What a DELIGHT. I picked this up out of duty, to vet it for my audience, and soon found myself smiling and giggling through the story of Izzy, her mother and father, her Asian Girl Gang, backstabbing cousins, and handsome new royal guard. Smart, sweet, and fun, and guaranteed to please readers of all ages this summer. I enjoyed it as an adult and can't wait to pass it off to my thirteen-year-old daughter.

If you put Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asians together, your would get Tokyo Ever After! After Izumi discovers her father is the crown prince of Tokyo, her life is flipped upside down. She leaves her mom and best friends in California and travels to Japan to meet the family she has never known.
I really loved the characters throughout the story. I felt that they were all really well developed. The romance between Izumi and Akio was great. I kept waiting for the grand gesture and it melted my heart when I read it! This was a quick and delightful read that had me falling in love and rooting for Izumi as she went on her journey!

"Izumi Tanaka has never really fit in." Not American enough and not Japanese enough to fit into the small California town where she and her single mom live. But that's ok. She's got three ride-or-die friends making it them against the population of Mount Shasta.

When Izzy accidentally discovers an old love letter to her mother, it sets off a dizzying coming of age story. From meeting her father -- THE Crown Prince of Japan -- to learning being a princess isn't everything it's cracked up to be. But hey, her surly bodyguard is pretty cute.

Tokyo Ever After is being marketed for fans of the Princess Diaries. And I couldn't agree with that more. The only word of caution to die-hard Mia fans, Izzy's story takes place in the span of a single book. So, parts of the plot, character development, etc feel a bit rushed. But that doesn't make Tokyo Ever After any less fun of a read.

Tokyo Ever After is a perfect coming-of-age story for 2021. I can't wait to buy copies for friends.

The Princess Diaries meets Crazy Rich Asians in Emiko Jean's new young adult story about a Japanese-American teenager who learns her birth father is the Crown Prince of Japan. Suddenly, Izumi is swept away into a life of royalty and struggles to fit in as a princess. Can she bridge the gap between being too Japanese for America and too American for Japan while still getting her happily ever after? 

Tokyo Ever After will be a delightfully fun read for modern teenagers, and I predict it will quickly get a film adaptation. The story is essentially an updated version of The Princess Diaries set in Japan with a more feminist Gen-Z protagonist but the same cute premise.

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean – A Love Letter to All the Asian Kids Who Dreamed of Being Secret Royalty
When I was a young child watching The Princess Diaries and witnessed Mia Thermopolis, an otherwise ordinary American teenager, become the princess of Genovia, this sparked a childish dream and fantasy: what if I was a secret princess too? Of course, as I grew up, I knew that I wasn’t, but it was fun to dream. I suppose this dream slept dormant within me, because by the time I finished reading the second chapter of Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean, I felt like I was experiencing my wish fulfilment fantasy.

Tokyo Ever After follows Izumi, an absolutely ordinary Japanese-American teenager who discovers that she is a princess, daughter to the Crown Prince of Japan. When the media discovers her secret heritage, Izumi travels to Japan to join her father to discover who she is and the person that she can be. In between learning Japanese, etiquette, and what it takes to be a good Japanese princess, she also finds herself falling for the cold yet dutiful bodyguard assigned to her.

I don’t know how I did it, but I read this whole book in a day – a work day. All I knew was that, after the first few chapters, I needed to know what happened next. Written with so much warmth and humour, Tokyo Ever After has a delightful light-hearted tone that feels like a balm for the soul. I felt so comforted by the storytelling; pages in, I could tell that this was the kind of book that would whisk me away into a gorgeous dream-like fantasy.

True enough, reading this book made me feel so gooey and warm and fuzzy inside. Izumi was an instantly likeable character and I felt comforted by how ordinary she was. She’s not a straight-A student, nor does she try to be. Rather, we are presented with a very ordinary teenager who adores her friends (the only girls of colour in their predominantly white school) and also loves her feminist Japanese-American mother. I found Izumi’s ordinariness wonderful and so charming; in societies where Asian girls are made to feel so much internal and external pressure to be excellent and perfect in everything, it felt validating that Izumi could just be this teenager whose highest aspiration wasn’t going to the best college in the country.

