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jc_wb's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Kimi doesn't want to go to art school anymore but she's scared of disappointing her mom (an artist).
She gets the opportunity to visit her grandparents in Japan, who she's never met before. She chooses to run away from her problems. She meets a cute boy dressed as a mochi who makes it his mission to help figure out her life's purpose and passion.
The story takes place around Kyoto, in places I've been (and also seen the aggressive deer at Nara) so it was great to be able to picture where Kimi and Akiro were visiting (mostly).
Kimi's grandparents are great characters and provide a lot of background on Japanese culture and Kimi's family history.
I really enjoyed this and want to a sequel on Kimi and Akiro!
She gets the opportunity to visit her grandparents in Japan, who she's never met before. She chooses to run away from her problems. She meets a cute boy dressed as a mochi who makes it his mission to help figure out her life's purpose and passion.
The story takes place around Kyoto, in places I've been (and also seen the aggressive deer at Nara) so it was great to be able to picture where Kimi and Akiro were visiting (mostly).
Kimi's grandparents are great characters and provide a lot of background on Japanese culture and Kimi's family history.
I really enjoyed this and want to a sequel on Kimi and Akiro!
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
ctara2123's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
averyjane's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
thereadinghammock's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
When I downloaded this book after hearing about it on the Reading Glasses podcast, I wasn't expecting a high school "discover-your-passion" story. Not my usual type of romance, but I figured I'd I liked the description so much that I literally borrowed it from my library at a stop light, I should give it a real chance.
On the one hand, I related to Kimi's struggle to live up to parental expectations. Especially when those expectations feel like they're set in stone. On the other hand, every time she or her mother kept saying all her sewing and designing was just "a distraction" and "not something you could make a career from." Ummm, hello? Have they never seen Project Runway? Or seen any red carpet event or the wild outfits from the Met Gala? The fact that it took nearly 3/4 of the book for Kimi to have her aha moment there felt frustrating. Especially given the major fashion influence of Japan in general. I know she's only in high school, but it felt a bit drawn out unnecessarily.
I loved the sweet her romance with Akira. He was so earnest and sincere. He was infatuated with Kimi from the moment he heard her laugh and it was so endearing. And watching how much it meant to him to really help Kimi on her path to self discovery was so genuine and sweet. He just wanted her to have that same passion in her life that he felt for becoming a doctor! But what a teenage dolt that he thought his uncle would let him give up on being a doctor to help run the Mochi stand! Teenagers, oy vey!
On the one hand, I related to Kimi's struggle to live up to parental expectations. Especially when those expectations feel like they're set in stone. On the other hand, every time she or her mother kept saying all her sewing and designing was just "a distraction" and "not something you could make a career from." Ummm, hello? Have they never seen Project Runway? Or seen any red carpet event or the wild outfits from the Met Gala? The fact that it took nearly 3/4 of the book for Kimi to have her aha moment there felt frustrating. Especially given the major fashion influence of Japan in general. I know she's only in high school, but it felt a bit drawn out unnecessarily.
I loved the sweet her romance with Akira. He was so earnest and sincere. He was infatuated with Kimi from the moment he heard her laugh and it was so endearing. And watching how much it meant to him to really help Kimi on her path to self discovery was so genuine and sweet. He just wanted her to have that same passion in her life that he felt for becoming a doctor! But what a teenage dolt that he thought his uncle would let him give up on being a doctor to help run the Mochi stand! Teenagers, oy vey!
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
mybookishadventure_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Death, and Racism
anna_23's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer and Racism
lookingforwonder's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
“I Love You So Mochi” by Sarah Kuhn (2019). This book follows Kimi, a high school senior who takes a trip to Japan to escape her mother’s disappointment that she no longer wants to become a Great Asian-American Artist. Hoping to discover who she is, Kimi meets a cute Japanese boy names Akira, explores Kyoto, and bonds with her estranged maternal grandparents.
I was in the mood to read something sweet, and “I Love You So Mochi” definitely fit that bill. My favorite parts of the book were with Kimi and her grandparents. Kimi’s mother disappointed her parents by choosing a future they hadn’t envisioned for her. There’s still a lingering disappointment and sadness, and the parallels are clear between Kimi, Kimi’s mother, and her grandparents. Her Ojiisan (grandfather) was so adorable and funny; her Obaasan (grandmother) had greater baggage and hurt to unpack from twenty years earlier when a rift formed between her and her only child. The development of her relationship with Kimi was very natural and real. The romance in the book was cute. Akira had his own personality, but he felt mostly like a plot device than a fully-fleshed out character. The romance didn’t have too much tension, and the tension that did appear was resolved fairly quickly.
Kimi is attempting to find herself, her future, in Japan, but it was obvious from the first chapter what that was. That made the main conflict not very difficult to overcome, even though it took about three-fourths of the novel to get there. In the end, I liked this book more as a family saga than a romance. It was light and sweet, just like the treat in its title.
Quote of the book: “If you want something, you have to say it out loud and to the correct person.”
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism
littledeerbythecreek's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The inner voice is the absolute best and it’s so funny. Seriously I cried because I laughed so hard.
It’s a heartwarming, beautiful book about a girl finding herself, family, parts of her culture and love.
It’s a heartwarming, beautiful book about a girl finding herself, family, parts of her culture and love.
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism and Cancer
Mention of the internment of Japanese Americans.
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