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maeganmarie's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-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
5.0
AAAA I absolutely loved this book! Its a story of Izumi’s (the mc) journey of discovering the twists and turns of the royal life and figuring out her cultural differences. Stumbling to keep up with her royal status, Izumi gets entangled within the strings of a complicated romance!
Oh. My. God. The fact that Yoshi was the one behind the tabloid stories was utterly shocking. i trusted him TwT I adored the progression of Akio and Izumi relationship, ESPECIALLY THE POEMS 🥺 Akio and Makato are such romantics
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Sexism
Minor: Dementia
linesiunderline's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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? No
4.25
This was a Reese-made-me-do-it / GORGEOUS cover impulse buy. And then it lingered on my TBR shelf for months. I even toyed with the idea of passing it on in my neighborhood Little Free Library. But I am so glad I didn’t because it was a throughly enjoyable, escapist royal romp!
Izumi was funny, complicated, relatable, and real. I loved the Lorelai / Rory feel of her relationship with her mom, and her friendships were full of love and inside jokes and support.
I didn’t read The Princess Diaries as a kid, but I watched the movies in my younger adult years, so I can see that the comparison is fitting.
I appreciated the exploration of identity and culture and personal history, and how these things merge in a complicated way for many teenagers, trying to find their place and a sense of self.
I hadn’t expected the sense of place to be so beautifully written. I love that in a book. Reading this made me bump Japan up on my someday travel list.
Some events relied too much on coincidence, and some of the secondary characters weren’t especially developed (the shining twins for instance), but the whole experience was just a delight, and I will be preordering the sequel that comes out in 2022. Spoiler alert: it’s also gorgeous.
Izumi was funny, complicated, relatable, and real. I loved the Lorelai / Rory feel of her relationship with her mom, and her friendships were full of love and inside jokes and support.
I didn’t read The Princess Diaries as a kid, but I watched the movies in my younger adult years, so I can see that the comparison is fitting.
I appreciated the exploration of identity and culture and personal history, and how these things merge in a complicated way for many teenagers, trying to find their place and a sense of self.
I hadn’t expected the sense of place to be so beautifully written. I love that in a book. Reading this made me bump Japan up on my someday travel list.
Some events relied too much on coincidence, and some of the secondary characters weren’t especially developed (the shining twins for instance), but the whole experience was just a delight, and I will be preordering the sequel that comes out in 2022. Spoiler alert: it’s also gorgeous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Dementia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual content
psistillreadyou's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Racism, Suicide, and Dementia
aargot1's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Vomit, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Dementia, and Gaslighting
Minor: Stalking
thebookgremlin's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Sexism, and Dementia
noooor_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I went into this book completely blin, only knowing slightly what the story was about, but my god. This was the perfect pick me up after “Imsttuctions For Dancing”, in the sense that it was light, but also very reflective. Teens/young adults whose heritage is not white, but living on the western sid of the world will really feel for Izumi’s struggle to find her identity and a sense of belonging. The romance was also very cute but not the main plot point which was okay. All in all really helped me after a good book depression 🤌🏼
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Dementia
joanpack's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, Dementia, and Grief
erniedresser's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Dementia
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an alc of this book!
After living 18 years without knowledge of her father, Izumi stumbles upon a note in her mother's room that reveals her father is crown prince of Japan, and she is secretly a princess. When her father finds out, she is invited on a trip to Tokyo and has a whirlwind two weeks trying to discover who she is.
This book was very adorable. I seriously love Izumi as a main character. She is so funny, and bold, and interesting to read about. I loved her personality, and that was definitely my favorite part of this book. I also really enjoyed how everything happened with her family. We were able to see Izzy's struggles to fit in, the way she was tried and tested, and her spirit and attitude to never give up even when it got rough! I really loved that.
I honestly didn't think this book needed a romance sub-plot. The romance was cute enough, but I thought the characters didn't have enough time together to really develop that relationship enough to make it worth it. I would have enjoyed this book more if the romance was left out and it really just focused on her family and culture and friends instead.
All in all, a great read! And the narration is excellent.
Pub Date: May 18, 2021
After living 18 years without knowledge of her father, Izumi stumbles upon a note in her mother's room that reveals her father is crown prince of Japan, and she is secretly a princess. When her father finds out, she is invited on a trip to Tokyo and has a whirlwind two weeks trying to discover who she is.
This book was very adorable. I seriously love Izumi as a main character. She is so funny, and bold, and interesting to read about. I loved her personality, and that was definitely my favorite part of this book. I also really enjoyed how everything happened with her family. We were able to see Izzy's struggles to fit in, the way she was tried and tested, and her spirit and attitude to never give up even when it got rough! I really loved that.
I honestly didn't think this book needed a romance sub-plot. The romance was cute enough, but I thought the characters didn't have enough time together to really develop that relationship enough to make it worth it. I would have enjoyed this book more if the romance was left out and it really just focused on her family and culture and friends instead.
All in all, a great read! And the narration is excellent.
Pub Date: May 18, 2021
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Dementia