“Elle’s narration sparkles with wit and insight…Cohn’s descriptions of Tokyo are fresh and vivid, focusing on details interesting to teen readers…One of those rare books that combines an authentic teen voice with a confident plunge into a fascinating culture.” Booklist (starred review)
Description
“I’m here to take you to live with your father. In Tokyo, Japan! Happy birthday!”
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 Takahara, is actually a Japanese hotel mogul and wants her to come live with him. Um, yes, please! Elle jets off first class from Washington, DC, to Tokyo, which seems like a dream come true. Until she meets her enigmatic father, her way-too-fab aunt, and her hypercritical 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 übercool 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.
Praise
“Elle’s narration sparkles with wit and insight…Cohn’s descriptions of Tokyo are fresh and vivid, focusing on details interesting to teen readers…One of those rare books that combines an authentic teen voice with a confident plunge into a fascinating culture.” Booklist (starred review)
“A relatable fish-out-of-water story with a lively heroine.” Publishers Weekly
“Ojo is delightful in this wish-fulfillment romp. She easily captures Elle’s optimism even when it’s muddied by her dire circumstances. Her Japanese accents are of two varieties: high pitched for teen girls, and a gruff and deeper tone for male and elderly Japanese characters. Overall, a worthy purchase that will brighten up your YA collection.” Booklist (audio review)
“Fans of misery and romance will lose themselves in this modern Cinderella story.” School Library Journal
“A fun, well-paced novel about family, friendship, and romance…A fun and enjoyable look into the drama of lives of privilege and power.” Kirkus Reviews
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Dec 17, 2018 |
| Release Date | December 18, 2018 |
| Release Date Machine | 1545091200 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Teen & Young Adult, History & Culture, Education & Learning, Children/YA, YA, Fiction - All, Fiction - Child |
Author Bio
Rachel Cohn is the bestselling author of You Know Where to Find Me, Gingerbread, Shrimp, Cupcake, Pop Princess, and, with David Levithan, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares. Born in Washington, DC, she graduated from Barnard College in New York and has lived on both coasts. She now lives in New York City.
Narrator Bio
Adenrele Ojo is an actress, dancer, and audiobook narrator, winner of over a dozen Earphones Awards and the prestigious Audie Award for best narration in 2018. She made her on-screen debut in My Little Girl, starring Jennifer Lopez, and has since starred in several other films. She has also performed extensively with the Philadelphia Dance Company. As the daughter of John E. Allen, Jr., founder and artistic director of Freedom Theatre, the oldest African American theater in Pennsylvania, is no stranger to the stage. In 2010 she performed in the Fountain Theatre’s production of The Ballad of Emmett Till, which won the 2010 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for Best Ensemble. Other plays include August Wilson’s Jitney and Freedom Theatre’s own Black Nativity, where she played Mary.
Overview
“I’m here to take you to live with your father. In Tokyo, Japan! Happy birthday!”
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 Takahara, is actually a Japanese hotel mogul and wants her to come live with him. Um, yes, please! Elle jets off first class from Washington, DC, to Tokyo, which seems like a dream come true. Until she meets her enigmatic father, her way-too-fab aunt, and her hypercritical 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 übercool 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.
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