The Education of Margot Sanchez was a total cover lure for me. The promise of a Puerto-Rican family just sealed the deal for me. Lilliam Rivera is a great writer and I foresee a very bright future for her if she continues with such solid writing. Here are some of my quick opinions about the book.

-First things first, Margot is not going to be the protagonist for everyone. She is one angry girl, and she’s not afraid to let out her frustrations. She wasn’t particularly likeable. I thought her constant desire to want to be noticed, and to separate her friends perspective of her from her reality was frustrating to read about. But thinking back, I think we’ve all had our moments as teens when we said/did things to make us seem cooler in our friend group. Being a teenager is HARD and Rivera portrays that beautifully here.
-The Education of Margot Sanchez, as you can probably tell from the title, is Margot’s story of growth and coming-of-age. Like I said, Margot is not the most pleasant protagonist ; she tended to be materialistic and a bit shallow, in my opinion, but we do see growth from her as the story progressed. However, I wished that we had seen her starting to change and realize how awful her behavior was towards certain people in her life earlier on. It would have made a stronger story for me personally.
-Family is at the center of The Education of Margot Sanchez, and it’s messy and complicated, and just a bit sad as well. Her brother and her father frustrated me to no ends, but the characters were so well-developed that even those who were frustrating in their actions were great to read about. Besides complicated family relationships, the book also explored complicated friendships. And there was also a sweet romance with a neighborhood activist who went by Moises. I would have liked to know more about his character to be honest, but I still really liked the glimpses we saw of his personality.
-I really really loved the Latinx culture here too. I think it’s always wonderful to learn more about different people, their lifestyles and their culture. The portrayal read very realistic to me, and I think Latinx teens will love to see pieces of themselves in Margot and her family.
Overall, this was a decent book for me and I’ll be looking forward to reading more from Lilliam Rivera in the future.

So ridiculously adorable and swoony, just like I like 'em!

The ending totally ruined this book - I did not leave a review because I had nothing positive to say after that awful ending

Seven Days of You is the story of a teenage girl and her last week in Tokyo. It is full of all the typical high school drama of crushes, backstabbing and parent drama; but the real star is Tokyo and the surroundings. The descriptions of the life, scenery and food of Japan are very vivid and powerful images, and made me want to travel there myself.

I connected with the main character because I believe I was the main character, just in a So Cal high school. Same parent issues, same drama, just not the country to country living situations.

If you do not connect with the character, then I think it will be tough to relate to the book. However if you do relate, you will root for her and be begging her parents to not make her move.

Just okay. Not sure i even remember enough about this one to give an opinion about it.

The best way I can describe this is <i>Lost in Translation</i> for the teen set. A book that celebrates the opportunity to live and study abroad, along with everything else that goes along with it, it’s both quiet and fun, exciting yet subdued.

Why, then, am I not enthused by this book?

I couldn’t tell you 100% of the reasoning why. A lot of it is that this book doesn’t feel like it has a ton in the way of stakes going for it. There was little reason for me to root for a particular outcome, and everything felt rather mapped out from the start for me. The adventures (and I use the term here in context) felt fairly subdued on a whole, and, honestly, there wasn’t a ton here for me to invest the emotional energy.

Truly, there’s perhaps an argument to be made that this is more about setting and such for the audience rather than the deep story. But I compare it to <i>Lost in Translation</i> in that the story is one that I remember very little about while continuing to have very strong and vivid visuals. The result is a book that, in a way, felt like a vacation I’d like to go on, just not necessarily with the people involved. A good read, but far from mind-blowing.

Personally I found this story of teens living in Japan a bit forced. I did not care about the girl who was moving away and the boy who was coming back and their tedious relationship. While I didn't especially like this book, I know teens who will be interested in the Japanese pop culture for teens described and will want to share the experiences of these characters.

Sorry, have to DNF this one. I just felt no connection with the main character. Thanks.

This was a fun YA read. I'd recommend it to fans of Sarah Dessen.

Sophia is an unusual girl and faces disappointment with an eye on the past, and uncertainty for the future. But the reader has to hope for her - things will work out, won't they?

Two and a half stars: If you are looking for a cute romance, this isn't it. Too much drama, and it is open ended.

