this book mainly exists to be like, Gossip Girl style wealth porn but for Japan-lovers, and that's a fine thing for a YA book to be, and indeed I did enjoy the lavish descriptions of fancy Tokyo high rises and sushi chefs and whatnot. The plot......is real flimsy and this is another book where the grownups mostly seem to exist so that you feel bad for how UNFAIR the teens' lives are.

But also the tone is kind of uneven, like from the premise and title I expected it to be mostly the fluffy Tokyo life but there's some p grim side plots that are resolved abruptly?

I think a specific type of teen reader will still be into this but it's like...not great

Elle Zoellner is not looking forward to celebrating her sixteenth birthday in foster care, but she never expected the father she never met to ask her to come live with him in Tokyo. Elle can’t believe she is traveling first class and that she will get to live the high life with the Tokyo elite. That is until she actually meets her father, who doesn’t want to spend time with her, and her grandmother who wishes she didn’t even exist. Elle makes friends with the Ex-Brats who love to spend their parent’s money, but are these fellow students really her friends? Can she follow all of the expected customs and be accepted into the family?

My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life is a stand-alone novel that is quick to read and also quick to move past. The overall storyline is plausible but not believable. Cohn has a variety of characters for readers to explore, but most follow the typical mean girl/quiet boy conventions. I did enjoy reading about this change in life circumstance story and will recommend it to my students, but readers should look at this as a fun escape read and not high literature with a lot of talking points.

Posted to Goodreads: Elle Zoellner never knew her father but she had her mother so her life was okay. However, when Elle's mother is sent to prison and she is sent foster care Elle's once happy life is thrown in turmoil. But everything changes when Elle is whisked away to Tokyo to live with her the father she never met. Can Elle learn to fit in to a new city and a new family to find happiness?

This was a surprising fast read but there also wasn't much to it. The story is a very familiar rags to riches story with everything moving along as planned. Elle doesn't fit in but tries and then has to stay true to herself. This is fine except the characters also felt weak and without any real development. The only really interesting part was the information about Japan however even that didn't really drive the story. This is a perfectly fine book but it in no way distinguishes itself for dozen of other books just like it.

This book was so dang ADORABLE. I loved Elle and how she never gave up and always strove for what she wanted in life, even when life seemed to be completely turned against her. I love how hard she worked to acclimate to her new surroundings. I loved Kenji and I wish we could have gotten a bit more of their relationship. I was a little iffy about him towards the end, but before that, even though he was hardly ever around, I loved their interactions and how alike they were and that potential for a good family dynamic between them. I also loved Uncle Masa and how sweet and dependable he always was.

I freaking adored Ryuu but I just needed SO MUCH MORE of him! He was hardly in the book at all until the end, and then it felt like they moved through their relationship a little quickly. I just wish we could have seen more interactions between them to get to see them properly falling in love. But he was the greatest. I loved him.

Akemi was another character I really loved and I wish we could have gotten more of her and their exchange of English and Japanese sayings, because that was really great.

Overall, my favorite aspect of the book was how it really immersed you in the Japanese culture and lifestyle. I loved getting to explore Tokyo with Elle and learn the language and enjoy the sights and food and everything. That was all really well done and had me wanting to visit Tokyo myself!

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.

This book was overall extremely cute. The storyline was definitely unique and something I haven’t yet come across. I loved learning a bit about a different culture.

I really enjoyed owl as character, she was very real and said what was on her mind. I could really feel for her through the situation she is going through even though it was nothing that I have ever heard of in my life. I like how she was determined to stand her ground and be happy.

If you’re looking for a unique, quick read this is definitely for you. There’s just overall a really cute book, I don’t see myself reading it again but I definitely would recommend it to others especially people who have read and liked this authors previous books.

I completely loved this book!

Elle has spent recent years shifted from terrible foster home to terrible foster home, bullied by classmates and feeling distinctly adrift and unloved, after her mother succumbed to what Elle calls "The Beast" (drug addiction,) and is arrested. Elle doesn't have a father in her life, and knows nothing about who he is, except that he must be Japanese because her mother only ever called him "Mr. Tokyo."

However, one day after school Elle goes back to her current foster home to see her social worker waiting for her on a different day from the usual inspections, and finds out that her father is actually the CEO of a major luxury hotel chain in Japan! Unsure what to think but willing to accept that probably anything would be better than dirty, mean foster parents who only let her shower once a week, Elle accepts the chance to get away and go live with an unknown father who seemingly randomly finally decided to get to know his daughter.

I absolutely loved following Elle's story. She's sarcastic, witty, desperate to find a place with a family who might love her even as she's unsure of them and the Japanese way of life - the way she chose to handle things as a teenager who's constantly been shifted around in the past really rang true to me, and the "Tokyo Dream Life" sounded like - well, a dream! All in all this was a really sweet teen book, I'd recommend it!

This was an interesting YA read and will be a big hit with some of my students who are obsessed with all things Japanese. Overall, it was a good read but it didn't really grab my attention fully.

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.

A moderately well-written novel that will definitely charm those new to YA and obsessed with Japanese culture. However, as a seasoned reader in the genre, this novel simply didn't offer anything new. It went quickly and had some good moments, but overall, nothing special. Will go over well with fans of rags to riches, Tokyo centric plots, rich people with rich people problems, and of course, the typical bad-boy-golden-heart romantic troupe.

