Rika Rakuyama isn't enough of anything... isn't Japanese enough to truely fit in to the Little Tokyo community in LA; isn't white enough to not be stereotyped by the "Becky's" who come in to her aunties restaurant and want the "authentic" Japanese experience; isn't demure enough to be the perfect girl; and despite being raised by her aunties as one of their own and as a sister to their two daughters, doesn't quite look right or have the same interests to feel like she's truely part of their family. However, after a haphazard meeting with rising movie star and dancer Hank Chen before the Nikkei Week Parade and a disruption during the parade involving Rika, her world is turned upside down. The fact that her aunties never talk about her mom or that there wasn't a funeral starts to finally piece itself together. With the help of her new friend Hank, who might not be as infuriating as she thought, they work to find out what really happened to Rika's mother, and along the way, she might even find out that she is already enough to be happy and loved, kaiju temper and all.
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From Little Tokyo, With Love is a swoon worthy story of not only of first love, but of self love and acceptance. I think that everyone can relate to Rika's journey, because at some point we've all felt out of place. This book was fun, light hearted, and MAGICAL. This is definitely the best book I have read so far this year! You definitely want this one on your summer tbr!

Once upon a time. . . . Biracial Rika feels as though she doesn’t really belong. Not in her Japanese-American community of Little-Tokyo (in LA), where people won’t let her forget that she’s different — half, a diet version, not truly one of their own. Not with her adoptive family, where the vibe among her cousins is Disney princess to Rika’s inner nure-onna, a character from Japanese folklore that’s part woman, part snake, and ALL flaring temper. What matters to Rika’s adoptive parents (Auntie Suzie and wife Auntie Och) is not Rika’s judo prowess (of the caliber where UCLA scouts might take note) but that Rika not rock the boat.

Then Rika’s path (literally!) collides with Asian-American Hollywood darling Grace Kimura at Little Tokyo’s Nikkei Week Parade, and Rika becomes convinced that Grace is her long-lost (dead!) mother. Aided by Filipino Chinese teen heartthrob Hank (Henry) Chen, Rika sets off on an epic Mom Quest through LA that forces her to confront and slay monsters, some of Henry’s, but especially her own.

From Little Tokyo, With Love is a modern fairytale about a feisty girl with awesome fighty abilities who believes in bitter-sweet, not happy endings. A girl who’s been taught (as so many of us have) that anger isn’t part of the “good” emotion spectrum. At its core, Kuhn’s novel digs deep into some of the many ways we can be made to feel like we don’t belong (from racism to homophobia to body shaming), and the monsters we may need to slay to discover our identity. Important side note: Henry aids Rika in her Mom Quest, but there’s no damsel-in-distressy-ness here. Rika and Henry save themselves and, yes, sometimes each other, but always maintain their autonomy.

A modern fairytale that slays tropes and monsters.

4.5/5 stars

I loved this story because I could relate to Rika’s journey. As an adopted kid, I sometimes wonder about my birth parents. I’m still waiting for that call to tell me that my birth mom is Hollywood’s biggest star, so I understood Rika’s curiosity, her frustrations at continually hitting walls, and her desire to know where she comes from. It also doesn’t hurt that Hank Chen, reality dance star turned romantic comedy actor, was thrown in the mix to add an air of “will they, won’t they” intrigue to an already complicated puzzle.

First off, I want to thank Penguin Teen for sending me this book through NetGalley for review!

From Little Tokyo, With Love is modern fairy tale retelling(?) that follows Rika, a girl who would rather be a nure-onna (terrifying Japanese yōkai) than a princess. Apart of a family with princess obsessed sisters she often feels like an outsider due to her biracial background, judo skills, and temper. But, Rika's life is more like a fairytale than she would like to believe when she finds out her mom might be actually Grace Kimura, the queen of Hollywood romantic comedy scene. Rika goes on an adventure to find more clues about her mother but along the way has she found her own prince charming to help her journey? She learns about her family, her home, and even herself as she finds out what belonging really means.

I think this was a cute book but I was overall pretty let down. Let's start with my rating which is 3/5 stars.

