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aoc's review against another edition
4.0
Many stories have been spun regarding that age old "What if Axis Powers won WW2?" premise and, as you can surmise from the title, United States of Japan makes for a Japan-centric take. Specifically one where Imperial Japan deviates from history when it decides to postpone the Pacific campaign to help Nazi Germany tackle Soviet Russia and take a major player off the board, which in turn enables Japan and Germany to eventually divvy up the rest of the world. If this sounds incredulous that's because it honestly is so let's not delve into historically viable or plausible because the novel certainly won't. I mean, there are war mechs the size of skyscrapers here patrolling the streets. In fact, bulk of the story happens during the fictional year of 1988 and sidesteps the integration process itself which takes the Internment of Japanese Americans as a starting point.
How does that affect the novel, though?
Having finished it and looking back I have to admit it's surprising just how well a part-detective, part-action setup works when it blatantly alternates between the two. Ben Ishimura - low ranking officer and by all accounts a tolerated failure in the Imperial military, goes on with his daily life as a game censor while constantly being skipped over for promotions. Akiko Tsukino - highly competent agent of the Imperial Secret Service who lives and dies for the Immortal Emperor, finds methods so she can make torture sessions more effective. What could these two possibly have in common? Well, I mentioned "games" above and I did mean video games. Technology is hell of a lot more advanced in this setting and everything is regulated by the State leaving Ben as one of the censors who goes through everything you do while gaming. You know, because it has to be reported so you can get disappeared in the middle of the night because you cursed the Emperor once. It just so happens that a radical and dangerous new game has been circulating illegally, something called USA or United States of America, one that perpetuates an utterly ridiculous narrative in which history is overturned. Due to necessity our two protagonists end up working together to get to the bottom of it and, needless to say, there's more to this than just gamers running wild.
One thing that immediately stood out for me was just how brutally inhuman this Japanese dominated world is. Life is cheap, honor is everything. Secret Police is a thing whispered about, Immortal Emperor's name is to be venerated and the military is caught up in perpetual conflict with remnants of native forces that still cling forty years later contained in their hidden holes. Yet at the same time a lot of the diseases have been eliminated and other technological advances have continued through the roof. I'm talking guns that can fire viruses at you or aforementioned building-sized mechs straight out of anime... which may or may not exist because games are so widespread. I'm talking VR with realistic graphics. Projects that spun off from military simulations and hold such a place in society that military specifically trains people to develop them. And yet... New Japan really doesn't like what Nazi Germany is doing which gets you thinking. They're merely a footnote in the novel, though. What DOES gain more prominence as you read are the remains of United States and those aren't exactly as pure-hearted as some wishful thinking people may imagine. Let's just say there's more than Father, Son and Holy Spirit in their Christian prayers now.
Apart from couple of flashbacks story itself unfolds in a matter of days meaning we actually get this interesting hour-by-hour breakdown. This gives United States of Japan a snappy pace further enforced by repartee between our two leads. They're on the same side, but it doesn't make them identical and gives differing insight into this world that rarely draws blatant comparisons to real world. This reality is simply accepted as is. What I mean is no punches are held back to protect anyone's fragile sensibilities. People dying may not be the worst thing that can happen to you.
Does it get a recommendation from me? You could say my expectations were surpassed due to execution more than premise. There's something special when a story can pull a gut punch in the very last chapter to bring a character arc together. What are happy endings, after all?
How does that affect the novel, though?
Having finished it and looking back I have to admit it's surprising just how well a part-detective, part-action setup works when it blatantly alternates between the two. Ben Ishimura - low ranking officer and by all accounts a tolerated failure in the Imperial military, goes on with his daily life as a game censor while constantly being skipped over for promotions. Akiko Tsukino - highly competent agent of the Imperial Secret Service who lives and dies for the Immortal Emperor, finds methods so she can make torture sessions more effective. What could these two possibly have in common? Well, I mentioned "games" above and I did mean video games. Technology is hell of a lot more advanced in this setting and everything is regulated by the State leaving Ben as one of the censors who goes through everything you do while gaming. You know, because it has to be reported so you can get disappeared in the middle of the night because you cursed the Emperor once. It just so happens that a radical and dangerous new game has been circulating illegally, something called USA or United States of America, one that perpetuates an utterly ridiculous narrative in which history is overturned. Due to necessity our two protagonists end up working together to get to the bottom of it and, needless to say, there's more to this than just gamers running wild.