There's SO MUCH that happens in this one book, holy crap. I'll go ahead and give content warnings now for addiction, alcoholism, slightly challenged racism, mild homophobia, and attempted sexual assault/assault recalled.

Let's start with the positives. We've got a biracial character! Elle Zoellner is half Japanese, at least a quarter Native American, at least a quarter black, and a mix of more. And I love how she's so very unapologetically herself. We've got a decent representation of the Japanese culture. There's a closeted gay character (I won't say who) and an openly gay character (it's revealed early and not a major deal). There are so many cats in this book, y'all. So. Many. Good. Kitters.

And honestly, the negatives for this book aren't...the biggest deal? Mostly I hated the Ex-Brats and how damn entitled they are. And I didn't like how Elle was oblivious to the most obvious Japanese things. It's almost like this takes place in a point in time where the news doesn't exist, and neither does Google. I thought I took detailed notes on what I was specifically reading about, but instead it just says, is Elle just that dumb?

It's a kinda cute quick read, and great if you love boarding-school type stories. But overall...just kind of a generic storyline. I give My Almost Flawless Tokyo Dream Life 3.5 out of 5 cats.  The book comes out on December 18th.

This was so much fun to read! It reminded me a little of Crazy Rich Asians for a younger generation. In typically Rachel Cohn fashion, it was charming and heartwarming but also got a good message across. Tokyo makes a colorful backdrop for vivid characters and an easy-to-read (yet full of depth) story.

This was such a cute lighthearted read! It felt like I was watching a well read movie. I love how relatable the characters were and as a reader I truly loved the setting of this book and the author made me feel like I was exploring Tokyo with her.

I wanted to read this book because the main character, Elle, has to go live in Tokyo. My son is currently studying for a year in Tokyo so I felt like I was experiencing what he is experiencing through Elle’s eyes. In fact, I was impressed with how accurate this book was with Japanese culture. I would read something about a custom in Japan, and then ask my son if it was accurate and he would say yes. There were some great sights and attractions mentioned through out the book that I would Google to see the images of. I even wrote some down as possibilities to visit when I go over in March to see my son. The romance and ending is a bit predictable but not cheesy predictable just realistic predictable. In fact, I hope there is another book because I would love to know what happens next in the life of Elle and her family.

So…where to begin. As you can see, I’ve given this book a solid one star. It hurt my soul a little bit to do that, but I can’t in good faith tell you guys that it deserves anything more than that.

This book begins with Elle Zoellner (what kinda name…) finding out that she gets to go live with her long-lost daddy in Japan! And–get this–he is super rich, so her life of poverty turns into one of luxury pretty much over night. I cannot emphasize how cliched this entire plot line is. As Elle delves into the world of her fancy school, ICS, she is taken in by the popular girls, but realizes they are all jerks. Then she falls in love with the bad boy who actually has a gentle soul. Then she starts to fit into the family who had rejected her before. Then everything works out. The end.

Okay, maybe there were some minor spoilers there, but I can guarantee that you’ve read this exact story somewhere before. It is completely unoriginal. What little conflict there is in the plot is resolved literally within a couple paragraphs at the end of the book. There is no climax, no resolution…and yes, there is a reason why they teach these things in school. They are kind of necessary for a decent story.

This review is pretty much over because I have nothing else to say about the book. My writing is choppy after a book-reviewing hiatus, and even more so because I just read 350 pages of Cohn’s third-grader grammar. This book was definitely a low for me, and it just reminded me why I’ve given up on YA contemporary. The writing was stylized by “teenager lingo”, the characters were static, the plot flat. The fact that it took place in Japan was a big draw for me when I requested this book, but even that couldn’t save it. Japan has a beautiful culture that synthesizes Eastern philosophy with unique visual elements and technological advancements, but all we saw here were fancy bidets and sushi.

If you are looking for something quick and entertaining, then this is your read. Don’t expect any sort of depth or development throughout the story.

I really enjoyed this story. I thought the setting and characters were well developed. I think my students would like this because many of them are obsessed with Japanese culture. It also deals with serious issues like alcoholism, racism, and the foster care system. My only complaint is that the ending felt very rushed, and some plots seemed unresolved.

This is a cutesy Cindella-esqe story about a girl who is lifted out of an American foster care system and whisked away to a faraway land by her absent until now, incredibly rich father.

It goes about how you would imagine, with Elle acclimating to a new life in a new place where she does not speak the language. Conveniently she is enrolled in an expat private school where classes are taught in English, but she still has to learn how to navigate through a nuanced culture that is vastly different from what she is accustomed to.

I like that fact that the author made Elle a multiethnic character, and it adds some conflict to the story as her "otherness" initially makes it challenging for her to ingratiate herself with her very traditional Japanese family members. It is also interesting to see how she adapts to a mostly homogenous world where customs and etiquette are a very important part of everyday interactions.

I felt like I learned a lot about Japanese culture (I am trusting that the author did her research), and I thought that overall it was an enjoyable read. I will be recommending this to readers who enjoy loose fairytale adaptations and gossipy teen dramas.

Rachel Cohn presents another nuanced picture of an usual life. Elle is the child of a single mother who discovers who her father is when her mother is incarcerated and she goes to live with him in Japan. The story is interesting and unusual. Highly recommend.

"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.