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A review by katiemack
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.5
I received this as an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
4.5. If you're looking for a YA novel that's a cross between Princess Diaries and American Royals with a dash of Crazy Rich Asians, I'd recommend this one, in which Izumi--a Japanese American eighteen-year-old who lives in a small white-majority town in California, founds out that she's the daughter of a Crown Prince of Japan.
I was glad to see that this leans into the comedy while also pointing out the difficulty of integrating into a new society and culture, even (or especially) if you are able to blend in on a physical level. I loved seeing Izumi navigate Japan in an authentically imperfect way; she acknowledges her missteps with a sharp and wild sense of humor (made even more evident through her text conversations with her friends back in California), and I was glad to see that Jean didn't turn the story into a farce or a rags-to-royalty story.
4.5. If you're looking for a YA novel that's a cross between Princess Diaries and American Royals with a dash of Crazy Rich Asians, I'd recommend this one, in which Izumi--a Japanese American eighteen-year-old who lives in a small white-majority town in California, founds out that she's the daughter of a Crown Prince of Japan.
I was glad to see that this leans into the comedy while also pointing out the difficulty of integrating into a new society and culture, even (or especially) if you are able to blend in on a physical level. I loved seeing Izumi navigate Japan in an authentically imperfect way; she acknowledges her missteps with a sharp and wild sense of humor (made even more evident through her text conversations with her friends back in California), and I was glad to see that Jean didn't turn the story into a farce or a rags-to-royalty story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism