gritshelme's review against another edition
3.0
What I enjoyed most here were the descriptions of the sights in Tokyo--Robot Restaurant, the island of cats, the food and the parks. I don't recommend anyone read this book for well-developed characters or plot, because everything there was a bit bland. What conflict there was resolved so quickly that it was actually a bit jarring right at the end.
kyt's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
sprucewillow's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I think a lot of people in this review section are misguided as to what this book is. This book is not a travel guide for Japan, a resource to learn realistic Japanese culture, or an accurate depiction of living in Japan as a foreigner. It is a YA rags-to-sudden-riches plot of a teenage girl forging relationships with new friends and new family in a new environment.
That being said, this book still wasn't written well. Don't get me wrong, I had fun reading it. The moving to Japan and meeting of new friends felt very adventurous. The protagonist's voice was witty and more often than not realistic to the age of the character (hard to find sometimes!). A tween or teen could easily connect with the book in this way, reaching the target audience.
I was disappointed in how the story panned out overall. The first half was on a roll. Good pacing, nice and intriguing characterization. I was invested in how these new relationships were going to work out. Perhaps it was just me, but I lost interest around the halfway point. According to the back cover, the main love interest was supposed to be Ryuu, but not much development happened until far beyond this? The blossomed "romance" was so quickly developed and subsequently forbidden I didn't care about their relationship.
The ending overall was a bummer. Two chapters max of "resolutions", still leaving so many loose ends.
This book is good if you're looking for a lighthearted, no-stakes read about friends and family through the eyes of a teen, just don't be blindsided by the cringe near the end.
That being said, this book still wasn't written well. Don't get me wrong, I had fun reading it. The moving to Japan and meeting of new friends felt very adventurous. The protagonist's voice was witty and more often than not realistic to the age of the character (hard to find sometimes!). A tween or teen could easily connect with the book in this way, reaching the target audience.
I was disappointed in how the story panned out overall. The first half was on a roll. Good pacing, nice and intriguing characterization. I was invested in how these new relationships were going to work out. Perhaps it was just me, but I lost interest around the halfway point.
Spoiler
This was when Nick? kissed Elle.The ending overall was a bummer. Two chapters max of "resolutions", still leaving so many loose ends.
Spoiler
What about Elle's mom? Reggie?? I thought they said addiction treatment didn't really exist in Japan, but all of a sudden her dad has gotten over the stigma and is seeking a doctor? Left me feeling sour.This book is good if you're looking for a lighthearted, no-stakes read about friends and family through the eyes of a teen, just don't be blindsided by the cringe near the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Animal death and Toxic friendship
Minor: Pregnancy and Rape
brittaniethekid's review against another edition
1.0
There are so many things wrong with this book I don't really know where to begin.
I guess, first off, this isn't some love letter to Tokyo like a lot of reviews have said. Reading, I felt like I know more about the city and culture just from watching anime and researching for my own trip than this author - there were things that were very weird or just plain wrong that the author is trying to pass off as fact that are actually pretty important when representing an entire nation such as language and name pronunciations, phrases, and cultural norms. There is also really only one part of the book the explores the city and most of that is spent on the Robot Restaurant experience. Most of the books hardly takes place outside of the hotel she lives in or the accelerated English-language school she goes to, both places are hardly experiences a normal person would be able to relate to or experience in Japan.
Secondly, how much thought was put into Elle's characterisation? She was just a really shitty person from the start. She grew up loved but has become so embittered by her mother's (seemingly short) addiction spiral that led to prison that she just acts like a spoiled brat through most of the book. Yes, she had to experience the American foster system (which sucks) but it seemed like a very short time and now she's basically been handed this amazing, privileged life and she can't take some minutes out of her day to appreciate it, instead focusing on how her father works constantly or how her grandmother and aunt show little interest. And before that, she claims she loves her mom but didn't seem to do anything to discourage her addiction and then decided that she was so angry about it she wouldn't even visit her in prison, opting to just stew in her anger at her disgusting foster home. I guess because she's 16 you can just claim that she's at the age where she both thinks she knows everything she needs to about the world while knowing absolutely nothing but that makes it very difficult to read her POV, much less have any sympathy for her.