Sophia stares at the dwindling count down on her watch. She only has seven days left in Tokyo, before she moves back to the States. She is extremely irritated when she learns that Jamie, her once best friend, who left three years ago, will be back before she leaves. Sophia and Jamie fought bitterly before he left, and she has no desire to see him again. However, things change when the friendships Sophia thought were solid come splintering down, leaving the one person standing whom she not thought she would not speak to again. Will Sophia find love before she leaves?
What I Liked:
Seven Days of You was a book I wanted to love, but it wasn't. However, I did appreciate that the author kept this realistic and that she touched upon the insecurities and anxieties that Sophia felt as her life was changing. The emotions felt real and honest.
I liked that there was a strong focus on family. Sophia's family has struggled since her dad left. I enjoyed watching Sophia and her sister, Alison, work through their emotions and hard feelings toward their father. In the end, they were there for each other even though they had plenty of ups and downs.
I thought the author did a great job touching upon all the different emotions that Sophia was feeling as she dealt with leaving Tokyo. There is anxiety, dread, happiness, sadness and so much more.
Even though there is very little romance, I did like the parts when Sophia figures it out and gets it right. Unfortunately, most of that is right at the end.
Tokyo was a great setting. You don't get many books set in Tokyo, and I liked experiencing it through Sophia's eyes.
And The Not So Much:
Where do I begin? First, I picked this up because I wanted something sweet and fluffy and this is anything but. There is so much drama, and lots of miscommunication and fighting. There is very little romance, and what you get is rushed and it occurs mostly at the end. I was so disappointed.
I didn't enjoy all the drama. Sophia is constantly getting into fights. She quarrels with her two best friends and her sister. After awhile, it got to be too much. I could have done without all the fighting.
I was excited that this book was set in Tokyo, but I was disappointed because I never felt like the author transported me there. There was not enough description, and I didn't get the flavor of Tokyo. It is mostly just mentioning places that Sophia visits. I wanted more. The author includes Japanese words for foods or clothing or what not and then she doesn't explain what they are. I want more telling and less showing.
The ending is abrupt and open. This book needs an epilogue. After all the drama, I wanted it to end in a nice spot, and it doesn't. I hated the way it ended.
Seven Days of You is a book that did not restore my interest in YA contemporary. If anything, it made me pull further away. This book was a disappointment to me because the romance doesn't pan out until the final portion. There is too much drama, lots of fighting and miscommunication to the point where it is over the top. Then after all that, the book has an abrupt open ending. This is a book that I would recommend borrowing if you want to read it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.

3 “Tokyo & Countdowns” Stars

ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers!

The first half of this book deserves a higher rating than the second half, that’s for sure. But I decided to go with a avarage rating here because there was a lot I liked, but also a lot that didn’t impress me.

The first positive thing I have to say about this book is: This isn’t set in the U.S.A.!!! I mean, don’t get me wrong, but isn’t it nice to see a contemporary story set somewhere else? The world is a big place, guys, and I appreciate learning a little bit about the rest of it as often as I can.

Second positive note, I knew the author had lived in Japan just by reading the first chapter—I didn’t really know anything about Cecilia Vinesse, but the writing told me that about ger. There were a lot of small details here and there about life in Tokyo, and those were things I knew meant the person writing the story had experienced them firsthand. So, good job!

Do I wish the setting had been even more vivid? Sure. I could’ve used a stronger use of all senses in the writing, something that’d take the story to the next level and made me feel more immersed in the world she was creating. In fact, the story would've benefited from Japan and the Japanese culture having a bigger influence on it overall. Having said that, I think the author did a good job portraying how an American girl sees Tokyo.

Maybe it isn’t how the Japanese see their country’s capital, but the main character, Sophia managed to live in an American bubble within Tokyo. That bubble took away from the full Tokyo-experience, but that’s how most contemporary stories set outside the U.S.A. go. It worked for Anna and the French Kiss, so it should work here, too, right?

Well… It could’ve worked if the characters had been likable enough to carry the story without needing a strong world building.

The reason I said in the beginning that the first half was better than the second was because of the character’s likability factor. Sophia, the girl leaving Tokyo in seven days, started out as an interesting enough character. I felt sorry for her because leaving the people you love behind is never easy. And, you know, Japan isn’t exactly the kind of place you can visit when you have a few vacation days.

