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My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life Rachel Cohn Books

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My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life Rachel Cohn Books

I really liked this book. As an American who's had the misfortune of not being born to a supremely rich family that can send me overseas whenever they feel like it (so sad, I know), I love seeing glimpses of other cultures in literature. I especially love seeing glimpses of Japanese culture, which seems to be very rich in tradition and history, something that's lacking in my little corner of the world. That being said, I enjoyed this book. It wasn't dripping with cultural insight (our main character spends the majority of her time either in an American-like elite private school or an overall posh hotel that's pretty far removed from everyday life as to seem almost unreal) but the few things that were included in the book seemed plausible. I liked that. As for the story itself, it was interesting. I know I stayed up later than I should have reading. I would have liked to have seen more development between our main character and her romantic interest before they were suddenly together, but, honestly, that could just be because I'm not in high school anymore and kids these days really do form attachments quickly. Overall, I'd read a sequel, which could be a possibility, since I have the feeling we haven't seen the last of the infamous Imogen or the somewhat naive yet totally fierce Elle.


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My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life Rachel Cohn Books Reviews

My favorite part of My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life was Tokyo. Everything made me want to visit. Maybe not the crowded public transportation, but everything else. There is a lot in this book on Japanese culture and tradition. I haven’t been there to compare, but it felt well done.

I should probably start off mentioning some trigger warnings. There is drug abuse, possible date rape, racism, bullying, alcoholism, and mention of abortion without really using the term. There may have been more and I’m sorry for not mentioning it. There is a lesbian character that hides it because of her family and their traditions. There is sexism, too. Part of these things were based on the culture.

Elle was living with her third foster family. Her mom had a drug addiction and was in jail and she had never known her father. Just that he was Japanese. Things were not going well in her new home or school. The family only let her shower once a week and the kids at school were mean to her because of it. One day her “uncle” came there with a passport and told her she was going to live with her father in Tokyo. He owns a hotel and lives in the penthouse there. Elle really wants to get to know him, but he works more than anything else. She is sent to an English speaking private school where she becomes with the popular kids. At first Elle thinks this is the best thing, but she realizes that she has more fun with a couple kids that are not in the Ex-Brats crowd. Everything is new for Elle and she is trying to fit in at school and at home. Her grandma doesn’t want her there and is very traditional in her beliefs. Her aunt isn’t much better.

Things start getting better for Elle and she feels like Tokyo might be home for her. And then everything goes wrong all at once and she might be sent back to the US.

I’m not going to get into all the other characters in the book, but I really like Akemi and Ryuu. Akemi was never popular, but Ryuu was and was iced out by the Ex-Brats. His father was also in criminal trouble, so Elle’s father didn’t want her associating with him. Everything was about appearances there.

I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with a copy for review.
DNF at 18%

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

It's been awhile since I've read something by Rachel Cohn (really love her books with David Levithan), and I was excited to start My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life. Regrettably, this one didn't work for me. I disliked the main character, Elle, which made it difficult for me to enjoy the rest of the book. Her attitude and personality left a lot to be desired.

Elle's relationship with her mother didn't feel authentic, and the one interaction I read about wasn't believable. It didn't feel like they were having conversation between mother and daughter, but one between two people that happened to know each other. Her mother has kept a lot of secrets, but she did very little to explain herself when given the opportunity. Even their banter felt forced and fake.

Elle has been in foster care for a few months now, and she's experienced some truly terrible living conditions. I felt bad for her at the beginning, and thought she'd be happy (at the very least curious or relieved) when her father asked her to come and live with him, but she was bratty about everything. She complained about the clothes, the way people greeted one another, how they ate their food, and various other customs. I hated how disrespectful she was of the culture and traditions -- even her inner thoughts were obnoxious. I know her circumstances weren't ideal, but ugh. I wish she had at least tried to understand and accept her new surroundings.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on January 31, 2019.
I adored this! Makes me want to visit Tokyo! Elle is a strong protagonist surrounded by parents who have let her down, but they are trying, finally. She doesn't let the past keep her down but has an open heart and mind for incredible changes.

Would love to read more of her story but it was wrapped up neatly.
I really liked this book. As an American who's had the misfortune of not being born to a supremely rich family that can send me overseas whenever they feel like it (so sad, I know), I love seeing glimpses of other cultures in literature. I especially love seeing glimpses of Japanese culture, which seems to be very rich in tradition and history, something that's lacking in my little corner of the world. That being said, I enjoyed this book. It wasn't dripping with cultural insight (our main character spends the majority of her time either in an American-like elite private school or an overall posh hotel that's pretty far removed from everyday life as to seem almost unreal) but the few things that were included in the book seemed plausible. I liked that. As for the story itself, it was interesting. I know I stayed up later than I should have reading. I would have liked to have seen more development between our main character and her romantic interest before they were suddenly together, but, honestly, that could just be because I'm not in high school anymore and kids these days really do form attachments quickly. Overall, I'd read a sequel, which could be a possibility, since I have the feeling we haven't seen the last of the infamous Imogen or the somewhat naive yet totally fierce Elle.