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A review by gracenevitt
Seven Days in Tokyo by José Daniel Alvior
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
In this book we follow a Filipino man wading through the confusion and heartache of a temporary connection. As the narrative shifts back and forth from NYC a little while ago to today in Tokyo, where he has a 7 day stopover, we recount his experience of meeting someone and sorting through his feelings for him. As he waits out the limbo of his pending work visa in order to return to NYC, our main character spends time in Tokyo where he meets up with a man he has developed strong feelings for over the short time he's known him. He grapples with his impermanence and impertinence in the other man's life while the cherry blossoms in Tokyo are fading away as his weeklong journey passes.
It's a beautifully written book that meditates on the ideas of home, relationships, and one's relationship to the space they are in, whether that be as a resident or traveler. The prose and observations of this novel were absolutely stunning, and had me highlighting passages constantly. It truly cut to the quick. It relays that our relationship to where we are and who we're with is often messy and muddled with a lot of feeling. Relationships to where we live and who we love are not always straight forward, but there is always joy and beauty to be found out there in the world in the least expected places and moments. It was a slow-paced literary fiction book that is definitely more "no plot, just vibes", but done in such a way that it kept my attention rapt. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and eagerly await to see what else this author writes in the future! A fantastic debut in my opinion.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for supplying me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.
It's a beautifully written book that meditates on the ideas of home, relationships, and one's relationship to the space they are in, whether that be as a resident or traveler. The prose and observations of this novel were absolutely stunning, and had me highlighting passages constantly. It truly cut to the quick. It relays that our relationship to where we are and who we're with is often messy and muddled with a lot of feeling. Relationships to where we live and who we love are not always straight forward, but there is always joy and beauty to be found out there in the world in the least expected places and moments. It was a slow-paced literary fiction book that is definitely more "no plot, just vibes", but done in such a way that it kept my attention rapt. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and eagerly await to see what else this author writes in the future! A fantastic debut in my opinion.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for supplying me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.