"My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life" is a modern fish-out-of-water fairy tale that puts 16 year-old "hafu" (half Japanese, half American) foster kid Elle Zoellner into the hands of a Kardashian-like crew in a posh, international expatriate high school in the middle of downtown Tokyo. That’s Tokyo Japan, not LA in case you were wondering.

“My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life” is something like “The Princess Diaries” with less frizz, more cool cliques with a “West Side Story” sub-plot, where Elle has the hots for bad boy outcast (and possible Yakuzu-connected) Ryuu – the one boy both her father’s family and new-found status savvy friends warn her is off limits. Of course, despite all the warnings, Elle is thrown into the deep end on the school swim team with Ryuu, and pretty soon she’s sinking in his dreamy, empathetic eyes.

There’s a lot going on in “My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life” – rags to riches teen trope, uncomfortable #metoo moments, absentee alcoholic fathers and imprisoned meth mothers (oh my), and enough exotic Tokyo venues, like an island of cats that is worthy of a Wes Anderson movie. It’s a lot, even under the steady hand of Rachel Cohn’s fluid prose. My gut instinct is that Cohn would’ve had a deeper, richer tale to tell had she honed in on a few of the plots and not tried to tackle so many issues in one story. Also, I couldn’t help feeling that the ending was uncomfortably rushed and abrupt.

What sets “Tokyo Dream Life” apart in a good way (aside from a really nifty title), is an endearing, likable heroine. From the moment that we meet Elle on a school bus ride from hell home to yet another abusive foster home, I liked her. She takes her terrible predicaments (like not being allowed to shower, thus walking around as the school stink-bomb) and instead of shrinking from them, she owns it with a skulk and swagger. Elle is a survivor from the start, and I genuinely enjoyed seeing her plopped into this foreign fantasy of musical bidets and gourmet green tea sundae room service.

Her desire to fit in by reinventing herself in her new surroundings with her new family is one I’m sure many teens (and some adults) can relate to. While it’s not going to break any new ground, “Tokyo Dream Life” has a universal charm about its setting and motif that’s akin to watching Bill Murray belt out karaoke in “Lost in Translation.”

This book is more about how cool and interesting Tokyo is than anything else and that worked for me.
“Tokyo Dream Life” is a quick, enjoyable read that’s worth your time and will make you hungry for a beautifully packaged bento box washed down with an icy Coca Cola. If you are looking for escapist fare about a teen on the streets of Tokyo, I’d recommend it.

#MyAlmostFlawlessTokyoDreamLife #NetGalley

When Elle’s mother is sent to jail for drugs, Elle is placed in increasingly miserable foster care. Until her long lost Uncle returns to whisk her off to the father she never met in Tokyo hotel with all the material comforts she could ever dream of. Elle gets right to work building a life with this new family that doesn’t quite accept her, but things won’t stay perfect forever.

I kept hearing about this book from webinars, reviews, and library forums, so I was excited to get an advance reader copy from net galley. I enjoyed reading the story and was very interested in Elle’s fate. I especially like how in the end she figures out what she really wants and seeks it whole-heartedly no matter what those around her think.

Elle Zoellner has been living with a foster family, more concerned about when her nasty foster mother will allow her to shower than anything else. When she bumps into a family friend unexpectedly, she assumes it is a coincidence, but then he drops a bomb. Her father, who she has never known, is actually a Japanese hotel mogul and, since her mother is in prison, he has decided to bring Elle to Japan to live with him. Elle is shocked and is on a plane before she knows it, coming to rest finally at the most beautiful and expensive hotel in Tokyo. This story has a classic rags to riches vibe as Elle navigates new-found wealth, private school friends, potential boyfriends, and her new, confusing relationship with her very busy father. While some of the events of the story are rather predictable (popular friends are not as nice as they first seem, new grandmother is not welcoming of Elle), the details about Tokyo and Japanese culture beautifully enhance the story, making it much richer and more complex than it would be if set elsewhere. It was a sweet, easy read overall, interesting enough to finish, but not tremendously surprising or unique.

Culture? YES PLEASE. Actual story? Eh...meh...