One thing that immediately stood out for me was just how brutally inhuman this Japanese dominated world is. Life is cheap, honor is everything. Secret Police is a thing whispered about, Immortal Emperor's name is to be venerated and the military is caught up in perpetual conflict with remnants of native forces that still cling forty years later contained in their hidden holes. Yet at the same time a lot of the diseases have been eliminated and other technological advances have continued through the roof. I'm talking guns that can fire viruses at you or aforementioned building-sized mechs straight out of anime... which may or may not exist because games are so widespread. I'm talking VR with realistic graphics. Projects that spun off from military simulations and hold such a place in society that military specifically trains people to develop them. And yet... New Japan really doesn't like what Nazi Germany is doing which gets you thinking. They're merely a footnote in the novel, though. What DOES gain more prominence as you read are the remains of United States and those aren't exactly as pure-hearted as some wishful thinking people may imagine. Let's just say there's more than Father, Son and Holy Spirit in their Christian prayers now.
Apart from couple of flashbacks story itself unfolds in a matter of days meaning we actually get this interesting hour-by-hour breakdown. This gives United States of Japan a snappy pace further enforced by repartee between our two leads. They're on the same side, but it doesn't make them identical and gives differing insight into this world that rarely draws blatant comparisons to real world. This reality is simply accepted as is. What I mean is no punches are held back to protect anyone's fragile sensibilities. People dying may not be the worst thing that can happen to you.
Does it get a recommendation from me? You could say my expectations were surpassed due to execution more than premise. There's something special when a story can pull a gut punch in the very last chapter to bring a character arc together. What are happy endings, after all?
jcamilla's review against another edition
4.0
To be honest, I didn't "really like" the book - I "liked" it, but I wanted to bump the ratings a little since I know I get turned off by books with a rating <4.0.
It was a gripping read for sure. Before I knew it I was sucked into the alternate history of a reality that could've occurred should the Japanese have won WWII (I've never read The Man in the High Castle, but I've watched the show, and citing the novel as an inspiration was a reason I decided to read this book because I found the premise of the show fascinating). The novel not only showed the cruelty of the Japanese, but also the reality of America's faux "equality" and unfair treatment of anyone of Japanese descent in the US during WWII. Initially in the book, I silently cheered at the victory of the Japanese, that is, until.
Fast forward to Beniko, their son, and the story grew more exciting, the stakes grew higher and higher with every graphic torture scene, with me finally understanding what an excerpt with the lines "rewrite the history of your blood" and "in a minute you won't be recognizable" meant. From that moment onwards, I knew this story would definitely have its share of dark and uncomfortable moments. I wasn't disappointed. For instance... Also... And just graphic descriptions in general. But no worries, they come and go and don't define the entirety of the story. A lot the really good descriptions also include describing some extremely tasty-sounding foods to the point where you can imagine the taste dancing on your taste buds.
Also, some parts of it felt like pacific rim.
The shifting third-person perspectives added to the mystery of the story as sometimes I knew what one character was thinking (or thought I knew), and sometimes I didn't. It was fun getting to see different sides of characters that greatly contrasted with how they appeared when they first entered the story.
In the end, finding out Ben's past, his genius, his ability to numb those emotions and live in a society knowing what he knows and still being able to keep his composure showed me just how strong he was. It was a 180 from how I viewed him initially.
So, my conclusion is, really cool story. I was drawn to it because, well, I'm currently studying the language and the rebels are called "GWs" or George Washingtons, which is a namesake of a place I spend a lot of time at currently and I thought it'd be funny. But this novel was not funny at all.
Danger lurked around every corner, ready to pounce at the ones you'd thought were the least susceptible. No one was safe from graphic ends, and really, in the end, I really hope that there was a point to everything they did. They gotta give Ben credit somehow. Have a statue honoring him or something since there were only statues of the dead anyway (I paraphrase).
On one more unrelated note, I really liked the references to different historical tactics or cultural artifacts dotted throughout the book. There were actually many Chinese ones that I completely understood - da hong pao, mei ren ji, Battle of Chibi, etc.