In saying that though, Izumi’s ordinariness is absolutely part of her charm. Throw an ordinary girl into the royal world where propriety, punctuality, and sophistication are of the highest import and you will get fish-out-of-water antics that are hilarious to witness. (I mean, she ruins absolutely everything and throws a carefully planned schedule off-kilter because, enamoured by the luxuries afforded to her, she drinks way too many personally-made drinks and has to pee.)

Underlying the charming silliness of the story is also a story about a girl who feels lost and is on a journey to find connection to who she is and her heritage. Having lost her cultural roots and connection to her Japanese culture due to her grandparents’ choice to assimilate following World War II, Izumi’s desire to better understand her Japanese heritage, her family’s legacy, and reconnect with the father felt meaningful. I felt the vicarious joy of seeing Izumi learn parts of herself, and to come into her own power and strength when she reconciles the conflict she feels about her identity.

What I loved about Tokyo Ever After was just how funny it was, and just how much unapologetic fun the story was. I enjoyed that the story doesn’t take itself too seriously – Tokyo Ever After is a fun fuzzy fantasy that feels like a love letter to all the Asian kids who dreamed of being secret royalty. Izumi’s genuinely funny and warm voice was so lovely and captivating to read, and if you love humour that is unapologetically silly and a little self-depreciating, then you will love this just as much as I did. And while Izumi’s struggles to grapple with her new responsibilities and the burden of being a princess, Tokyo Ever After deftly balances the fun with moments of critical cognisance of the burden and scrutiny visible women experience in the eyes of the media and public.

I saved the best thing for last: the romance. Tokyo Ever After features a delicious bodyguard romance that had me squeal-screaming into a pillow. For what starts as a silly dislike, despite the chemistry, to a budding mutual understanding about each other, to a juicy forbidden romance between a royal princess and a bodyguard below her station, I loved every minute of the sweet and predictable romance. Indeed, the delight and excitement of the romance was seeing the moments we knew were coming happen – the moment the bodyguard let his guard down, when he has to choose between duty over heart, the transition from the hard jaw to the tender gaze… I melted, perished, evaporated into the ether. Best of all, the romance between the main character and the love interest wasn’t the only romance that melted my heart. There is a story between the princess’s mother and father… but I’ll leave the rest of you to find out what happens.

All in all, Tokyo Ever After was the kind of book that just made me feel so alive. That reminded me of the beautiful things in life – connection, friendship, first love – and celebrates that grace and goodness isn’t a title, it’s a way of being. Tokyo Ever After was a validating, heart-warming, and soft story about discovering who you are, fighting for love, and being your authentic self no matter what. Notably, I also want to highlight that Tokyo Ever After features two parents who are wholly supportive and loving towards Izumi; it was so wonderful and soothing to see two Asian parents who are not perfect but also ultimately in their daughter’s corner.

MY CONCLUSION: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Tokyo Ever After is one of the most fun and blissful books I have ever read. Fun, hilarious, and the right kind of silly and sweet, Tokyo Ever After is the fairytale-like story that feels like a soft pillow after a hard day, gentle in its affirmations and fierce in its celebration of love.

Oh well this is amazing combination of Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asians; a Japanese American teenage girl finds out the father she never met is coming from royal family! Actually he’s freaking crown prince of Japan ! Now her two different worlds will be collided into each other. Could she fit in the both parts without feeling like a true outsider?

Izumi is quick witted, entertaining, so much sympathetic character you may truly relate with! When she has been raised in Northern California by single mom, she already felt how to be an outsider in her secluded, tiny, mostly white community. And now she flies to Japan to fill her responsibilities as a princess but firstly she has to learn the rules of being a royal to get the approval of her ancestors!

And when you add forbidden love into equation with lots of entertaining supporting characters, this book turns into one of the most enjoyable read& chill feel good journeys!

