Tokyo Ever After: A Reese's Book Club YA Pick

Enjoyed reading the book. I am going to get the next one. I am older. But it is clean and enchanting.

I love that Izumi, the main character, feels like she's caught between two worlds. She feels like she doesn't fit in anywhere. So many people feel that way that this is a great theme and very resonant.It's a cute love story as well. There's kissing but that's as far as it goes. There's some language sprinkled throughout. No violence.This can be read as a stand alone, but I'm definitely curious about how Izumi's life continues as a princess.

In "Tokyo Ever After," Emiko Jean takes readers on a delightful and engaging journey with Izumi Tanaka, a relatable protagonist who discovers her royal lineage while navigating the complexities of her identity as a Japanese American. Izumi's life takes a dramatic turn when she learns that her estranged father is the Crown Prince of Japan, propelling her into a world of privilege and expectations that she never imagined.As Izumi travels to Japan, her vibrant personality shines against the backdrop of royal tradition and cultural nuances. Jean masterfully captures her struggles with fitting in, both in her new royal environment and her hometown, highlighting themes of belonging and self-acceptance. The delightful interactions with her new family, the paparazzi, and the handsome bodyguard add layers of intrigue and romance. "Tokyo Ever After" is a charming and uplifting story that beautifully illustrates the journey of embracing one's heritage and finding a place in the world, making it a must-read for fans of contemporary young adult fiction.

I absolutely adored this book! The writing style was super easy and flowed well. The author wrote a believable 17 year old girl going through an extreme coming-of-age-transition. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was flawless and sounded just like you'd think Izumi would sound. (They kept the narrator for the second book and I am so glad they did so!) "Princess Diaries" meets "Crazy Rich Asians" with a little bit of "What a Girl Wants" thrown in. Definitely pegged the Princess Diaries. Izumi was raised in California never knowing who her father was. Her grandparents wanted to assimilate into American culture and stopped speaking Japanese, so Izumi had no history of her culture, and yet always felt like she didn't belong - not looking American enough, but not being enough Japanese. When she discovers who her dad is and sets out to meet him, it has an unexpected result that she is a Japanese Princess! Her father brings her to Japan and Izumi is quickly mired into centuries of Japanese culture and traditions, language tutors, public engagements, and news media training. Izumi bumbles through, making mistake after mistake as she learns how to be a Princess, and she does it with grace and the right amount of self deprecation. In Japan, she may look like everyone else, but maybe she is too American to ever fit in after all. The romance is kind of an enemies to friends to lovers deal and it was a lot of fun to read. As her body guard, I enjoyed watching Akio go from stiff and cold to big cinnamon roll of a hero. I also liked how loyal he was, not just to Izumi, but to his job and country as well. I absolutely loved the ending, and was so excited that book 2 was just released so that I can keep the story going! I already know I am going to be jonesing for book 3 by the end of it.

Love this book so much a pretty quick read even if your a slow reader super hard to put down after you pick it up.