Sophia’s drama was relatable. She was leaving behind friends she didn’t know she'd ever see again and a life in a city she loved. Poor girl. As someone who moved places when young, I understand and sympathize with her. But Sophia's situation got worse once a dreamy boy entered the picture.

Jamie, the boy Sophia pretended to disliked, but actually had feelings for, came back to Tokyo a week before Sophia had to leave, which made saying good-bye harder.

Unfortunately, that's also when the characters—Sophia included—also became harder to like. This turn of events was actually weird since Jamie was pretty much the perfect guy. Or maybe because Jamie was so perfect the rest of the characters seemed so horrible in comparison? I might be onto something here.

My biggest problem with Sophia came from the fact that she acted like a spoiled brat a lot of the time. I understand she was going through a lot with the moving, losing the life she was used to and learning the truth about the father she idolized, but it still didn't excuse how selfish and immature she came across for the second half of the book. Her attitudes made it very hard to be on team Sophia.

I also wasn't on team Mika or David--Sophia's best friends. Or, at least, what Sophia thought they were. Mika was as immature as Sophia, being uncapable of apologizing properly for hurting her friend. That kitchen apology didn't do it for me. Sorry, but it wasn't enough. It didn't even seem to me that she really acknowledged what she had done and why it was wrong and hurtful. As to David, dude was villainish, to say the least. What he did toward the end proved that he was never Sophia's friend.

So does that mean that I didn't like any character in the story? Nope. I was firmly on Team Jamie--from beginning to end. From the moment he came into the story, Jamie showed me he was a nice guy and deserved to be appreciated in a way I doubted Sophia could. Problem is Sophia proved me right. She never treated Jamie with the respect and care he deserved. It took her more time than the story had--since it was counting down to the seven days she had left--to realize she had feelings for him, and then to act on it. The acting on it part I can actually understand, since no sane person would want to fall in love with someone living across the globe. But the falling love was part of what the story promised, right? So I didn't want to be robbed of those moments. I wanted more of Sophia growing closer to Jamie, and less of Sophia being immature about Mika and David.

I also wanted Sophia not to disrespect Jamie the way she did toward the end. I'm not going to spoiler it, but what she did was really bad. Really bad. And, again, she didn't even seem to realize the full impact of her actions. She was ready to pack, get on a plane and leave that mess behind. But Jamie, being the good soul he was, found a way to fix it. Do I wish she had been more active on the getting-his-forgiveness part? Definitely. Jamie deserved it.

Then... there's the ending. I'm not sure how to feel about it yet. I don't like it, that's for sure, but I (sort of) understand why it had to end the way it did. I just hope we had gotten an extra chapter set in the future, or something. At that point I wasn't sure if I liked Sophia enough to root for her happiness, but I wanted Jamie to be happy and that ending broke my heart. It was emotional, that's all I'll say.

In the end, I have to say that while I was intrigued to read this story because of the setting and the angsty romance, I didn't really get the full experience promised by the blurb. It was a good read and Jamie made the whole thing a lot more endearing, which made it worth reading for me.

Seven Days of You caught my attention because of comparisons to Stephanie Perkins’s Anna and the French Kiss, which was a lovely surprise way back when I read it about four or five years ago. The latter’s sweet romance made me, a reluctant reader of YA contemporary, more willing to try other books like it. And so I gave Seven Days of You a shot, but unfortunately, it did not work out for me.

I had a really tough time trying to find protagonist Sophia and her friends Mika and David likeable. For friends, they turn on each other quite easily, and there’s a lot of drama between them. David is acknowledged to be an arse, and yet everyone continues to hang out with him and Sophia continues to crush on him. The only OK character for me was Jamie, who was part of the group before his parents sent him to a boarding school back in the United States and whose return to Tokyo at the beginning of the novel sends Sophia into a tizzy. She’s still not over an incident that happened right before he left three years ago, and while I could understand why she was upset with him initially, I didn’t feel the situation warranted the amount of time she spent stewing over it. I actually expected the misdeed to be much worse considering how much Sophia went on about it. On top of that, I couldn’t help thinking that there was some truth in what Jamie had said to set Sophia off.