Now let's talk about what I liked. I think it was really interesting to hear about different biracial identities and I honestly think that was the best part of this book. There were really important messages about racism in her community and white people which I think is a side we don't always hear about. But, I am not the best person to talk on this aspect of this book since I am white and have not had these experiences so I am going to leave it alone for now. I think the romance was actually a surprise stand out for me. I wasn't expecting a ton of romance going in and I was expecting pretty surface level stuff and this exceeded my expectations. Henry was fun to read about and he balanced out Rika really well. They were really cute together and I think all of their moments together felt really authentic which is nice to see because often times in YA I think romance can be a little too cheesy for my tastes. All though I do have to say., talk about insta-love... which I wasn't the biggest fan of but I can look past that.

I think my biggest problem with this book is that I felt like almost nothing happened? If that makes sense. I thought the whole point of this book was to find her mom and they would occasionally try to find her but really this whole book was just a romance which isn't a problem I just wish it had been advertised as that or there had been more about the mom. I would forget about the mom and then all of a sudden it was like oh yeah isn't that what they're supposed to be doing? I also felt like judo was was less important than I thought it was going to be. I wanted to see Rika perform for the UCLA scout and hear more about it but I felt like it was brushed under the rug. Again, the romance was also very rushed in my opinion and for once I would like to see a couple know each other for at least a couple of weeks before there are declarations of love. I also overall didn't really like Rika. I understood her growth and character arc but she just frustrated me a lot. She kind of gave me I'm not like other girl vibes especially when she kept dumping on "princesses" like you can not like something without bashing it and those who do like it. I also understood she had some anger problems but there was so many times where she was just like nope and then ran away... which felt weird but maybe that's just me.

I don't think this was a bad book but I just don't think it was for me. I probably wouldn't recommend this book myself but I'm sure there are plenty of readers that would enjoy this book.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an e-arc of the book!

From Little Tokyo, with Love follows Rika as she finds out that the famous actress Grace Kimura might be her mother. Since Grace is currently nowhere to be found, Rika teams up with Henry, a famous actor currently filming a movie with Grace, and the two of them explore Little Tokyo while trying to find Grace.

Despite Rika and Henry not knowing each other for too long, the two characters instantly form a bond that allows them to speak openly with one another and talk about things that they have not discussed with anyone else. Their relationship was by far one of my favourite things about the book.

I also enjoyed exploring Little Tokyo with Rika and Henry as they tried to find Grace. Throughout the book the two characters visit various different places in Little Tokyo. Some new to Rika and some places that Rika used to visit when she was a kid. Every single stop they make you get to learn more about the two characters and it continues to grow your hope that they will sometime soon find Grace.

From Little Tokyo, with Love was a great read and I would recommend you pick it up, especially if you are like me and love to read contemporary books throughout the summer!
4/5 stars

*Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!*

From Little Tokyo, With Love is one of those books that has so much good stuff packed into it. Humor, important messages, adorable romance, diverse characters, some unexplainable force that makes you feel all warm and tingly inside. People, this book has it all, and I am here to tell you all about it in rambling text for the next several hundred words.

One thing that stood out to me the most about this book was the main character, Rika. She's a really complex character who struggles with anger issues and often feels inadequate. She's often discriminated against because she's biracial and doesn't feel like she truly belongs anywhere, causing her to feel resentful and fueling her temper. It was really interesting to read about a character with anger issues because that's not something you see frequently in YA literature. I liked how Rika eventually came to see her temper in a more positive light, realizing that her anger often lashed out at people who were trying to harm the family and friends she cared deeply about, showing her strong love and devotion to those close to her. I also appreciated how there was an emphasis on Rika needing to believe that she deserved her own happy ending instead of continuing to think she wasn't good enough for one. She had a beautiful character arc as she came to see her own good qualities and realize that she was worthy of love. Prime character development!

