living their own “grown up” lives, each under the impression that their group has basically come to an end. When Phillip dies in a hit and run accident, Kaitlyn summons the others to all come back home, forcing a reunion that no one is particularly interested in partaking in.

Coffee at Little Angels follows how each character deals with the death of a childhood friend while at the same time dealing with their own ignored demons after years of separation. Events unfold as the group tries to rekindle the friendship they once shared to honour the memory of a friend they will never see again.

My review

Sadly this book just didn't do it for me. At the beginning I thought we were going to get a ghost account of how things were after Phillip is killed. However he is only in it very briefly at the start (a few small appearances and again at the end). I thought it was going to have him walking us through it as the story went on).

I didn't form any interest in any of the characters and had to keep going back to reread the chapter to remember what it was about. I was constantly mixing Melanie and Maxine up too and the characters seemed more caught up in their own nonsense than the fact that their friend had died.

The story itself (once you remove the whose who issue) is really easy to read I just found it a bit confusing and annoying that they were mostly self involved and poor old Phillip who is the reason they all get back togerther is pretty much not the focus.

If you like a story that is not too serious and don't mind it jumping around a bit then this is for you. I did like that the chapters were quite short as they went from person to person so I could put it down and pick it up every 5 or 10 minutes rather than being locked into big chapters.

Sadly I just didn't gel or connect with this book at all but would like to thank the author for giving me the opportunity to try this book, 2/5 for me this time.

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Nov 23, 2011 Larissa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In high school they were the best of friends; growing up in a remote country town they had little other choice. Now, years later, they had all grown up and gone their separate ways, at least most had. There were some who were still clinging to the past, unable to change or move on from events long ago, others however tried outrunning the memories of the past that still haunted them. None of them had expected to meet up so soon, there were some who would have rather not at all, but death has a wa...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Meg - A Bookish Affair rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, africa, fiction

This book is the story of a group of childhood friends who come back together when one of them (Phil) is hit by a car. None of them are particularly interested in coming back to their small town in South Africa but they come because of the memories that they had from growing up.

Each person deals with Phil's death in a different way. I found it sort of hard to keep track of all of the different characters. The "voices" in the book don't really seem to stand out from one another and the way that t...more

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About Nadine Rose Larter

Nadine grew up in the tiny town of Molteno which is nestled between a couple of mountains in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, but she currently lives in the coastal city of Port Elizabeth with her son, her husband and two step children.

While she knows she should technically get a "real" job, she can't imagine being happy doing anything but playing with new characters and creating lives for them....more

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“Isn't that the tragedy of growing up though? One day you wake up and realize that everything you are and everything you feel is not much different from what everyone else feels.” — 9 people liked it

“Loving Sarah was like reading a particularly good book. That pressing and overwhelming need to just devour it as fast as possible is matched only by the need to savour it slowly and completely, lest all come to an end too soon. The all-consuming emotions are so many and varied that it is almost impossible to pick out one for a few minutes attention. They mainly stay jumbled and unattended, and for the most part not entirely understood or satisfied. But then, maybe it is in the understanding of our love for someone that the love itself disappears altogether. If so, then I don't want to understand, and I remain content to simply experience her. Somehow, the more I learn about Sarah, the better I understand myself.
And the more I fall in love.” — 5 people liked it

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