When this blog first started, I admitted that there was absolutely no way I would be able to read and review every book I ever wanted to read, but I was going to have fun trying. Well this has certainly been the case, and months ago I made a choice between another book, and today's selection, Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean. The thing is, I initially chose the other book, and reviewed it. But I had to go back and do this one too. I had to find a way to squeeze it into the schedule...I was just too curious.
The Situation: Izumi 'Izzy' Tanaka has never felt as if she quite fit into her hometown. Mount Shasta, California is mostly white, and aside from her small group of friends, the Asian Girl Gang, Izzy has always felt a little out of place. Having grown up as the only child of her single mother, Izzy does not know much, or anything really, about her father. It is only when her best friend makes a strange discovery in her mother's room does Izzy began to get any answers, and they are not at all what she was expecting. Turns out, Izzy's father is Crown Prince Toshihito, and first in line to become the next emperor of Japan, which makes Izzy a princess. After a short email, a small but hopeful attempt at contact, Izzy is being summoned to Japan to meet the father she never knew, and stay at his palace.
The Problem: Before the plane lands, Izzy has already made mistakes, and the trip through the airport also proves to be both disorienting and difficult. Before even making it to the castle, she has decided she does not like her personal bodyguard, Akio, and it is clear that several of the people around her are not going to be her biggest fans either. The weeks that follow prove to be a whirlwind of cultural and language lessons, publicity events, royal events...all with the potential for Izzy to realize that she may not belong in Japan either. But if she was never "American" enough, and now she is not "Japanese" enough, then what is she, and where does she fit? She does not want to disappoint her father, but she is not sure she has a place in his palace.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in both modern day California, and modern-day Japan, mostly Tokyo. Izzy is a Japanese-American girl who has lived and grown up in a mostly white small town, and has had to endure that outright racism, and microaggressions, that come with residing in such a location. She describes herself as "aggressively average," something else she feels goes on the long list of reasons her royal father would be disappointed in her. Becoming royalty overnight causes Izzy to alternate between excitement, fear, and embarrassment, as there is so much to learn so quickly, and she keeps making crucial mistakes. It also does not help that some of her cousins are clearly less than pleased by her presence, and the Japanese tabloids are more than happy to report on her every move. And then there is the bodyguard. As this book is the first in what looks like will be a series, the reader can look forward to Izzy's journey continuing, and finding out if she ever adjusts to becoming Japanese royalty.
My Verdict: I am glad I came back for this one, though it is not quite what I expected. Izzy's journey from California teenager looking forward to graduation and a summer of being with her friends, to Japanese royalty and the problems that can come from such a big and sudden change, is as advertised. What I was not ready for was Izzy's personality. Her awkwardness in Japan and among her royal relatives was to be expected, but there was something else about the way she acted, talked, and narrated her own story that was somewhat jarring. Granted, it made her a unique character, and it is always nice when there is a narrator that is so undeniably themselves in almost every situation, even as they desperately try to fit in, almost as if they cannot help but be themselves. The YA romance lovers should appreciate this book, and since it will be series, the story does not end here.
Favorite Moment: When Izzy is able to show grace to her twin cousins, who have been less than gracious to her.
Favorite Character: Mariko, Izzy's lady-in-waiting in Japan, is good at her job, and committed to helping Izzy, despite whatever misgivings she may have had at first. She turns out to be a valuable ally, and someone Izzy can count on.
Recommended Reading: Fifty Words for Rain by Asha Lemmie is a different kind of story, but also deals with Japanese royalty and the expectations that come from being a part of the royal family.
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