A review by cakt1991
Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean

emotional hopeful 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

I love that, sequel aside, Emiko Jean never writes the same type of book twice. And Mika in Real Life is also additionally different in that it’s her first book for adults. And even amid other deadlines, as alluded to in her acknowledgments, she delivers a compelling, heartwarming read that is guaranteed to pull at one’s heartstrings. 

Mika is immediately relatable. She’s kind-of, just-barely getting by at thirty-five, which is very reassuring to read…there really is no age limit to being a mess. And while she has a strained relationship with her traditional Japanese parents, I appreciate that the narrative used it to color her perspective on life and the relationship with parent and child, without the relationship being a dominating force, as many dysfunctional relationship narratives within multicultural contexts can often be. 

Instead, I love how it colors her choice to be (and not be) a mother. She gave up her child to more capable adoptive parents, but once Penny has come back into her life, she can’t help but want to appear as the best image of herself she can be, so Penny won’t be disappointed in her, even if it means telling some white lies. The plan does not go as she hoped (who expected it to?), but I love how the story focuses on her constant growth, while not putting her into a box by the end. 

I really liked how the history between Mika and Penny’s adoptive family is delivered through the interstitial documents. While Penny doesn’t find out her mother’s identity until her teens, it’s sweet for Mika to receive correspondence from Caroline and, later, Thomas. It really gave depth to the relationship between Mika and the entire family, even before she met them.

I really liked a lot of the relationships in this book. Her best friend/roommate, Hana, is equally messy (and a hoarder!), but she’s incredibly endearing in her own right. I wasn’t sure what to think about Leif, who Mika is sort-of dating throughout the book, but he’s a decent mguy who helps Mika in a tough spot, even if he’s not “the One” for her. 

And I love the development of Mika’s bonds with both Penny and Thomas. While she isn’t an image of perfection with it all together, Mika really does love Penny, and Penny comes to love her back. And a romance also develops between Mika and Thomas, and while it’s very much a subplot, it’s really sweet. 

While the narrative hits some predictable story beats, it’s bighearted nature and the sensitive handling of topics like the impact of adoption on all parties involved, makes it an engaging read. If you enjoy contemporaries that are humorous, yet subtly hard-hitting, you might like this one. 

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