Honestly, all of the characters in this book were so well written. All of the characters, even side characters, were complex and unique and seemed like genuinely real people. Rika's cousins, Belle and Rory, were especially interesting characters who had their own personalities, flaws, insecurities, and opinions. I enjoyed watching Rika's relationship with the evolve throughout the book. I was also really interested in Rika's friend, Eliza, and would have liked to read more about her (may I suggest a book starring Eliza in the future??). I also would have liked to see more of Rika's aunts, Aunt Suzy and Auntie Och. They weren't in a whole lot of the book and I would've enjoyed seeing a bit more character development from them. I absolutely adored Henry, who at first glance seemed to be a stereotypical cute actor guy but actually had some unique, heartwarming qualities. He was swoon-worthy and charming, and I totally fell in love with his character. After initially being introduced to his perfect actor persona, it was interesting getting to know the hidden personal side of him. I felt like the depictions of his anxiety were very realistic, and I appreciated the anxiety representation in this book. One thing I loved about this book was how, despite it being somewhat of a love story, it had such a strong emphasis on self-growth and learning to love oneself. The messages about belonging and self-acceptance were touching and beautiful.

One thing I wasn't a huge fan of was Grace Kimura. Like, I know she was the catalyst for everything that happened in this book, but I just didn't like her character very much. Her character seemed a bit underdeveloped and bland, and I just couldn't get very passionate about wanting Rika to find her. I also felt like Grace she wasn't trying hard enough to be a part of Rika's life. Things seemed to get resolved too easily between her and Rika in the end, and I just wasn't very invested in her.

While the romance was pretty insta-love, it didn't really bother me for some reason, maybe because it wasn't the main focus. Rika and Henry were adorable together, and I loved how they saw the good in each other. They were so honest and supportive of one another, which was heartwarming to read about. Overall, very cute and swoon-worthy!

That's all for my review of From Little Tokyo, With Love! I gave this book Four Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

From Little Tokyo, With Love is a modern reinvention of a classic fairy tale, with a dashing love interest, a complicated family and a main chatacter that doesn't quite fit the princess mold.
Rika is biracial, brilliant at judo and has a fiery temper, which she often describes as her inner Nure-onna, a mythical creature with the head of a woman and the body of a snake. I loved the integration of Japanese folklore into a contemporary story and the way Rika used the Nure-onna to describe her constant feeling of anger and abandonment.
This novel focuses mostly on family and Rika's journey to understanding and loving herself. The descriptions of Los Angeles were beautiful and created the perfect fairytale setting. I enjoyed From Little Tokyo, With Love and I will definitely be reading the author's previous book.

“All this beauty in the world... How can you not have hope?”

4.5/5 This is one that I would recommend to everyone! Especially to those who have ever felt out of place or not welcome. This book was so sweet, funny, and is truly a modern day fairytale.
TW/CW: Racism, bullying, homophobia

Rika has been raised by aunts, living with her two cousins and helping with the family restaurant. Living in Little Tokyo, being biracial, loving Judo, and having a hot temper has made Rika stand out. During the Nikkei Week Festival, Rika locks eyes with the America’s Sweetheart, Grace Kimura, and everything changes. This sets Rika off on an adventure to locate her long lost mother and finally find a sense of belonging within the community where she doesn’t quite fit.

Rika is biracial and lost. Living with her Japanese family, she doesn’t quite fit in due to the apparent features she doesn’t share. I think a lot of people, biracial or not, will feel a connection to how Rika is feeling throughout the book. If you have been, or are, the minority, you can feel lonely and out of place. I think that Kuhn did an amazing job vocalizing these feelings and creating a space around them through this story. I appreciated the conversation around being different and showing how Rika overcame what she believed to be a weakness, and what she hated about herself.

Henry, a prominent character in the story, is of mixed Asian decent and in the film industry. He introduces Rika to a group of Asian artists during the search for Rika’s mother. There is some good conversation within this group as well. I think that Kuhn nailed it by addressing stereotypes and what it can be like for Asian people to make it in Hollywood and finding stardom in general. The topics that are spoken about in this book feel very relevant and, in my opinion, are well done.

Something else that I also loved was how Rika deals and starts to harness/embrace her anger. You don’t read a lot of books where the MC is a girl or woman with anger that lashes out. I thought this was addressed well. Rika was always made to feel like she was never in the right. And I’m not saying that using violence to solve a problem is good, but there is that realization, that yes, Rika has something to work on, but also, why she felt the need to lash out and how the bullying she endured was not right. Henry helps her realize that her anger is not necessarily a bad thing and she shouldn’t look at it as a negative against herself.