The book starts off with her getting pretty brutally bullied on the school bus because she smells from not being able to shower more than once a week at her foster home but doesn't seem to realise there is more than one way to clean yourself. When she does finally make it to Tokyo, she seems to know perfectly how to operate a brand new iPhone and video chat with friends via public school computers (which is absolutely ridiculous) but doesn't know basic things that come up in conversation as if she's never read a book in her life. She also doesn't seem to ever do any of her own research on Japan, relying solely on a binder that was prepared for her by her father's assistant (who disappears 1/4 way through the book never to be mentioned again) or what her "friends" tell her. She couldn't pick up a Lonely Planet guide at Dulles before getting on a 16 hour flight? There's also the fact that, while she wasn't super poor before her mom started spiraling, she embraces her newfound privilege with open arms, instantly becoming a Mean Girl - even while telling herself/the reader she hates every minute of it. She acts like she has no choice but to hang out with these girls, even feeling rebellious when she doesn't like it's some huge faux pas (though she's commiting faux pas left and right like it's her job). AND ALSO Uber and Amex is not something that you could use around Tokyo willy nilly, even as a rich person. Seven Eleven Japan does take Amex but I doubt many smaller shops do (she's also using it to buy things that are probably less than ¥1500 and yeesh just get some allowance cash from your loaded father), as Japan is largely still a cash based society. And Uber is in Japan (in Tokyo only as many municipal governments such a Fukuoka have deemed it illegal) but it's more for hailing cabs (which is also how it works in Ireland and Finland). She would most likely have wanted to use a local cab app or would just walk/take trains/busses everywhere like most Japanese. AND THIS IS STUFF THAT IS ALL GOOGLEABLE, RACHEL.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg for what is wrong with this book.
The reader slogs though all of this nonsense, wanting more and more to throttle the main character, only to have the last 40 pages being some kind of magical conclusion with all these pieces falling perfectly into place and then wrapped with a Hello Kitty bow. That's not how life works and it makes this book an even bigger waste of time.
It was really disappointing because I've always been interested in Japanese culture and am preparing for my own trip abroad so was hoping for a book that would be in touch with that and make me even more excited, might even have given me some ideas or expectations... Instead, it just made me angry and cringe. If you know anything about Japan, you'll hate this. If you don't know anything about Japan, you might not hate this but I'll hate that it's giving you a false reality of such an amazing, rich culture.
I guess, first off, this isn't some love letter to Tokyo like a lot of reviews have said. Reading, I felt like I know more about the city and culture just from watching anime and researching for my own trip than this author - there were things that were very weird or just plain wrong that the author is trying to pass off as fact that are actually pretty important when representing an entire nation such as language and name pronunciations, phrases, and cultural norms. There is also really only one part of the book the explores the city and most of that is spent on the Robot Restaurant experience. Most of the books hardly takes place outside of the hotel she lives in or the accelerated English-language school she goes to, both places are hardly experiences a normal person would be able to relate to or experience in Japan.
Secondly, how much thought was put into Elle's characterisation? She was just a really shitty person from the start. She grew up loved but has become so embittered by her mother's (seemingly short) addiction spiral that led to prison that she just acts like a spoiled brat through most of the book. Yes, she had to experience the American foster system (which sucks) but it seemed like a very short time and now she's basically been handed this amazing, privileged life and she can't take some minutes out of her day to appreciate it, instead focusing on how her father works constantly or how her grandmother and aunt show little interest. And before that, she claims she loves her mom but didn't seem to do anything to discourage her addiction and then decided that she was so angry about it she wouldn't even visit her in prison, opting to just stew in her anger at her disgusting foster home. I guess because she's 16 you can just claim that she's at the age where she both thinks she knows everything she needs to about the world while knowing absolutely nothing but that makes it very difficult to read her POV, much less have any sympathy for her.
The book starts off with her getting pretty brutally bullied on the school bus because she smells from not being able to shower more than once a week at her foster home but doesn't seem to realise there is more than one way to clean yourself. When she does finally make it to Tokyo, she seems to know perfectly how to operate a brand new iPhone and video chat with friends via public school computers (which is absolutely ridiculous) but doesn't know basic things that come up in conversation as if she's never read a book in her life. She also doesn't seem to ever do any of her own research on Japan, relying solely on a binder that was prepared for her by her father's assistant (who disappears 1/4 way through the book never to be mentioned again) or what her "friends" tell her. She couldn't pick up a Lonely Planet guide at Dulles before getting on a 16 hour flight? There's also the fact that, while she wasn't super poor before her mom started spiraling, she embraces her newfound privilege with open arms, instantly becoming a Mean Girl - even while telling herself/the reader she hates every minute of it. She acts like she has no choice but to hang out with these girls, even feeling rebellious when she doesn't like it's some huge faux pas (though she's commiting faux pas left and right like it's her job). AND ALSO Uber and Amex is not something that you could use around Tokyo willy nilly, even as a rich person. Seven Eleven Japan does take Amex but I doubt many smaller shops do (she's also using it to buy things that are probably less than ¥1500 and yeesh just get some allowance cash from your loaded father), as Japan is largely still a cash based society. And Uber is in Japan (in Tokyo only as many municipal governments such a Fukuoka have deemed it illegal) but it's more for hailing cabs (which is also how it works in Ireland and Finland). She would most likely have wanted to use a local cab app or would just walk/take trains/busses everywhere like most Japanese. AND THIS IS STUFF THAT IS ALL GOOGLEABLE, RACHEL.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg for what is wrong with this book.
The reader slogs though all of this nonsense, wanting more and more to throttle the main character, only to have the last 40 pages being some kind of magical conclusion with all these pieces falling perfectly into place and then wrapped with a Hello Kitty bow. That's not how life works and it makes this book an even bigger waste of time.
