I guess that's why I'd made this stupid countdown. Because I wanted to hold on to the time I had left here. Because I wanted to separate good-bye from all the moments - all the better moments - that came before it. It was my own little scientific experiment, to try to contain that one second when everything I cared about would suddenly vanish.
I am a sucker for a broken character, and Vinesse gave us a bunch of them in this book. First and foremost, Sophia. Poor Sophia! My heart really went out to her. She was searching for "home" and just when she thought she found it in Tokyo, her mother's job forces her to relocate yet again. And while she is dealing with the move, she finds out that her friends have been keeping secrets from her. But, it's not just her friends who have been hiding things from Sophia, her sister, who had been distant the entire summer, drops a bombshell about their father. During this cataclysmic series of events, Jamie returns to Tokyo. Jamie, who was Sophia's best friend. Jaimie, who Sophia crushed on. Jamie, who broke Sophia's heart, and she in turn, broke his. So, yeah, Sophia is dealing with a lot, and I really appreciated that Vinesse did not make it easy for her. Sometimes it was tough standing by as Sophia tried to work it all out, but she came out better on the other side because it was difficult.
This is a black hole. Or this week has been, anyway. Every second was longer than just a second, you know? And I mean that in a really good way because I love the idea of black holes. The idea that all of this space and time isn't really fixed, that we can change it.
Jamie was quite wounded too. As his story is slowly revealed, we learn that Jamie was hiding big and important parts of himself. But together, he and Sophia are able to feel "home". I bet you noticed I keep putting home in quotation marks. It's because the author made the idea of home a part of the story. Is home a place, a person, or a thing? This idea of home is explored by both Sophia and Jamie, as he is returning from a three year absence, and she is preparing to leave. I really enjoyed this aspect of the story, as I was totally able to relate.
What I was going to say is, I never really felt like I belonged anywhere. I always felt like I was half in one place and half somewhere else. Like I was never exactly where I should be. Except - now. Except being here, with you.
In-between all the drama, there were a lot of fun parts. Most of them involved another very important character in the book: Tokyo. Tokyo is on my bucket list, and reading this book just increased my desire to visit. Vinesse painted a glorious picture of the city from the sights and sounds, to the food and entertainment. I really felt Sophia's attachment to the city and I could clearly see part of what Sophia would be missing.
What do I wish this book had? An epilogue! I so needed an epilogue. I have read endings like this a million times. That traditional, contemporary, open ended thing. I know it's supposed to allow me, the reader, to decide what happened next, but I hate that! I want the author to tell me. I just need closure, it's who I am.
This is me, begging for an epilogue
Overall: Super cute romance filled with love, loss, and hope for things to come.
**I would like to thank Little Brown Books for the advanced copy of this book I got at BEA.
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