It was a gripping read for sure. Before I knew it I was sucked into the alternate history of a reality that could've occurred should the Japanese have won WWII (I've never read The Man in the High Castle, but I've watched the show, and citing the novel as an inspiration was a reason I decided to read this book because I found the premise of the show fascinating). The novel not only showed the cruelty of the Japanese, but also the reality of America's faux "equality" and unfair treatment of anyone of Japanese descent in the US during WWII. Initially in the book, I silently cheered at the victory of the Japanese, that is, until
Spoiler
the Japanese soldier killed Kimiko for speaking against the empire and until I realized that a Japanese victory meant terrifying ends for those of Chinese descent, given their conduct in China during the warFast forward to Beniko, their son, and the story grew more exciting, the stakes grew higher and higher with every graphic torture scene, with me finally understanding what an excerpt with the lines "rewrite the history of your blood" and "in a minute you won't be recognizable" meant. From that moment onwards, I knew this story would definitely have its share of dark and uncomfortable moments. I wasn't disappointed. For instance...
Spoiler
Koushou's living statues? WHAT THE HELL?! WHAT KIND OF TWISTED MIND, TWISTED MAN, CAN DO SOMETHING oh my god. I was really, truly sickened by whatever it was that was described and I honestly can't even truly picture it (thankfully..).Spoiler
I didn't really expect ants to eat away at Akiko's hand but that was pretty disturbing.Also, some parts of it felt like pacific rim.
The shifting third-person perspectives added to the mystery of the story as sometimes I knew what one character was thinking (or thought I knew), and sometimes I didn't. It was fun getting to see different sides of characters that greatly contrasted with how they appeared when they first entered the story.
In the end, finding out Ben's past, his genius, his ability to numb those emotions and live in a society knowing what he knows and still being able to keep his composure showed me just how strong he was. It was a 180 from how I viewed him initially.
So, my conclusion is, really cool story. I was drawn to it because, well, I'm currently studying the language and the rebels are called "GWs" or George Washingtons, which is a namesake of a place I spend a lot of time at currently and I thought it'd be funny. But this novel was not funny at all.
Danger lurked around every corner, ready to pounce at the ones you'd thought were the least susceptible. No one was safe from graphic ends, and really, in the end, I really hope that there was a point to everything they did. They gotta give Ben credit somehow. Have a statue honoring him or something since there were only statues of the dead anyway (I paraphrase).
On one more unrelated note, I really liked the references to different historical tactics or cultural artifacts dotted throughout the book. There were actually many Chinese ones that I completely understood - da hong pao, mei ren ji, Battle of Chibi, etc.
figgyfunk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
aak7268's review against another edition
2.0
I loved the concept of the book; but didn't care for either main character. I ended up stopping about 30% of the way in (soon after a very 'Apocalypse Now' scene). It seemed that Tieryas was giving us torture and carnage simply for its own sake rather than serving plot or character development.
whitethief's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
kathrynkao's review against another edition
5.0
This book is completely gripping and immersive. Tieryas creates an entirely new world that feels rich and lived in, told from the perspective of characters in the United States of Japan army. The characters are fully developed and fascinating, and when the book jumps from the present to various points in the past, it reveals even more about the characters. I really loved how there are hints throughout that maybe our history and the book's pre-WWII history aren't totally aligned. It makes the Americans more ambiguous, which made the story much more than USJ bad/Americans good. I'm studying for my Social Studies Single Subject certification exam, and reading this book while studying world history in general and WWII in particular really added to the experience.
My only complaint is that the ending is more open-ended than I would like. I would be thrilled if a sequel, set a decade or two after the events in the book, would pick things up from the ending. I wasn't ready for the book to be over, and I was expecting to learn what kind of dent in USJ leadership and control the events of the book had.
My only complaint is that the ending is more open-ended than I would like. I would be thrilled if a sequel, set a decade or two after the events in the book, would pick things up from the ending. I wasn't ready for the book to be over, and I was expecting to learn what kind of dent in USJ leadership and control the events of the book had.
jmoses's review against another edition
3.0
This was....weird. The story has a simple premise, "what if the Japan conquered the US during WW2", and I think the execution of that was pretty good. The overall state of society reflects a fairly believable view of what could have happened.
With that said, I'm not sure if I really like this book or not. I didn't like any of the major characters, and I actively disliked Akiko. The actual writing though, was marvelously lyrical at many points. I feel like the author would have a good run writing something a bit more literary; a bit more poetic.
I probably won't ever read this again, and if it's the start of series, I will actively avoid it.
With that said, I'm not sure if I really like this book or not. I didn't like any of the major characters, and I actively disliked Akiko. The actual writing though, was marvelously lyrical at many points. I feel like the author would have a good run writing something a bit more literary; a bit more poetic.
