Tokyo Ever After (Tokyo Ever After, 1)

I came across Tokyo Ever After when I saw it on Reese’s Book Club, and I am so glad I did! This is the first I’ve read by Emiko Jean, but it won’t be the last.The idea that Izumi Tanaka finds out that she’s a long-lost princess of Japan seemed far-fetched, and I wondered how that was going to play out over the course of the story without sounding utterly ridiculous. I worried for nothing.Izumi is the perfect kind of girl character. She’s confident in who she is as a person, she’s smart and clever, she’s funny, and she’s fiercely loyal. But how that translates to the Japanese culture and the imperial family is what makes the story so engrossing.She’s grown up in northern California in a small,, predominantly white town, often feeling as if she’s too Japanese. Her best friends feel the same way, all of them of different Asian descents. Together, however, they are everything that’s good about female friendship. And they support her in every way when her world is tipped upside down with the discovery that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan. Izumi hopes that she’ll find that other part of herself in Japan, her Japanese side. And she does, to a point. But she also discovers that she just might be “too American.” The journey she goes on with her new family, and herself, was everything I want in a book.And the romance… it was beautiful, even if slight instalove and slightly fluffy. It was perfect for the moment when you just need something good and pure and right,This is a story about friendships and love, about loyalty, about finding yourself, and finding the courage to be who you really are… unapolegetically. It was beautifully written, each character distinct and interesting. And some of the themes were very deep and thought-provoking. I loved everything about this book!

I cannot tell a lie, I loved the hell out of this book. I found the book fun and engaging and love all of the characters in it. Honestly, the world feels extremely lived in and just slightly different than our own so that we can have this fairy tale story. It's adorable and I definitely am here for this entire series. The characters are all extremely engaging and they feel just as real and present as the world that they happen to live inside of. Even when they do things that feel extremely frustrating, you're routing for them!The writing in this story is gorgeous and lush, making each part of the protag's world feel distinctive and real. In many ways, it's like the like a duel love level to both where she lives and the separate world that happens when one steps into royal life and all that contains.I'm super excited to see where the next books are going and cannot wait to read them. If you enjoy modern fairytales like The Princess Diaries, but done in ways that aren't so white I really suggest this book for you.

This was a feel good story. I loved it. I like the main character, Izumi, and the whole Imperial family. Cute start up romance. Funny and relaxing personalities. I needed this book.

I did enjoy this story in terms of a different take on a sort of Princess Diaries trope, although the pace moved a little too fast for me in terms of Izumi discovering about her father and then, basically, moving to Japan to live with him and the rest of the Imperial Family. I would have liked to see the time lapse, and the character growth that came with all the anxious waiting and impatience, as well as the mother-daughter relationship being affected during that period.I also really loved the inter, and cross, cultural components, as well as reading about the struggle of being Japanese-American, especially where familial ancestors sought to assimilate as much as possible into US culture and society.I really enjoyed the basic character outlines, although they have fallen a little flat on this second read through. We get sketches and actions, but they aren’t as well-developed as I thought they would be. This book definitely feels like it skips some pacing and that leads me to feeling like the book has left me behind. While I understand the why of the time leaps, at times I wish the book has given more space for Izumi, and other characters, to grow into the places and areas they found themselves in.Also, as much as I adore the bodyguard trope, especially in terms of princess/royalty, I had a hard time believing the romance fully. While YA does write for more teenager-y romance, I think it’s hard to believe the relatability of such a romance when Izumi herself is trying to find who she is, who she thinks she wants to be, as well as dealing with a whole new life and the immense pressures that come with being royal; as well as all the relationships (new and old) that she has to try and both establish and maintain. I think the romance would have been more believable if it has been slow-burn and had hints of the romance through this first book. I would have loved to see the relationship develop more between Izumi and her father also, as I adore her father. I would have loved to see more depth of character besides the glimpses we got through Izumi’s eyes.Overall, I found this book enjoyable and relevant in terms of the growth of society and culture, especially Western.Cute, definitely, and for an audience, totally, and providing some deep insight, yes!

Love this story! And love how Izumi found her way. A bit short but that’s what the next book is for.

When you're raised in one culture and born from another it really messes with your head about where you belong. This book tackles this dilemma with Izumi and adds on the added obstacle of being a princess. She constantly struggles on fitting in. I think most of us can relate to trying to make a parent proud but imagine trying to make the Crown Prince of Japan proud! Yikes! Total pressure. I cried more times than I care to admit and I'm disappointed this book is over.... wait, there's a book 2? SIGN ME UP!

Ainda não li então a avaliação é referente à qualidade do produto e a entrega.Não veio tão rápido quanto eu gostaria, mas chegou mais rápido do que os outros que pedi. Sobre o livro em si: é maravilhoso de lindo, eu amei!To louca pra começar a leitura!!

Excellent!

Um livro que vale a pena, por ser no Japão, cheio de referencias culturais e por ser sobre a realeza, pertença e ter muito girl power. A edição é muito bonita, com a arvore genealogica e o relevo na capa., e as cores. Amei muito

I loved the premise of this book and was excited to read it, but quickly realized how hard of a read this would be. The writing style is very childish and hard to keep up with. The vocabulary and dialogue is really cringy at times. I also found the pacing all over the place. I got to chapter 5 and had to DNF the book, I couldn't force myself to read it anymore.