I find it ironic that it was the story I found lacking here and not the cultural depictions, as that is usually my concern when there's a story being depicted somewhere real outside of the U.S. The plot did feel rushed in some areas, and I never got too particularly attached to any of the characters. But the author did do her homework on Japan, which made up for some of it. Without that, I may not have finished it. I would read another just for that much description of the lifestyle there. Also...THAT COVER. First thing that got my attention.

If this book does not become a Disney movie or a show on Disney Channel, I will be very shocked. I can imagine every single moment Elle was going through when moving in with her father and meeting her extended family. This book also reminded me of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants when Lena was visiting her family in Greece and falls for Costas. The story is very similar to Elle falling for Ryuu and her family not approving it at all. Every single moment drew you in and it was hard not to finish the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Disney Book Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. We will definitely consider this title for our YFiction collection in our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars!

I will admit I was attracted to this book just because of that kawaii (cute) cover. I did go into this book with an open mind and I was excited to read more about Japanese culture. I could not care less about any of the characters in this book (except Masa, I loved Masa) or the situations that happened in this book. I don't even know how to express myself about how much I just didn't care. I wanted to DNF this book so much but the culture made me continue reading it. I just can't believe how much stock is put into appearances in Japan. This book is worth a read just for how much it talks about the culture alone but it's not worth reading for the story.

I waited so long for this book and I finally read it!
As a huge fan of Japan and Asian culture in general this book did me justice!
I loved the setting, Tokyo is indeed a really beautiful and mesmerizing place and for sure an unforgettable one. The characters did not wow me, I was really fond of the family dynamic but overall it wasn't the thing that kept me going!
Highly recommend if you are looking for a beautifully written guide to Tokyo!

Elle is in foster care after her mom ends up in jail due to drug usage. Her life is complete hell until her uncle appears with a social worker, telling her that her father has decided to take her in and she’s moving to Tokyo. Elle has never met her father nor does she know anything about him so the story focuses on Elle navigating her new life in Japan, making friends, and getting to know the family she never knew she had.

This was a typical rags to riches story. Elle went from poor to rich since her father is a successful businessman who owns a hotel chain. They live in a penthouse (on the 49th? floor) in his Tokyo location and she attends an ICS school based in Tokyo with other expatriate kids. She has room service, a maid, and lives a life of luxury while experiencing the Japanese culture. The only downside is the lack of attention from her busy father and the stone cold attitude from her grandmother and aunt.

I didn’t like this story as much due to how childish Elle acted along with the lack of plot. Elle’s life kept getting better and better from the minute she was whisked away to meet her rich father. There was no friction or bumps in the road. Elle’s life was smooth, despite the story not really having a singular focus. For example, there are snippets of her writing letters to her mom, facetiming with her BFF in America, swimming on the swim team, making friends with the popular crowd, touring Japan, crushing on a forbidden guy, and having uncomfortable meetings with her new family. I feel like this would have stood stronger as a diary entry instead of a story format.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

2.75

Can I just say that I love the cover of this book? Okay onwards onto my review.

I didn’t really like this book, but I feel like there’s something that I was missing? Maybe I didn’t find the main character relatable? I’m a little conflicted on how I feel about it. I felt that some parts of the book seemed to be a little rushed when they could have taken a few more pages to get everything out.
Elle gets the shock of her life when her dad contacts her and wants her to move in with him and he lives in Tokyo. When she gets to Tokyo she needs to adapt to the culture and at first, she has a hard time getting used to everything. As I was reading I feel like I blinked and then there was a time jump in the story. Which confused me at first. Elle does have a hectic life with everything that is happening with her mom being in prison and her did not there for most of the book.
I didn’t find Elle to be relatable. It could have just been me.

I want to thank Disney for granting my wish and giving me the chance to read this book.

So this book wasn’t terrible, but let's just say it wasn’t for me.

The characters felt very one dimensional. I didn’t connect or care for any of them really. Her so-called family on her father's side were very unlikeable. Her father was cold and distant, Don’t even get me started on her grandmother!

I’ll leave pieces of a conversation here for you:

“Why is your skin dark?”
“My mother’s father was part Native American and African American,” I explained.
Mrs. Takahara did not try to hide her shock and displeasure. “Like black?”
"Mother!" Kim and Kenji both cried at Mrs. Takahara, who ignored them.
Mrs. Takahara said, “You know about the Nigerians in Roppongi? They’re bad, not honest.”