Even though there are some plot holes, undeveloped dialogues between the characters and too insta love between the MCs, I still enjoyed this soft, funny, heartwarming, swoon, sweet romance and self discovery story!

Gather your refreshments and munchies, dive into this heartfelt journey to have relaxing, quality reading time!

I’m delightfully rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 crown, hot bodyguard, loss in translation, multi cultural interest stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Can we just take a minute to appreciate this cover? And maybe a second minute? Because it's stunning.

As for the book itself, well. While I found the writing-style to be easy going it did sort've trick me into think this was well-paced. Which in hindsight.. sometimes yes, sometimes no. But I was mostly convinced of that because at a certain point in the book, considering certain events, I was sure this wasn't a standalone and we'd have a series to explore more. But from the looks of it, and considering the ending, this has a distinct one-and-done feel. I could be wrong, of course.

Equally, though it might seem obvious, this does feel like two different books. Likely because it's two separate and very different worlds colliding. But as much as I enjoyed the immersion into the Japanese side of things I think the American just-another-YA-contemporary side felt more fleshed out. The close knit girlfriends, the single mum, etc, just felt so effortless and fun. The other side had moments of pure delight, don't get me wrong, but I think more time to explore, ie not a standalone, would've knocked this out of the park. Given time to flesh out not only the relationships (the romance was too rushed, that was a true downfall for me) but the characters themselves, too. That said, I did enjoy the dialogue surrounding that struggle to find the right space to be. Izumi isn't mixed race but she's brought up in America without any roots; and yet, despite feeling an instant connection to Japan, she is too American. As a white reader I obviously can't speak to how that impacts other readers who have experienced the same, or how true it read, so please, as always, seek out #ownvoices reviews. But it resonated quite a bit.

If you go in just wanting something to live up to the pitch, Crazy Rich Asians meets The Princess Diaries, I think you'll be happy. It definitely fits the bill. Criticisms aside I did quite enjoy this, I just wanted more. Also, I thought this was a debut, so I was about to be all "and for a debut it was so strong!". Delete delete. Not sure either of her backlist offerings are tempting enough to pick up but I would read her again.

I really loved this book! I flew through its pages in one afternoon and I am so sad it is over. This story has great relatable characters and the storyline is super interesting. I will be purchasing this book for my library.

Izumi's story is The Princess Diaries for a new generation.

Smart and laugh out loud funny, Izumi, a full realized character who leaps off the page, is sure to win the hearts of readers everywhere. Thrust into a foreign country, language and world, she has to balance her desire to be a normal teenager with a forbidden romance and her longing for family and roots. Readers will be able to relate to Izumi's sharp wit, her desire to fit in in both America and Japan, and her swoonworthy romance with her stoic but hot imperial guard.

If Mia Thermopolis had a friend today, it would be Izumi Tanaka. I loved seeing the inside look of being royal, the hierarchy of the Japanese royal family, forbidden romance (that dance! the poems wrapped up and sent to one another), and the growth of Izumi's character...she just has to be herself and be honest with everyone around her.

I rarely say this but THIS BOOK IS PERFECT. I cannot wait to recommend this book to readers everywhere.

Wow, this book was genuinely phenomenal. The main character, Izumi, is funny, relatable, and super lovable. I honestly thought this book would just be another cute story, and don't get me wrong, this book is very cute, but it is also so much more than that. Throughout the story, Izumi felt as if she had to prove herself, and she never truly felt accepted in either Japan or America, like she was too Japanese for America and too American for Japan. It
isn't until the end that she finally embraces both parts of her and discovers her own self worth. Every single character and plot line is so developed, and it's obvious that everything is so carefully thought-out. I loved Izumi's dad, and I'm not gonna lie, I shed a few tears when Izumi gave him the scroll. Overall, this story is so sweet and endearing, and it is everything I could've hoped for. If you have ever felt unaccepted or like you don't fit anywhere (especially if it is because of your race or ethnicity), then this book is definitely for you.

If I could read this book for the first time again, I would, so definitely read it.

