cadybooks's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia and Sexism
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Racism, Vomit, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
mcz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Cursing
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Vomit
amberinpieces's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Cursing, Alcohol, and Mental illness
peachani's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Bullying, and Xenophobia
Minor: Racism, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Chronic illness, and Classism
agateg's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
“You are a world unto yourself. Build your own space. One meant uniquely for you.”
Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in—it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izzy, her nickname, because “It’s easier this way”, and her mom against the world. But then Izzy discovers a clue to her unknown father’s identity, and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means Izzy is a princess. Izzy soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairytale, happily ever after?
This was such a lovely story. I fell wholeheartedly in love with Izumi almost immediately. I think this was a very touching story full of self-discovery. I cannot comment on the accuracy of the portrayed Japanese culture because it is not my own, nor do I share the same main identity struggles as Izumi, but the story did make me fall in love with the Japan Izumi saw and it will definitely be moved up my dream destinations. The story touched me in so many tender ways, her discovering her dad and forming a relationship with him brought tears to my eyes multiple times. I felt the love through the pages, the familial love that makes a person's heart full. My favourite man Akio was such a delight to get to know, the tenderness of his feelings for Izumi were swoon-worthy and delicately described. And my best princess Izumi was such an inspiration, I so deeply felt everything she felt. I was so proud of her progress and hard work, I liked how she learnt to embrace all sides of herself. I loved Izumi and Akio's chemistry and I can't wait to read what the second book has in store for them. They deserve all the love in the world.
Izumi Tanaka has never really felt like she fit in—it isn’t easy being Japanese American in her small, mostly white, northern California town. Raised by a single mother, it’s always been Izzy, her nickname, because “It’s easier this way”, and her mom against the world. But then Izzy discovers a clue to her unknown father’s identity, and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means Izzy is a princess. Izzy soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairytale, happily ever after?
This was such a lovely story. I fell wholeheartedly in love with Izumi almost immediately. I think this was a very touching story full of self-discovery. I cannot comment on the accuracy of the portrayed Japanese culture because it is not my own, nor do I share the same main identity struggles as Izumi, but the story did make me fall in love with the Japan Izumi saw and it will definitely be moved up my dream destinations. The story touched me in so many tender ways, her discovering her dad and forming a relationship with him brought tears to my eyes multiple times. I felt the love through the pages, the familial love that makes a person's heart full. My favourite man Akio was such a delight to get to know, the tenderness of his feelings for Izumi were swoon-worthy and delicately described. And my best princess Izumi was such an inspiration, I so deeply felt everything she felt. I was so proud of her progress and hard work, I liked how she learnt to embrace all sides of herself. I loved Izumi and Akio's chemistry and I can't wait to read what the second book has in store for them. They deserve all the love in the world.
Spoiler
NOT THE PLOT TWIST BEING THAT YOSHI DID IT, I was so SCHOKED and HURT, I was about to hype my man up and he goes and does THIS??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Classism
Moderate: Cursing and Alcohol
Minor: Dementia, Sexual assault, and Vomit
pawprintedpages's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit and Alcohol
stormzx's review against another edition
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
4.75
personal age rating: 11/12+
this book was a really fun and lighthearted read. there were a number of embarrassing moments that forced me to put the book down but other than that it was a fantastic book. there were some parts of the book where i found it was hard and boring to read. the book was still enjoyable though. i cant wait to see what the next book is gonna be about.
this book was a really fun and lighthearted read. there were a number of embarrassing moments that forced me to put the book down but other than that it was a fantastic book. there were some parts of the book where i found it was hard and boring to read. the book was still enjoyable though. i cant wait to see what the next book is gonna be about.
Spoiler
i can’t believe that yoshi really sold the picture of akio and izumi kissing to the press. he was a very funny character and i liked him a lot throughout the story. i can understand why he hates being a prince but that’s no excuse to bring izumi down because of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, and Alcohol
Moderate: Vomit
katiemcgregor's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5
Tokyo Ever After is basically Princess Diaries meets What a Girl Wants meets Japan, and I'm here for it. I'm not going to lie, it took me a few chapters to really get into it, but I suspect that has to do with the fact that this is such a tonal change from the intense adult fantasy books I've been reading lately. It was jolting to hop back into YA (and not at the fault of this book).
Honestly, Tokyo Ever After would make a really fun movie. Izumi is quite consistent in her tonal narration, her first encounter with Japan was fun to read about, and the romance was super cute (I wasn't sure about it at first, but it really pulled through).
I think my main issue with the book are the fact that I wish it delves a little deeper into Izumi's issues with identity and assimilation. But at the same time, I think that the level of exploration that is provided actually fits for the YA genre (again, I've just gotten so used to brutal and deep adult character arcs lately). My one other gripe has to do with the dialogue. I'm actually okay with the cheesiness of it since it's so consistent, but every once in a while it feels like Izumi uses vocabulary that is totally out of character. Maybe this is because she's learning to be a royal and this book simply isn't long enough to fully explore how this might change her mannerisms and vernacular, but it still feels a little jolting. I also wasn't super into the dialogue breaks that happen so an inside joke or small piece of information could be explained. I found that these make it a little hard to distinguish dialogue from narration, but this is really a style preference.
All that being said, my favorite thing about the book is how well Emiko Jean inserts Japanese culture into the Tokyo Ever After without spoon feeding information and phrases to the reader. I've read far too many books where an American girl goes to Japan and then every other sentence is explaining a cultural difference or what a Japanese word means. It's so tedious. Jean still includes some of this information, and actually taught me some things about Japanese culture that I wasn't previously aware of, but she does it so smoothly. I really appreciate that.
Tokyo Ever After is a ridiculously fun and fluffy book. It's exactly what I needed to reset from all of the heavy content I've been reading. I'll be looking forward to the sequel.
Honestly, Tokyo Ever After would make a really fun movie. Izumi is quite consistent in her tonal narration, her first encounter with Japan was fun to read about, and the romance was super cute (I wasn't sure about it at first, but it really pulled through).
I think my main issue with the book are the fact that I wish it delves a little deeper into Izumi's issues with identity and assimilation. But at the same time, I think that the level of exploration that is provided actually fits for the YA genre (again, I've just gotten so used to brutal and deep adult character arcs lately). My one other gripe has to do with the dialogue. I'm actually okay with the cheesiness of it since it's so consistent, but every once in a while it feels like Izumi uses vocabulary that is totally out of character. Maybe this is because she's learning to be a royal and this book simply isn't long enough to fully explore how this might change her mannerisms and vernacular, but it still feels a little jolting. I also wasn't super into the dialogue breaks that happen so an inside joke or small piece of information could be explained. I found that these make it a little hard to distinguish dialogue from narration, but this is really a style preference.
All that being said, my favorite thing about the book is how well Emiko Jean inserts Japanese culture into the Tokyo Ever After without spoon feeding information and phrases to the reader. I've read far too many books where an American girl goes to Japan and then every other sentence is explaining a cultural difference or what a Japanese word means. It's so tedious. Jean still includes some of this information, and actually taught me some things about Japanese culture that I wasn't previously aware of, but she does it so smoothly. I really appreciate that.
Tokyo Ever After is a ridiculously fun and fluffy book. It's exactly what I needed to reset from all of the heavy content I've been reading. I'll be looking forward to the sequel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Racism, Vomit, and Xenophobia
bookswithsoumi's review
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Vomit and Medical content
Minor: Sexual assault
marjokat's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Misogyny
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Racism, Vomit, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Body shaming, Dementia, and Sexual harassment