Sophia was not an easy character for me to scrape together much sympathy for. She’s very woe-is-me, and I’m sorry, but I can’t exactly pity someone who’s lived not once but twice in Japan and has been to Paris. I also found her condescending and judgy; I especially took issue with her rather looking down on Jamie’s geekish tendencies. Sophia totally lost me here because there is nothing wrong with reading Harry Potter twenty times. Not now. Not ever.

While other readers might find the conclusion to Sophia’s character arc satisfying, her character development throughout the novel was too choppy to convince me that she had matured significantly by the end. If Seven Days of You hadn’t been a quick, short read, I’m not sure I would’ve stuck it out until the last page. I just wasn’t into the frequent melodrama between Sophia and her friends, and for me, it overshadowed everything else about the book.

Sophia has exactly seven more days in Tokyo with the life she’s grown to know and love– the electric city, her best friend, the boy she’s been crushing on for years. She plans to have the most magical last seven days in Tokyo until Jamie moves back to the city. His return ruins everything, as their previous friendship was filled with pain and heartbreak. With his arrival comes the breakdown of the relationships she thought were stable and the realization that Jamie might not be the horrible person she initially thought he was.

Plot: This was a typical YA romance storyline, minus the fact that the whole novel took place in Tokyo and a solid chunk of the plot was dedicated to family issues that didn’t involve Sophia’s love life. I was definitely more fascinated with that side of Sophia’s story and would have truly loved if this book was more centered around Sophia’s self-discovery rather than a romantic relationship that I felt wasn’t too believable.

Writing: I felt pretty neutral about the writing of the book– not bad, but nothing to rave about. That being said, I think Vinesse did a good job of writing about Sophia’s interactions with her family when discussing her relationship with her father. These moments were when I truly felt emotion rising to the surface through the writing.

Character Development: I think that the reason I felt so iffy about this book was that the characters simply didn’t develop. They all were a little flat to begin with, but I did have hopes that Sophie would become a bit more developed over time. That being said, the only things that really changed about her was her relationship status and her thoughts about her father. While these two things have the potential to impact character development, they were truly just surface-level changes in this story.

As I’m sure you can tell, this just wasn’t the book for me. I can see it being a better choice for readers more into YA romance, though!

2 STARS

What would you do if you had seven days left before you had to move and leave everything behind? That is exactly what Sophia, our main character has to face in Cecilia Vinesse's Seven Days of You. If you're looking for something quick to read that will remind you of those summer romances and also introduce you to a new and interesting setting, this might be a book for you.

There are elements in this novel that I really enjoy including the setting - Tokyo. Readers are really able to take a quick dive into the sights, sounds and culture of Japan from an expat view. That element was quite interesting. I also generally enjoyed the premise of the storyline. Our main character is leaving in 7 days and at the start of the book another character, Jaime, returns and sets a series of events and ups and downs into motion. There are also some family issues that I were written in such a real way that came across as very authentic and I appreciated that element as well.

On the other side, there were some elements that were a little "eh" for me. For instance, there were times where the main character did come off as a little naive and immature, but then again I know we all can be like that at times. Her friends, well they kinda sucked. And I get that, but honestly I guess this plays into the above naiveté for me. And finally, the ending will leave readers hanging a little...I almost wished there was an epilogue as it appears this will not be any sort of series. I get that though, sometimes life leaves stories like this...

All in all, a decent quick read that will give readers a peek into a world of hellos, goodbyes and 7 days in Tokyo.

*I read this book February 2017. I wrote this review now. I read it as an arc. As always, this is my honest opinion of this book.


I am here for the fluffy contemporary and that’s exactly what Seven Days of You is. I loved every single second of this book, because it’s adorable, and frustrating, and cute, and gives you all the feels.

Summary:

The week before Sofia leaves Tokyo forever, all she wants is to spend time with her best friends and ignore the looming future. When Jamie unexpectedly moves back, everything is ruined. As the week progress, Sofia might have to admit, some things, aren’t exactly what she thought they were.

This book is pitched for Stephanie Perkins fans, and one of my all time favorite books is Anna and the French Kiss, so I was very excited to pick Seven Days of You up. The plot sounded adorable. One of my favorite tropes is enemies-turned-lovers (as well as, best friends-to-more) so I couldn’t wait to pick this book up.