Thanks you, NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Cute cover, cute story. Everything about this book is adorable. If you’re looking for alight, fun read then definitely picks this one up. It’s fun and will have you smiling silly

Look, one thing I can always say for Alloy is that while their books may be formulaic, they are masters of that formula, which I really appreciate because sometimes you know exactly what you want to read--in this case, a YA novel about a princess--and I know I can trust them to deliver. TOKYO EVER AFTER is the latest great example of this. (That's it, that's the review.)

I can’t ask for much more out of a light read that what I got from Tokyo Ever After: It’s a delightfully effervescent and sweet fairy tale, it’s funny, and I learned all sorts of cool and interesting things about Japan.

Generally speaking I don’t much go in for Royals fiction, but this unique take on the Princess Diaries was well worth the read.

Led by a funny and lovably regular gal heroine Izumi and populated by a terrific supporting cast, this is a charming fairy tale that’s got all of the humor and sweetness and none of the schlock of your average YA happy-ever-after read.

The fish out of water trope is usually a worthy subject in YA fiction, and it’s particularly well-executed in Tokyo Ever After: What happens when who you are makes you feel like you don’t ever quite fit in anywhere?

Though I was more interested in Izumi’s trials and tribulations with learning a new culture as well as her navigation of a new relationship with her father than I was in her romance with her bodyguard, the book keeps it all pretty light and avoids the saccharine, over-angsty tone that often annoys me when it comes to teen romances and instead builds a lovely budding relationship between Izumi and Akio that made me root hard for them.

A must read if you love a modern fairy tale but want something smarter and more devoid of hokiness than your average book in the genre.

Imagine living your entire childhood not knowing that you are, in fact, a princess. This is Izumi Tanaka's reality. Growing up in northern California with her single mother, she has never known her father, and has always felt like an outsider in her small, mostly white, community. Well, it turns out that Izumi is actually Japanese royalty, a secret her mother has kept from her for Izumi's entire life. Soon, Izumi is whisked off to Japan to meet the Imperial Royal Family and The Crown Prince, the father she has never known. But learning how to "be royal" isn't easy, nor as fun as one might believe, and Izumi quickly finds herself torn between the perfect princess Japan expects her to be and her true, authentic self. Will Izumi show up for herself, or will she bend to the will of the Crown?

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean is a fun, vibrant YA novel of the rags to riches variety. I have seen the book compared to the Princess Diaries series, but having never read Meg Cabot's take on this storyline, I have no comparison. Going into this book, I also had no idea that Japan has a royal family - one that is actually the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world. Therefore this book was not only entertaining for me, but educational as well. Readers are swept up into the royal life alongside Izumi, and honestly, that is the best part of this book. Royalty is an exclusive club, so it is always fun to peek inside their lives.

However, Izumi's transformation into a Princess of the Imperial Family is not seamless. Having grown up in America, Izumi's customs, manner of speaking and behaving, and choice of clothing is not in line with what is expected of Japanese royalty. Readers will see Izumi grow throughout the course of this novel, not only into a princess, but also as a young woman coming into her own. The struggle between what is expected of her, and what she holds in her heart is a common theme in this coming of age novel, and it is satisfying to see Izumi grow and mature across the pages.

This book is also not without a romance, although some readers may feel that the connection between Izumi and her love interest is rushed and underdeveloped. While I did not dislike it as much as some reviewers did, I felt that the relationship was in line with the tone of the rest of the novel. Much of this book only scratches the surface, which is likely its greatest fault. A longer storyline at a shorter pace would have likely benefitted Tokyo Ever After greatly, as it tries to pack too much punch into too few pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This one is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Readers are awarded so many moments of just delightful highs! Perfect lines, given at the perfect time, that makes you just want to cheer! There are so many 90's reference and there is no hiding the fact that this is a Princess Diaries for a new generation starring a Japanese American reluctant princess. Mia Thermopolis would surely be proud to have Izumi following in her footsteps.

I recommend this to ANYONE who read and loved Meg Cabot, the Princess Diaries (the books and/or movies), and their children. Read this one together!

