Book Thoughts: Tokyo Ever After
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The marketing material for Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Ever After describes it as The Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians, and the description could not be more apt. This young adult novel follows Izumi Tanaka, a high school senior from Mount Shasta, California, who learns that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan, which alters the course of her life forever.
When Izumi’s best friend, Noora, discovers a love poem in a copy of Rare Orchids of North America owned by Izumi’s mom, Hanako, it immediately becomes clear Izumi doesn’t know the entire truth about her absentee father. According to Hanako, Izumi was conceived during a one-night stand at Harvard, and her mom never even learned her father’s name. As it turns out, her mom and His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Makotonomiya Toshihito were in love, but he could never stay in the United States; his duty was — and is — to his country.
Now, Izumi is 18 years old and just about to graduate high school, and she reaches out to one of her father’s old friends (with help from her mom), hoping to connect with her father for the first time. As one might expect, this isn’t entirely easy, especially when the Tokyo press gets wind of the story. Frankly, Izumi’s introduction to Japanese society is absolute chaos, but she finds her own way.
Tokyo Ever After is, in a word, delightful. Izumi is quick-witted, intelligent, funny, and — as her love interest points out — she leads with her heart, which makes all the difference. In many ways, this book is a love letter to Japan, and to young adult, coming-of-age stories in general, as well as young romance, lingering feelings, rare orchids, family, and group chats with lifelong friends.
Jean seamlessly tackles royal politics, classism, and racism, without ever losing the sense of joy that permeates the entire novel. As a Japanese-American teen thrust into the life of a princess, Izumi is asked to juggle more than anyone could realistically handle, but she does it with a flair that’s unique to her. She’s easy to root for and even easier to love, so when she screws up or grieves, we feel those emotions with her. Izumi adapts quickly, which helps Tokyo Ever After maintain a quick, breezy speed from cover to cover, and seeing her growth is an experience any reader would love.
Perhaps best of all, Tokyo Ever After is just the first book in a planned series, which means Izumi’s story isn’t done. This book has a decisive beginning, middle, and end, which helps it stand out from other series debuts that force the reader to wait months (or sometimes years) to see what happens next. Tokyo Ever After presents a complete story with room for exploration, which is an entirely different ball game (and a hard one to win, but Jean does it with style).
Long story short, this is a perfect summer read. It will pull you in, hold you tight, and set you free, but leave you thinking about the characters and their world for some time to come.
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean is available now, wherever books are sold. A copy of the book was provided by the publisher for review.
Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
The Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians in Emiko Jean's Tokyo Ever After, a "refreshing, spot-on" (Booklist, starred review) story of an ordinary Japanese-American girl who discovers that her father is the Crown Prince of Japan.
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