Book info:
Title: My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life
Author: Rachel Cohn
Genre: YA Contemporary
Release Date: December 18th, 2018
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: ARC received from publisher which did not influence my opinion
My rating: 4.5 stars
Synopsis:
“I’m
here to take you to live with your father. In Tokyo, Japan! Happy
birthday!”
here to take you to live with your father. In Tokyo, Japan! Happy
birthday!”
In the Land of the Rising Sun, where high culture meets high kitsch, and
fashion and technology are at the forefront of the First World’s future, the
foreign-born teen elite attend ICS-the International Collegiate School of
Tokyo. Their accents are fluid. Their homes are ridiculously posh. Their sports
games often involve a (private) plane trip to another country. They miss school
because of jet lag and visa issues. When they get in trouble, they seek
diplomatic immunity.
Enter foster-kid-out-of-water Elle Zoellner, who, on her sixteenth birthday
discovers that her long-lost father, Kenji Takahari, is actually a Japanese
hotel mogul and wants her to come live with him. Um, yes, please! Elle jets off
first class from Washington D.C. to Tokyo, which seems like a dream come true.
Until she meets her enigmatic father, her way-too-fab aunt, and her
hyper-critical grandmother, who seems to wish Elle didn’t exist. In an effort
to please her new family, Elle falls in with the Ex-Brats, a troupe of
uber-cool international kids who spend money like it’s air. But when she starts
to crush on a boy named Ryuu, who’s frozen out by the Brats and despised by her
new family, her already tenuous living situation just might implode.
My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life is about learning what it is to be a
family, and finding the inner strength to be yourself, even in the most extreme
circumstances.
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, The Book Depository
My Review:
I really was intrigued by the premise of this one, so excited to get to read it early. This was a page-turner, and I zipped through it in no time. I loved learning about life in Tokyo so much. I'm going to start calling my sodas "dark sugar water". I mean think about it, it's what they are, and who would think that a dark water would be something good? Well, I guess everyone loves coffee and tea, and they're dark water in a way. There was so much about Japan that I think would be awesome, and so much that would be no fun to get used to. For instance, the way you put money on a tray and hand to the person taking your money. It was definitely interesting to hear the "rules" for how to eat sushi. I've only had it once, and wasn't completely impressed with it. I need to try it again though, I think. I love the Christmas tradition of KFC and a date. I love how there is a subway train that is just for women at certain times. I love how orderly everything was, even when it was as crowded as you would see in places like NYC. The banter between Elle and Ryuu was really fun. The dynamic of Elle's family in Japan was very fascinating, and heart-breaking at the same time. I felt like the end was almost wrapped up really quickly. But I like how it was done, so I still was happy with how it all ended up. A fun, sweet, easy to read contemporary YA, that I will definitely be putting in my school library.
About the Author:
Giveaway:
- 3 winners will receive finished copies of MY ALMOST FLAWLESS TOKYO DREAM LIFE, US only.
Tour Schedule:
Week
One:
12/3/2018- Novel Novice- Excerpt
12/4/2018- Here's to Happy Endings- Review
12/5/2018- A Court of Coffee and Books- Excerpt
12/6/2018- BookHounds YA- Review
12/7/2018- A Gingerly Review- Review
Week
Two:
12/10/2018- Rhythmicbooktrovert- Review
12/11/2018- Do You Dog-ear?- Review
12/12/2018- A Dream Within A Dream- Excerpt
12/13/2018- Daily Waffle- Excerpt
12/14/2018- The Reading Corner for All- Review
Week
Three:
12/17/2018- Lisa Loves Literature- Review
12/18/2018- Eli to the nth- Review
12/19/2018- Dani Reviews Things- Review
12/20/2018- The Pages In-Between- Review
12/21/2018- Sincerely Karen Jo Blog- Review
Week
Four:
12/24/2018- Falling For YA- Interview
12/25/2018- Smada's Book Smack- Review
12/26/2018- All the Ups and Downs- Excerpt
12/27/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader- Review
12/28/2018- Wishful Endings- Excerpt
Week
Five:
12/31/2018- Under the Book Cover- Excerpt
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I used to read Rachel Cohn all the time when I was younger – I loved her books. This one sounds really fun. I love learning about different countries.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
I've only read two other books by this author, and I saw the movie Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, but I've enjoyed what I read, so I will probably always try her new books. Don't know if I"ll have the time to go back and read her older ones though. This was a fun book, you should check it out! Thanks for stopping by!
I have heard about this book and I am so glad you could read it and love it. I have heard about that Christmas Eve KFC tradition and I just love it. I would love to read a book set in Tokyo to get to know the country and the culture a bit more ^.^
You need to check this one out soon! Thanks for visiting!