*review to be posted on my blog closer to release / promo*

Tokyo Ever After is a fun and quirky young adult contemporary which takes us right along on a life changing journey with Izumi, our protagonist who is a long lost princess. As soon as I read that this book was compared to The Princess Diaries I knew I had to read it because that series was one of my absolute favourites of all time and still holds such a special place in my heart. While Tokyo Ever After has shades of PD, Emiko Jean takes the ‘unknown princess’ concept and makes it her own.

One of my favourite things about the novel has to be the journey that Izumi goes on throughout the course of the novel. When we first meet her, she’s pretty content with her life and she has a group of close friends, a supportive mom and some direction in life in terms of her future but she still feels like something is lacking. It all stems from the father she’s never known and also her Japanese heritage which she doesn’t feel connected to.

I liked how this story evolved and how Izumi starts getting to know her dad and learn more about her culture and feeling like she does belong and learns her family history. I think Jean touches upon something so important with this thread – the idea of roots, of knowing where you come from and feeling comfortable in yourself and who you are. Especially since Izumi comes from a primarily white town, her experience as a Japanese American has been fraught with racist interactions and micro-aggressions at the hands of her white peers as well as the disconnect from her heritage following her grandparents deaths. I think many readers will be able to connect and empathise with Izumi as she goes through the journey of self actualisation and identity.

Another element of the book I appreciated was the friendships between Izumi and her three best friends – Noora, Glory and Hansani who have dubbed themselves the AGG (Asian Girl Gang). I loved how these four girls, all women of colour too, banded together and formed such a bond and were the true definition of ride or dies. Strong female friendships are some of my favourite things in fiction and I think Jean writes this so wonderfully and makes it so convincing and real in the story. I would definitely have liked to see her friends be more developed and have more time with them though.

I much preferred the friendships in the novel over the romantic plotline which was a shame, since I’m usually a sucker for romance. I felt like it was kind of insta-lovey and there wasn’t much development when it came to Izumi and Akio’s relationship, other than a physical attraction. It wasn’t clear to me why exactly they started falling for each other and I think they needed more page time to really build the chemistry and make me believe in them. Akio is certainly the epitome of the brooding handsome love interest but it just wasn’t enough to make me root for them as a couple unfortunately.

At times, the story does feel a tad rushed and the pacing is off because there are times when little to nothing happens and other points where things happen in rapid succession. I also think tying in with the pacing issue is the fact that although there’s drama recurring and events that are meant to have significant emotional impact, it didn’t feel well developed enough for it to really have the gravity it was supposed to and it fell so flat. It was unfortunate that this was the case because with some more development or time, it could have achieved the desired effect and been even more powerful.

Overall, Tokyo Ever After is a sweet Y/A contemporary which I think many readers will enjoy- from the romance, to the exploration of Asian American identity and cultural heritage, there will be something for everyone. Despite some of the issues I had with the novel, making it more of a one time read for me, I think there will be readers out there who will find it more enjoyable, different strokes for different folks and all.

"Tokyo Ever After" by Emiko Jean
Release Date: 5.25.2021

Izumi Tanaka lives in northern California with her mom. She never felt like she really fit in, since she is Japanese-American and lives in a mostly white town. It's also always been her and her mom; Izzy has never known her father.

Izzy finds a clue about her father's identity; her father is the Crown Prince of Japan. Izzy is really a princess! She trades her sneaks for a crown and travels to Japan to meet her father and learns about her country. Problem is, she is not fluent in Japan and is not familiar with the customs; she is an American in her father's family's eyes. She realizes princesses do not just attend balls, but she deals with cousins, the paparazzi, customs and traditions she's never learned, and her adorable bodyguard, Aiko.

Feeling trapped between two works, Izzy realizes she had to prove to be an American in the U.S. and Japanese in Japan. Will Izzy decide that she enjoys her regular life with her mom back in California? Does she have what it takes to be a princess?

I enjoyed this book immensely...what a coming of age story! It reminded me of "The Princess Diaries," but "Tokyo Ever After" explored so much more than Mia ever had to figure out. Izzy needed to determine what it meant to her to be an Asian America, girl power, responsibilities and respect, and the beauty of Japan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read in exchange for my personal opinion.