I started reading when I needed stress release from my classes and I finished it in a couple of days. I loved every second reading it. It was exactly what I needed to get past a very hard week.

This book takes place in Japan and the imagery is very vivid. Sofia constantly mentions her surroundings, what she’s wearing, and what she’s eating. (Did not know there were so many unique food choices in Japan).

I really loved Sofia. She felt real. Moving is no easy feat, especially not a move of such great scale, and it’s frustrating for everyone involved. The relationships in this book sometimes could be over the top, but overall, I feel like they were realistic representations of people dealing with someone moving away.

Seven Days of You is all fluff. It’s fun, and cute, and kind of dorky. If you were a fan of the shenanigans of Anna and the French Kiss, you will enjoy reading this one too. Overall, this book made me feel happy, and that’s the best thing a book can do.

This book releases tomorrow, and I highly recommend you pick it up.

Reasons I Wanted To Read This Book:
1) TOKYO
2) THAT COVER OH MY GOD
3) The hints at a Best Friend Romance (That I can NEVER resist)

Thinking about this book now, there’s only one thought that runs through my head: WHAT was the point of that?

Seven Days Of You started off well enough, pulling you into a Tokyo environment, but the whole book sort of went downhill after.

1) ARE PARENTS REALLY THAT LAX? I always struggle with figurehead parents that DON’T HAVE ANY RULES (because REALLY?) Sophia stays out all night, every night BEFORE SHE MOVES CONTINENTS are her mother barely questions her. AT ALL.

2) WHAT WAS THAT CRUSH ANYWAY? I quite honestly didn’t even GET Jamie and Sophia together. He moved away after she insulted him and he insulted her and MOONED OVER HER THREE YEARS. And then they run into each other. Kiss each other’s hands. And then AT THE END, REALISE THAT THERE WAS NO POINT STAYING TOGETHER so, you know, SEE YOU IN A YEAR BYE. (what even.)

3) MAYBE WE SHOULD HAND OUT SLAPS TO THESE ‘FRIENDS’? Sophia likes David. Mika, her best friend, knows that. AND YET, MIKA AND DAVID HAVE HOOKED UP. FIVE TIMES. OVER YEARS. #LOYALTYatitsHEIGHTS. Oh, and then there’s David’s real girlfriend who EVERYONE is SO CRAPPY to, but then she’s all “Oh, Sophia you’re like my best friend here. I have no others.” GOD NONE OF YOU ARE REAL FRIENDS.

4) TOKYO WITH NO JAPANESE: All of the characters were expats and ALMOST NONE OF THEM KNEW JAPANESE? Basically, the only thing that this book contained that was ALL ABOUT TOKYO were the places. The names, precisely.

All in all, a book that was sort of strange. I probably won’t be reading it again. 2.5 stars.

It’s been a long winter and we all could use a sweet story about making amends and appreciating what you have to warm our hearts through these final chilly days, right? Cecilia Vinesse will give you a little bit of extra light in Seven Days Of You!

Sophia Wachowski has spent most of her life living in Tokyo, where her mother is taking part in a scientific research grant. But the grant has run its course and there’s only one week before Sophia, her mother, and her older sister return to the United States. Sophia has some big expectations for her final seven days in Japan with her friends, but they’re all turned on their head when Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Tokyo from boarding school in the States.

Once upon a time, Sophia and Jamie were the best of friends back in middle school, but it all changed just before he left. The two haven’t spoken in three years. But now Jamie is back, and their mutual friends are welcoming him home with open arms, completely unaware of what happened between them. Sophia’s leaving celebrations and Jamie’s welcome home celebrations are blended into one, but what transpires as new and old relationships muddle isn’t always celebratory. As Sophie tries to come to grips with leaving, she realizes that her relationship to her best friends isn’t quite what she always thought and maybe, just maybe, her connection with Jamie is worth salvaging.

This story is very much a teen story of romance, friendship, and family. There’s a fair share of teenage drama. We thought it was mostly realistic and helped move the plot along, but if in-fighting and messy make-ups isn’t your thing, you may not connect with this book. Sophia is the friend who has kind of been patronized and stepped on by her besties, Mika and David, but she doesn’t totally realize it until her last week. Some relationships are mendable, others not so much. It’s a good lesson in learning who in your life is worth it and who is not. Juxtaposed against Sophia coming back together with Jamie, the focus in this novel is heavily on relationships.