There were a lot of good topics that I thought were done well. But among this, I also loved the cast of characters and the setting. The characters were all well rounded. Although I’m not sure some of the actions in the book were realistic, I thought the characters were pretty relatable. With the setting, I really enjoyed going around LA and Little Tokyo. I’ve only been to LA once, and don’t remember a whole lot of the area, so it was fun to “revisit”.

Overall, great read! A lot of it resonated with me, and I think it would resonate with a lot of other readers as well. If you want a cute YA rom com, I think this is one you should pick up.

I sat down and somehow read most of this book in one day. I don't know how - I just got sucked in and didn't want to move as I read about Rika and her quest.  There are so many things in this book that I loved and Rika was the first thing.  At the start she is very in your face, dramatic, with a serious temper.  That can make for an unlikable character, but I actually connected with her a lot because of those traits that other people projected onto her so much that she started to believe them herself. The way she dealt with her anger felt really unique to me, especially for a YA story.

 As the story continued, we learned more about her and her past. The reason she internalized so much self-doubt and judgement of herself. Her feelings of not belonging anywhere and abandonment because of her parents and the way people in the community treated her as not truly Japanese.  They were so poignant and well written that I just wanted to get angry too and fight for her (though she did a great job on her own). The sense of community and the love of her family was also powerful because it showed how much that love can mean to someone. One of the best aspects of this story was watching her realize this and so many other things about her and her history, and also start to realize what she could break free from and just be her whole self. 
I also was so intrigued by the Little Tokyo community portrayed in this novel and especially how it affected Rika's self image.  The parts she loved and the parts that she found problematic. I could tell the author knew this area intimately and I was instantly transported there and loved feeling like I was getting a tour of some really cool parts of the area.

I also love love love Rika and Henry Chen. I loved that Heny isn't perfect despite his persona. He has flaws, he makes mistakes and isn't completely selfless either.  I love not only the romance that sparks between them, but also how they fight hard to help the other get out of their own head and insecurities. 

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it for all YA lovers.

As a fellow mixed girl (half-Mexican, half-white) I was really looking forward to reading From Little Tokyo, With Love as soon as I learned that the mixed character was biracial and that the theme of identity would play a big role in the story. However, this novel just fell a little bit short of my expectations. While I absolutely loved the themes and reflection upon race, ethnicity, identity, what it means to belong to a culture and community, and the challenges mixed kids face both internally and externally when it comes to understanding your place in said community, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the main character Rika as the vessel for exploring these important themes. I found it difficult to connect with her and the decisions she made throughout the book, but I kept going for the rest of the writing. Despite my reservations about the characters, it was a great concept and a unique and interesting plot, and I recommend it to young readers looking to read about identity struggles.

5/5 STARS

A modern fairytale from a perspective of a lost girl.

I could truly see myself in this story and I think that’s one of the reasons I love it so much.

Rika is biracial and lost, and I’ve never related to something more. I cried so many times when she was talking about her feelings and struggles because “Hey, I feel like that too!”. I might just be emotional, but this book meant a great deal to me.

Rika is also an AMAZING main character. Adopted by her aunts, her life wasn’t easy. She gained a reputation of being “difficult” because of her bad temper and grew up feeling like she never truly belonged. Then, a big discovery means that she has to go on a journey of finding not only her mother, but also herself.

The romance in this book was so heart-warming. It made me cry, laugh, scream, everything I could ever want. The love interest was great and realistic - just like every other character, which made me so happy. He has his own problems to deal with and he also needs someone to be there for him.

I really loved the idea of the princess and the prince “saving each other”. I am sick of the whole “prince charming” thing so I really loved the relationship between Rika and Henry. They understood each other and they both helped each other out. No male saviour thing here, thank you.

I was expecting this book to be a cute romance, but it was so much more. This is a story about finding love not only from your friends, your community and your family but also from yourself.