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #2021bookreleases #tokyoeverafter #emikojean #yabooks #2021yabookreleases

i have probably seen the princess diaries movies more times than i've seen most movies.

so obviously, i jumped for the opportunity to read tokyo ever after.

overall, i had a pretty good time. izumi is wonderfully awkward, her friends are fantastic, and her interactions with all her family members are so wholesome. i yet again found myself rooting for a heterosexual couple. her journey into becoming more sure of herself, finding a place in a world that very much is not built for her, is one that's all too familiar.

but all that being said, there's a reason why i didn't give this 5 stars. the last several YA contemporary books i've read have been from gen-z or younger millennial authors, and i didn't really realize how much that makes a difference. izumi's narration reminded me of books from six years ago or earlier, a voice that's far removed from contemporary teens in a way i can't describe tangibly. her texts with her friends were probably the most painful to read; no teenager's group chat is EVER that coherent.

but i, as a reader, can easily move past that, and tokyo ever after should not be discredited just because it doesn't sound realistic. after all, the premise itself is the exact opposite of that. i had a good time reading this, and that's all that matters!

This was really cute! I always love a royalty story and I flew through this one.
Izumi is a Japanese American high school senior who finds out unexpectedly that her unknown father is the Crown Prince of Japan. Most of the book takes place in Japan, where Izumi tries to fit in with the Imperial family, while making lots of (expected) mistakes that the tabloids run with. Izumi had an “Asian Girl Gang” of friends from home that are awesome side characters. There’s also a forbidden love story which is completely adorable.
Highly recommend!

Tokyo Ever After is a book that is equal parts heartwarming and irritating. While reading, my rating for this book jumped from a solid 4 stars to 2 stars back up to 3.5 stars and back down again to 3 stars. I hated 90% of the humor in this book - it felt forced and, honestly, extremely cringy and more like an adult's idea of teen humor than actual teen humor - and I was often frustrated by the pacing and the romance (even after suffering through it so many times, it looks like insta-love contemporaries still aren't my thing). I also found many of the characters annoying, one-dimensional, or both, and feel like none of them were particularly touched upon. On top of it all, to put it simply (though I wish I enjoyed this more), this is going to be one of those books I'll review and never really talk about ever again, as I just wasn't very attached to any of the characters or anything that happened.

With that being said, I definitely didn't hate this book as much as it sounds like I do; it did have several redeeming points which kept it from a lower rating. First of all, I obviously loved the cultural aspects of this book, since Japan has always been a really interesting place to me. Second of all, I hate to say it, but I LOVE books with drama. It doesn't matter how much there is or how bad it is, I'll secretly enjoy it every time even if I find it annoying, and this book definitely offered a lot of it. Third of all, I really loved how the protagonist, Izumi, was able to come to terms with her cultural identity. I really sympathized with her (the Asian-American struggle is universal) and was able to relate to how she felt as if she wasn't American enough in America or Japanese enough in Japan, and the way she was able to grow as a person and feel more comfortable with her identity as an American-born Japanese princess (while still being an extremely realistic and relatable character) was incredibly gratifying to read. Though I was definitely annoyed with her at times (IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE UPSET AT PEOPLE CALLING YOU OUT THEN MAYBE ACTUALLY DO SOME RESEARCH INSTEAD OF WATCHING DOWNTON ABBEY FOR YOUR WHOLE FLIGHT PLEASE I'M BEGGING), I felt like her character development was the highlight of this book. Additionally, while her romance with Akio felt just a little rushed for me, I did like how he supported her and was never toxic (something I think is always nice to have in YA), and enjoyed their banter. Finally, this book was extremely easy to get through and rarely dragged.

Overall, this was a very quick and easy read. Sadly, I was frustrated by some aspects and I just don't think any part of it will really stick with me after a few weeks. I do, however, appreciate how fun it was and how it looked into cultural identity, and I think it has the potential to become a favorite for many others.