Jamie is a sweet character, but he has his own troubles that brought him back to Japan. Forced together by their friends at first, he and Sophia connect over their travels and sense that they don’t belong anywhere in particular. They have a complicated history, but have always cared about each other. The two have an innocent, charming sort of chemistry that makes you smile, giggle, and root for their awkward interactions. As the title suggests, the story focuses on the mere seven days that they’re in the same city once again, so yes, there’s a bit of instalove here. We forgive it because there’s a complex history and hell, it’s in the title.

There’s another important character to note: Tokyo is trendy, neon, and alive, earning the attention of readers in exciting, heartwarming new ways thanks to this writing. We’ve never been to Tokyo, but this novel made us want to go there. From konbini snacks to karaoke and questionable ramen shops, you’re put right into the middle of this thriving foreign hotspot. It’s a love letter. We also learned a bit about life through the eyes of an expat, though we found it strange that Sophia never learned more than very rudimentary Japanese and never made outside connections, despite going to an English-speaking school.

At its heart, Seven Days Of You is all about home and finding out where you belong. It’s about realizing that it can be people, not places or habits, that make a home. It’s the “who” and the “why” behind those people that might surprise you the most. For all the connection with Jamie, we were also really pleased to see the frail but special relationship Sophia has with her older sister, Alison, and a friend she often takes for granted, Caroline. Sophia’s world is slowly opened and the revelations are rich, leaving audiences with equal parts hope and longing.

If you don’t mind some big-hearted, clever, but unsure teens being themselves, Seven Days Of You is an enchanting tale of second chances and new experiences that will make you feel good and hug the people you love a little tighter.

The description for this book made it sound like it would be better than it actually is. I felt let down when I finished because I was hoping for more.

In a week, Sophia is leaving Japan to move back to the United States. She’s really upset about the move, because she’ll be leaving her closest friends to spend her senior year in a high school where she knows no one. Japan also feels like home to her, and Sophia craves a sense of rootedness after being bounced between living with her mother and visiting her divorced father in France. Sophia is therefore resolved to make her last week in Japan memorable, but her plans are interrupted by the return of her former friend, Jaime, from boarding school in the States. The two of them haven’t spoken in three years, after Jaime accidentally sent a mean text about Sophia to her, and Sophia isn’t eager to share her final days with her friends with him. However, talking with Jaime leads Sophia to begin to reevaluate their past, and then she finds herself falling for him, even as her departure looms . . .

The best thing about this book is the Japanese setting. Tokyo itself almost seems like a character in the book, as Sophia, Jaime, and their friends travel around the city. It made me want to jump on a flight to Japan and check it out for myself.

The basic plot for the book seems like it should work well—a romance developing between former friends that is accelerated by Sophia’s timeline for leaving the country, with the added family drama of Sophia’s conflicted feelings about her father. And yet, I felt dissatisfied while I was reading the book, although I had a really time identifying why I felt that way as I was reading.

Thinking about it now, my dissatisfaction was because of Sophia, who seems very immature in the way she interacts with Jaime and her other friends, as well as in how she thinks about her absentee father. For example, Sophia has had a crush on one of her friends, David, for years. Even though NOTHING has ever developed between them, she gets mad when she finds out that he has slept with her other friend, Mika, and freezes her out. Sophia then gets let down by her father, and she takes out her disappointment on Jaime by standing him up and later kissing David. Sophia has spent a year not liking David’s girlfriend Caroline, only to find out that Caroline thinks she’s her best friend. Then Sophia feels bad—WHICH SHE SHOULD. She should feel bad about all of those things, in my opinion. So, even though I thought Jaime was a real sweetheart, I had a hard time getting invested in their romance because of my reaction to Sophia.

Readers who don’t react to Sophia in the same way I did will probably find more to like in this book. For me, it was just an OK read.

An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sophia is such a relatable character. The anxiety that she felt over moving back to New Jersey was what any one in her situation would be feeling. I loved the dynamic between her and Mika, her BFF and Allison, her sister. She and Jaime were so cute. First love at it's best! This is a great book about friendship and first relationships. Loved it...and you will too.