It was really disappointing because I've always been interested in Japanese culture and am preparing for my own trip abroad so was hoping for a book that would be in touch with that and make me even more excited, might even have given me some ideas or expectations... Instead, it just made me angry and cringe. If you know anything about Japan, you'll hate this. If you don't know anything about Japan, you might not hate this but I'll hate that it's giving you a false reality of such an amazing, rich culture.
offinherownmind's review against another edition
3.0
3.5*
I enjoyed this. I loved the Japanese culture, though I'm not sure it it was all correct.
I'm happy Elle finally saw the popular people for who they were. And the outcome with her family.
The main thing is I feel like the ending had some holes in it. Like we never got to know what happened with Reggie, his character ending didn't seem right at all. And we didn't really get to know much about her mom, or Akemi. We did get to see how things with Imogen ended up, but I didn't care for her.
I enjoyed this. I loved the Japanese culture, though I'm not sure it it was all correct.
I'm happy Elle finally saw the popular people for who they were. And the outcome with her family.
The main thing is I feel like the ending had some holes in it. Like we never got to know what happened with Reggie, his character ending didn't seem right at all. And we didn't really get to know much about her mom, or Akemi. We did get to see how things with Imogen ended up, but I didn't care for her.
minniewhite's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-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
3.5
alexandrafren's review
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
3.5
zoebrienne's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
I received an eARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
When Elle’s mother is sent to prison for drugs, she is put in the foster care system. Elle learns quickly how to live with few material possessions and how to count on only herself. On her sixteenth birthday, Elle is contacted by a long-lost family friend, who intends to take her to Japan to live with her father. Thinking that anything could be better than where she currently lives, Elle goes to learn about her new father. She quickly finds that he is a well-connected and affluent business man in Japan. While she sees very little of him and her other newly found family members, she is desperate to learn more about this side of her history. Elle attends a prestigious boarding school with other high-power students, she will need to adapt quickly if she hopes to be successful and please her father. This novel updates the classic Cinderella story and takes it to Tokyo.
I enjoyed this novel and wish that it would have lasted longer. The ending came together too quickly. I did enjoy exploring the characters and their connections with each other.
When Elle’s mother is sent to prison for drugs, she is put in the foster care system. Elle learns quickly how to live with few material possessions and how to count on only herself. On her sixteenth birthday, Elle is contacted by a long-lost family friend, who intends to take her to Japan to live with her father. Thinking that anything could be better than where she currently lives, Elle goes to learn about her new father. She quickly finds that he is a well-connected and affluent business man in Japan. While she sees very little of him and her other newly found family members, she is desperate to learn more about this side of her history. Elle attends a prestigious boarding school with other high-power students, she will need to adapt quickly if she hopes to be successful and please her father. This novel updates the classic Cinderella story and takes it to Tokyo.
I enjoyed this novel and wish that it would have lasted longer. The ending came together too quickly. I did enjoy exploring the characters and their connections with each other.
bellaroobookworm's review against another edition
2.0
Quick, easy read.
A couple things bothered me MAJORLY. First, and probably least important: calico cats are female. At the end of the book, Elle pets a calico cat and lets "him or her" sniff her. This bothered me because if you've been to a Chili's or an Olive Garden in the past ten years, those little kiosk/card reader/game tablets have that very tidbit of information constantly playing on their screens.
Idk, for some reason this bothered me. A lack of research, I guess?
Another thing: Everything magically got better in the last six pages (except for friendship with Reggie??). Yes, six. The climax was rushed, the falling action was more of a summary than anything, and it felt too good to be true.
And the final thing: I actually stopped and went back to read because I was CERTAIN I'd missed something. When Elle finds out about Reggie's girlfriend, she talks about her like this girlfriend has already been introduced. It was the first (and only) time that Reggie's girlfriend even came up! It made me feel like something got cut out of the novel. Very disjointed.
Overall, I had high hopes for this as a easy-breezy fun read. It failed to deliver.
A couple things bothered me MAJORLY. First, and probably least important: calico cats are female. At the end of the book, Elle pets a calico cat and lets "him or her" sniff her. This bothered me because if you've been to a Chili's or an Olive Garden in the past ten years, those little kiosk/card reader/game tablets have that very tidbit of information constantly playing on their screens.
Idk, for some reason this bothered me. A lack of research, I guess?
Another thing: Everything magically got better in the last six pages (except for friendship with Reggie??). Yes, six. The climax was rushed, the falling action was more of a summary than anything, and it felt too good to be true.
And the final thing: I actually stopped and went back to read because I was CERTAIN I'd missed something. When Elle finds out about Reggie's girlfriend, she talks about her like this girlfriend has already been introduced. It was the first (and only) time that Reggie's girlfriend even came up! It made me feel like something got cut out of the novel. Very disjointed.
Overall, I had high hopes for this as a easy-breezy fun read. It failed to deliver.