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Synopsis (From Goodreads):
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.
Review:
When I saw this book on NetGalley, I immediately wanted to read it. I am attracted to books set in Japan because I lived there for over three years! It was one of the most profound experiences of my life. While My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life was pretty fluffy, it did capture the wonder of Japanese culture.
What I Liked:
Setting:Having lived in Japan, I loved all the small details of life in Tokyo. From the seemingly strange customs (don't rest chopsticks directly in a bowl of rice), to the vending machines that sell beer, all the many rich differences are shown. The author must have spent time in Japan to get all these elements correct. It was very authentic.
Characters:
I enjoyed the main character, Elle. She was smart and resilient. It was fun to see Japan through her eyes, especially since she was not used to such luxury. I also liked that she was very empathetic towards her mom, who had an opioid addiction. She did a good job of separating the person from the illness. I don't know if most teens could see the situation in such a mature light. But I loved Elle for this.
Elle's father, Kenji, is also complex. While it took a while for Elle (and the reader) to know him, I liked that he wasn't a stereotype of a Japanese businessman.
Story:
If you can get past the ridiculous premise of becoming instantly wealthy, the story is quite fun. I enjoy fish out of water stories. I have traveled all over Europe (as a student). But I remember that first day in Japan I feeling like I was in another universe! This book accurately presents how overwhelming it can be to live in Japan.
I also liked the story line of Elle attending a new, elite school. It is jarring to suddenly have access to a world-class education. She also meets several new students at her school. All of them are obsessed with their grades and feel lots of pressure to be perfect. This focus on performance is a huge issue in Japan, even at international schools.
What I Didn't Like:
Premise:
Even though it would be fun to find out that you have a secret relative who is a billionaire and wants to radically upgrade your life, I found the premise to be too fantastic. It gave the impression that money solves everything. Yes, the author shows that money also creates problems of entitlement. But, I think the overall message was that people who don't have money are miserable, and those who have it are leading almost flawless lives.
Offensive Stereotypes:
I also was offended by the stereotype presented regarding foster care. Children in foster care are there because of extreme family circumstances. The people who open their homes to these children are to be commended, not vilified. As you can guess, I know people who are foster parents, and I know them to be kind, and loving people. I know there are situations where there are abusive foster homes. But they are the exception. I am really sad that the author went for the easy characterization of foster care.
Ending:
The ending was very abrupt. Many of the story lines were wrapped up a little too neatly and quickly, which I found to be extremely unrealistic.
Rating:
Release Date: December 18th, 2018
Author: Rachel Cohn
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Genre: YA Fiction
Page Length: 352 Pages
Source: NetGalley
Format: E-Book
Recommendation: This fish out of water story was a fun, quick read, but don't expect any deep reflections on wealth or privilege.
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