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babzgordon 's review for:
Kamikaze Girls
by Akemi Wegmüller, Novala Takemoto
What an odd, sweet little book. I say odd because firstly the summary of this book, to me, is a little misleading. Particularly this bit:
Together, this unlikeliest of duos strike out on a quest to find a legendary embroiderer, a journey on which they encounter conniving pachinko parlor managers, legendary street-punks, and anemic costumers. Who knows, they might just make it big...if only Ichiko would stop head butting Momoko in the forehead.
It gives the impression that this "quest" is the main plot of the novel and pachinko parlor managers and legendary street-punks are foes or allies they meet along the way, while really though all those things are present in the story, it's not as adventurous as that blurb makes it sound. This book is really simply about two girls, both misfits in their own right, coming together to form an unlikely and hilarious and heart-warming friendship. That's it. And it was truly adorable. I'm really, really into stories about people becoming unlikely friends, I pretty much live for it. Especially when it's between two females. Those types of stories just really get me. So, if you like that sort of thing, this book will not disappoint as it flawlessly depicts the journey of two characters who appear outwardly to be opposites when they actually are very similar. We've got our narrator, Momoko, who strives to uphold the Rococo and Lolita lifestyle with every fiber of her being. And we've got Ichigo, who strives to uphold the Yanki (roughly: a punk) biker lifestyle with every fiber of her being. As they grow closer their philosophies begin to blend together in a lovely but predictable way.
Momoko's character was incredible. From the first page it is clear that she's going to be absolutely insufferable. She is totally absorbed in her own little world and in herself and it's amazing. Her inner monologue is hilarious. She refers to her father only as "The Loser", with good reason of course, and when Ichigo comments on how shitty her personality is, Momoko simply responds with "I know." And her little asides to herself whenever Ichigo would say something ridiculous, or really whenever Ichigo would say anything at all, had me in stitches. With lines like:
"Shit, girl. You look even dumber than usual."
Allow me to return those words verbatim to your good self.
I was giggling constantly.
Ichigo was too perfect for words. Oblivious and somewhat naive, her child-like logic captures the reader's heart instantly. Even with her filthy mouth and fiery temper, she comes across as this adorable little thing that just wants to belong somewhere. She's constantly threatening to kick Momoko's ass, and I think there's hardly a sentence directed from her to Momoko without the word bitch in it, but it's clear from the beginning the admiration she has for her. The growth of their friendship made my teeth ache, expecially being told from the ever refined and utterly blasé Momoko's point of view. Her love for Ichigo creeps up on her as well as the reader, and her dedication to her by the end of book surprised even me.
Now, aside from the supreme cuteness of Ichigo and Momoko's relationship, the story overall leaves something to be desired. There's quite a big introduction about Momoko's father and their past together, which I really loved, but then after that he just disappears for the meat of the book, and shows up conveniently again at the end. It wasn't hugely annoying but it did bother me a little bit. And I'm probably just a little too accustomed to the action-adventurey stories that are all over the place right now but the whole time I was reading this book I just kept waiting for something exciting to happen. Spoiler: it doesn't. There's quite a tense scene toward the end but there was no lead up to it, it literally came out of nowhere, but it is a pretty great ending. The first 80% of the book is really just all about Momoko's past, a little look into Ichigo's past, and the two of them going to random places and arguing with each other. Boring as that sounds, somehow this book was a very engaging and funny(though very light)read. Also, the author's afterword was really lovely. I was always fascinated by Lolita fashion when I was younger and it's nice to feel like I have a deeper insight on it after reading.
Together, this unlikeliest of duos strike out on a quest to find a legendary embroiderer, a journey on which they encounter conniving pachinko parlor managers, legendary street-punks, and anemic costumers. Who knows, they might just make it big...if only Ichiko would stop head butting Momoko in the forehead.
It gives the impression that this "quest" is the main plot of the novel and pachinko parlor managers and legendary street-punks are foes or allies they meet along the way, while really though all those things are present in the story, it's not as adventurous as that blurb makes it sound. This book is really simply about two girls, both misfits in their own right, coming together to form an unlikely and hilarious and heart-warming friendship. That's it. And it was truly adorable. I'm really, really into stories about people becoming unlikely friends, I pretty much live for it. Especially when it's between two females. Those types of stories just really get me. So, if you like that sort of thing, this book will not disappoint as it flawlessly depicts the journey of two characters who appear outwardly to be opposites when they actually are very similar. We've got our narrator, Momoko, who strives to uphold the Rococo and Lolita lifestyle with every fiber of her being. And we've got Ichigo, who strives to uphold the Yanki (roughly: a punk) biker lifestyle with every fiber of her being. As they grow closer their philosophies begin to blend together in a lovely but predictable way.
Momoko's character was incredible. From the first page it is clear that she's going to be absolutely insufferable. She is totally absorbed in her own little world and in herself and it's amazing. Her inner monologue is hilarious. She refers to her father only as "The Loser", with good reason of course, and when Ichigo comments on how shitty her personality is, Momoko simply responds with "I know." And her little asides to herself whenever Ichigo would say something ridiculous, or really whenever Ichigo would say anything at all, had me in stitches. With lines like:
"Shit, girl. You look even dumber than usual."
Allow me to return those words verbatim to your good self.
I was giggling constantly.
Ichigo was too perfect for words. Oblivious and somewhat naive, her child-like logic captures the reader's heart instantly. Even with her filthy mouth and fiery temper, she comes across as this adorable little thing that just wants to belong somewhere. She's constantly threatening to kick Momoko's ass, and I think there's hardly a sentence directed from her to Momoko without the word bitch in it, but it's clear from the beginning the admiration she has for her. The growth of their friendship made my teeth ache, expecially being told from the ever refined and utterly blasé Momoko's point of view. Her love for Ichigo creeps up on her as well as the reader, and her dedication to her by the end of book surprised even me.
Now, aside from the supreme cuteness of Ichigo and Momoko's relationship, the story overall leaves something to be desired. There's quite a big introduction about Momoko's father and their past together, which I really loved, but then after that he just disappears for the meat of the book, and shows up conveniently again at the end. It wasn't hugely annoying but it did bother me a little bit. And I'm probably just a little too accustomed to the action-adventurey stories that are all over the place right now but the whole time I was reading this book I just kept waiting for something exciting to happen. Spoiler: it doesn't. There's quite a tense scene toward the end but there was no lead up to it, it literally came out of nowhere, but it is a pretty great ending. The first 80% of the book is really just all about Momoko's past, a little look into Ichigo's past, and the two of them going to random places and arguing with each other. Boring as that sounds, somehow this book was a very engaging and funny(though very light)read. Also, the author's afterword was really lovely. I was always fascinated by Lolita fashion when I was younger and it's nice to feel like I have a deeper insight on it after reading.