I probably won't ever read this again, and if it's the start of series, I will actively avoid it.
pachypedia's review against another edition
4.0
He disfrutado mucho esta lectura, sobre todo por sus personajes. Esperaba más presencias de los mechas, pero me ha gustado todo el planteamiento de espionajes y el poder que tiene detrás un videojuego.
paholau's review against another edition
5.0
Me encantó♥
Vista ucrónica donde Japón, junto con el Eje, ganó la WWII y se quedó con la partse occidental de los EUA, conquistando después México y parte de Latinoamérica.
Reseña completa en mi blog (más por pereza que por otra cosa): https://letrasdelau.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/estados-unidos-de-japon-de-peter-tierya/
Vista ucrónica donde Japón, junto con el Eje, ganó la WWII y se quedó con la partse occidental de los EUA, conquistando después México y parte de Latinoamérica.
Reseña completa en mi blog (más por pereza que por otra cosa): https://letrasdelau.wordpress.com/2018/02/25/estados-unidos-de-japon-de-peter-tierya/
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
In a world where the Axis won World War II and Japan controls the western United States, a censor named Ben Ishimura and a secret police agent named Akiko Tsukino are trying to find the source of a video game called USA, which allows players to play in a world where America never fell...
I initially passed on this when I saw it on Netgalley but Peter Tieryas seems like a pretty cool guy on Goodreads and on Twitter so I gave it a shot when it went on sale for $1.99.
United States of Japan is a spiritual successor to [b:The Man in the High Castle|216363|The Man in the High Castle|Philip K. Dick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1448756803s/216363.jpg|2398287], which I really need to read one of these days. The USJ is a paranoid dystopia where the Emperor is everything and to speak against him means death. Skyscraper-sized mecha patrol the cities and everyone carries a portable computer called a portcal.
Ben Ishimura is a censor whose attitude prevents him from going anywhere in his career. Akikio Tsukino is a cop whose career means everything. What happens when these two get forced to work together? A fun tale full of action and gore, that's what!
United States of Japan was a fun read, full of gruesome deaths, gore, cyberpunk awesomeness, and some giant robots roaming around the periphery. The paranoid feel made it pretty gripping at times. I had a feeling who was responsible for the USA game but I was off by a degree or two.
I didn't actually care for Ben that much. He's pretty passive for a lead character and his attitude got on my nerves. Akiko, on the other hand, ran the gauntlet over the course of the book and wound up being my favorite character, far from the mindless duty-bound cop she started the book as.
Aside from Ben, the only complaint I can think of would be that there weren't enough mecha battles. As a child of the 80's, I loved getting home from school in time to watch Voltron or Robotech and as such, can't get enough of giant robots duking it out.
United States of Japan makes dystopian alternate history fun! 3.5 out of 5 stars.
I initially passed on this when I saw it on Netgalley but Peter Tieryas seems like a pretty cool guy on Goodreads and on Twitter so I gave it a shot when it went on sale for $1.99.
United States of Japan is a spiritual successor to [b:The Man in the High Castle|216363|The Man in the High Castle|Philip K. Dick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1448756803s/216363.jpg|2398287], which I really need to read one of these days. The USJ is a paranoid dystopia where the Emperor is everything and to speak against him means death. Skyscraper-sized mecha patrol the cities and everyone carries a portable computer called a portcal.
Ben Ishimura is a censor whose attitude prevents him from going anywhere in his career. Akikio Tsukino is a cop whose career means everything. What happens when these two get forced to work together? A fun tale full of action and gore, that's what!
United States of Japan was a fun read, full of gruesome deaths, gore, cyberpunk awesomeness, and some giant robots roaming around the periphery. The paranoid feel made it pretty gripping at times. I had a feeling who was responsible for the USA game but I was off by a degree or two.
I didn't actually care for Ben that much. He's pretty passive for a lead character and his attitude got on my nerves. Akiko, on the other hand, ran the gauntlet over the course of the book and wound up being my favorite character, far from the mindless duty-bound cop she started the book as.
Aside from Ben, the only complaint I can think of would be that there weren't enough mecha battles. As a child of the 80's, I loved getting home from school in time to watch Voltron or Robotech and as such, can't get enough of giant robots duking it out.
United States of Japan makes dystopian alternate history fun! 3.5 out of 5 stars.