Book Review: "Tokyo Ever After" by Emiko Jean
"Tokyo Ever After" by Emiko Jean
Thanks to Flatiron Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy
Synopsis: 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 Izumi—or Izzy, because “It’s easier this way”—and her mom against the world. But then Izumi discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity…and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means outspoken, irreverent Izzy is literally a princess.
In a whirlwind, Izumi travels to Japan to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she always dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight.
Izumi 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 fairy tale, happily ever after?
Rating: 4.25
Review: I feel like I say this every time a book about royals comes up, but it’s because it is absolutely true: I love reading books about and adjacent to royal families — so much so that I’ve even written up a round up of my favorites here! — but in all my reading experience, I had never read anything about the Imperial Family in Japan. I am so, so happy that Izzy’s story was my first visit to the (fictional) Land of the Rising Sun.
Izzy Tanaka was just an average American teenager — raised by a single mom in California, prepping for the end of high school — when a chance discovery leads her to the biggest revelation of her young life: her long-lost dad is actually the Crown Prince of Japan. Cue: first class international flights, makeover montages, paparazzi, and a cute bodyguard. What princess story would be complete without it?
Actually, the best part of it all is that we get the cliches of a rags-to-riches surprise princess story, but we also get a good look at what it must really be like to be the illegitimate and unknown child of the heir to a throne, family politics and all. Emiko Jean pulls no punches with the plotting and the betrayals, and honestly, I don’t think she’s that far off from what would really happen if this was the case. Izzy is an entirely sympathetic protagonist, but that’s not saying that her behavior is perfect; she’s also a snarky and impulsive teenage girl, fighting against cultural norms on both side of the Pacific.
I’ve always been a little fascinated by Japan and it’s Imperial family since a class I took in college…longer ago than I care to admit; the evolution of Japanese monarchy in a silo is so interesting, and the deification of the Emperor — honestly, I’m a little surprised this is the first time I’m reading a fictional book about it. Emiko Jean does an amazing job speaking to this unique culture, and quite honestly, she’s made me want to visit Japan even more than I already did.
If I can’t hop on a plane to Tokyo or Kyoto right now, I’m glad that I was able to go on this adventure with Zoom-Zoom. Remove the trappings of the monarchy, and this is a classic (but not boring!) coming-of-age story. There’s a reason it’s a trope we keep repeating, and this is a wonderful entry into the genre, especially if you were a teen girl who felt a little lost and hoped that you were actually secretly a princess (just me?).
TL;DR: A charming coming-of-age story, complete with family drama and an adorable love story, on the sidelines of one of the world’s most cloistered royal families.
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