Ya’ll I get that they were supposed to be rich and in another country, but that doesn’t excuse this. I really had problems with her family.

There was something that I did like about it. I loved the description of Tokyo. I was so enamored with the world and the author's descriptions. You can also tell the author done her homework on Japanese culture.

All in all, it was okay. Just not for me and not very memorable. If anything, read it for the look into Japanese culture.

**Quotes were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

I’ve enjoyed Rachel Cohn’s writing in the past, and loved the tone and characterization in Kill All Happies, so I was hopeful going into this book. There were parts of the book I really enjoyed, like learning more about Japan and Japanese culture. Cohn’s descriptions of the people, customs, and places of Japan was really quite interesting. There were other parts, though, that left me a bit disappointed. The characterization was pretty flat, particularly secondary characters. I felt I knew next to nothing about Elle’s love interest, Ryuu, for example, even though Elle was clearly interested in him and later seems to adore him, yet I can’t figure out why, besides the fact that he’s forbidden from her. The ending, too, tied everything up in a neat little bow. All in all, it was a good read, but aside from what I learned about Japan, I suspect will be fairly forgettable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

More like a 3.5. This story was quick and pretty formulaic - surprise family, sudden riches, popular kids, and the outcast boy. It gave me Mean Girls vibes with a dash of Anna and the French Kiss in theme and mood. And the ending definitely felt really abrupt and way too "and then suddenly everyone took a 180, got some sense, and talked it out".

But I also really enjoyed the glimpses of Japan that we saw in this story. As some who has spent most of her life being enamored of Japan (and still hasn't been able to visit), I liked reading about the local sights and experiences. I wish there had been more about Elle exploring the city and learning more about her new home.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW
Rachel Cohn’s My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life is a YA book by the co-author of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Cohn deftly explores the tale of Elle Zoellner, who is whisked out of foster care to stay with her wealthy father in Tokyo when her mother is incarcerated. While some of the premises in the book err on the side of fantastical (estranged father with enormous wealth, potential mob connections, seemingly wicked grandmother, and on and on).

What makes the book so wonderful is the way Cohn writes about Tokyo. I did not want it to end. The cultural traditions, the food, the night life - she even makes the mass transit system interesting to readers. This book is expected to debut December 18, 2018 and will likely delight YA audiences and adult readers alike.

PRAISE
"An entertaining and easy read, populated with quirky characters and absurd circumstances."
—VOYA

AUTHOR
Rachel Cohn is the New York Times best-selling author of several young adult novels, including Kill All Happies, Gingerbread, Shrimp, Cupcake, and, with David Levithan, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, and Sam & Ilsa's Last Hurrah. Visit Rachel online at rachelcohn.com or on Twitter @rachelcohn.

Many thanks to Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Elle is in foster care because her mom is in prison, due to consequences from the drug addiction that ruined what had been a perfectly fine life together. But it turns out that the father she's never met is super rich and wants her to come live with him in Tokyo! Elle is obviously skeptical of the father who never reached out before, but it's not like she has any other choices. Tokyo is a dream, full of delicious food and great academic opportunities, and Elle is immediately taken under the wing of the popular kids. But her father can't seem to connect with her and his family seems to hate her and social conventions there are confusing and seem to be forcing Elle to be someone she's not.

This is aggressively fine. Elle is believable and engaging and the descriptions of Tokyo seem to come from a place of genuine love, but the plot is not particularly special, original, or engaging.

This one starts off a little too dark, a little too reminiscent of other books which have come before it. This book challenged me to like it way too much.

Don’t read this for the characters, plot, or romance. The main character is bland, inoffensive, and cute but not notable in any way. The rest of the characters could be copied and pasted from any soap opera cast. The romance inevitably happens but without much tension or corresponding release, and the conflict is resolved so swiftly and randomly that all logic must be abandoned at the door.

Read this, instead, if you plan to visit Tokyo. Because that’s what this really is: a beautifully written guide to Tokyo’s sights, attractions, food, customs, and even some language, loosely held together by a completely unnecessary YA romance plot.

Did I care at all about Elle and her relationships with her family and friends? No. But, I did really care about “cat island,” the spotlessly clean subway system, food halls, Robot Restaurant, and how I absolutely need to visit Tokyo some day.