Tokyo Ever After

by Emiko Jean

• ISBN10: 1250766605
• ISBN13: 9781250766601
• Publish Date: 18 May 2021 (first published 27 May 2001)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[jen20]

4.5 stars
This was such a cute story, it reminded me so much of "The Princess Diaries" which I loved so much.

[Kim Deister]

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!

[Nicole Lynn]

I really loved this story! It was definitely a mix of some of my favorite early 2000s movies like "What a Girl Wants," "Chasing Liberty" and the movie adaptation of "Princess Diaries." Even still though it had a flavor all its own and I really loved the characters. The friendships were strong. The mother-daughter relationship was healthy and real. The romance sweet and swoony. The new father-daughter relationship development was authentic. And Izumi was an awesome main character that I thought was well written and believable. I loved getting sucked into her head and watching her story come to life. I had borrowed this book from the library and have already purchased a physical copy so I can reread it again. I'm hoping that maybe there'll be another story, but it definitely is a standalone. I'd just like to see another book to see more of Izumi and her various relationships develop. Overall, this is one you're going to want to pick up! 

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars


My God... this was a positively, absolute JOY to read! I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face if I tried. So, so, SO much love for this book!