Neither was The Inheritance Games (or its sequel ), but I enjoy them just as much. I’m not trying to be critical with that, just stating the fact, because ultimately, Tokyo Ever After is not specifically aimed at me as a reader. None of which is to say I dislike Tokyo Ever After, I enjoyed it so much I devoured it in only a few days, despite my predilection against some aspects of the story.īeing a 20-something male appendage wearer, the romance-heavy sections (most of the book) pass directly over my head in terms of intention.
The plot twist (for what little it is) isn’t as much of a surprise as I think it wants to be, and generally, if you are paying attention you can predict a good portion of the next 10-20 pages. There are points where things are very predictable: Within 50 pages, you’ll know the enemies-to-lovers story inside out. Knowing enough Japanese to get by did admittedly help, though it is not imperative to the enjoyment. Taking the perspective of Izumi a majority of the time, we’re led through the life of a lost and illegitimate Princess learning not only who her dad is but who she is in this chaotic mess of imperials, royals, and bodyguards, as well as learning Japanese (Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji). There is a little globe-trotting (of course) as we shift between California where Izumi has lived all her life, Tokyo with the royals, and Kyoto in the palace of shame, as the newspapers suggest. However, it is fun and full of adventure. To head off the questions, no Tokyo Ever After isn’t the most original book, and it is not the best-written book either.
One of my biggest gripes with Young Adult (YA) books tends to be that sanitized viewpoint of anyone 18 and younger. Unlike the Disney teen flick of the early 00s that we all treasure with Anne Hathaway, there is a touch more romance and a bit more honesty in how much teens speak, and more importantly, swear. Yes, the monarchy is on her dad’s side, she has trouble acclimatizing to the new world she encounters, and she’s still in her teens, but there is something else. I think it is fair to say that Tokyo Ever After is highly inspired by The Princess Diaries, (directly or indirectly) but it is still deeply refreshing. In the latest series from Emiko Jean, we follow the young Izumi Tanaka as she comes to terms with being a Japanese-American and, unbeknownst to her to begin with, the daughter of the Imperial Crown Prince of Japan. I believe I accomplished my mission, as I started the year with three highly suggested books and I somewhat fell in love with one briskly, Tokyo Ever After. After hitting a modest goal I set myself, the aim was to start a momentum that was never inspired in me as a child/teen, those particular books never catching my interest. Last year, I took a running stab at reading a lot more despite my previously mentioned Dyslexia.
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