Overall: LOVED IT. It took me by surprise, but I would recommend it to anyone. I definitely need to get the physical copy now!

Thank you to Viking Books for this gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

From Little Tokyo, with Love is a fantastic YA own voices novel that explores the theme of belonging in a community (especially for biracial people) and the challenges facing Asian Americans. As an Asian American immigrant myself, I def could relate to what the characters experienced and agree with the message Sarah Kuhn is conveying in this thoughtful novel. While Rika isn't my favorite protagonist, I understand her struggle and still rooted for her.

Overall, if you are looking for a meet-cute romance with a side of delicious food and culture, I definitely recommend you picking this one up!

TW: Homophobia, Racism

I had very high hopes for this book, because I absolutely adored I Love You So Mochi. And while this was a disappointing read for me, that was very much because there was a mismatch between my expectations and what this book actually was. I was fully expecting another wholesome YA romance, but while this did have a romance, and I did mostly like it, the tone of the book was very different from what I expected. I don't think it was necessarily bad, but it caused a disconnect for me and I didn't end up enjoying myself. I might give this book a second chance later on to see if I will enjoy it with the right expectations. So please take this review with a grain of salt!

Rika's story is the story of a girl who feels like an outcast in her very traditional community for reasons that are outside of her control and really have nothing to do with her. From Little Tokyo, with Love is a fantastic coming-of-age, self-acceptance story full of character and love. Love for family and friends, first love, love for a city, love of food, the love of those you feel connected to, and, most importantly, love for yourself in all your imperfect glory are the main themes, and I am here for all of it.
I love how well Kuhn manages to make Rika's feelings of not belonging come through to the reader to the point that you can't help but relate to her. Everyone has felt that disconnect at one time or another and it's so well done that you can't help but want to see Rika's feelings be acknowledged.
I did find it interesting and a little funny that Kuhn seems to have some really big issues with white girls appropriating Japanese culture in the most obnoxious and insulting manner possible. I think it's disrespectful and annoying that they do things like that, but, wow, did Kuhn go out of her way to keep repeating it and pointing out how awful and disrespectful it is. A minor thing that actually drew a chuckle out of me the more it happened.

Many very happy thanks to NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the early read!

One of my hard no’s for books is any semblance of internalised misogyny. Unfortunately 6% in I ran into this quote “I sometimes wonder if my mother was like me, gravitating from #TeamPrincess and towards tales of monstrous snake-women and hopelessly sad endings” and that did it for me. I’m sure the rest of the book is great but it’s a no from me.

Having red hair, not really fitting the Asian stereotype, not knowing her parents, her origin, Rika discovers other parts of herself while on a quest to meet her mom and create her own fairytale ending—feelings that scare her, excite her, encourage her, but most importantly, give her hope. With the help of a dashing, similarly troubled celebrity, Henry Chen of course.

THIS BOOK HERE couldn’t be any more timely. Kuhn absolutely slayed it! The story starred a half-Japanese teenage girl living in a very special place with very special people, but never truly finding her sense of belonging. There was a good chunk of humor and romance mixed in with typical YA themes. And, I loved every page! The chemistry between Rika and Henry, the support from her family and friends, and the epitome of her existence was that she had always belonged.

Enchanting, real, and utterly bingeworthy, FROM LITTLE TOKYO, WITH LOVE will open your eyes and capture your heart in the most endearing way.

Really cute and swoon-worthy story with an emotional honesty that pervades each character. The vulnerability Rika and Henry exhibited was so tender and had me rooting for their happy-ever-after. Loved the little shout-outs to Asian American pop culture, Japanese folklore, and traditional Western fairy tales interwoven with the story. This is a love letter to all the biracial Asian girls who feel like they're not enough, to the kids who are struggling to reconnect with a parent who left them, to the flaws and beauties of the Japanese American community of LA.

I absolutely adored this more than anything. I love the way we see Rika and her sisters develop their bond even closer. The experience that Rika and her sisters and her cousins all live are very different but all have similarities. I loved Henry so much, I loved the relationship him and Rika have together. Henry is the sweetest in the world and I love the way he loves Rika.

Rika doesn't think she's princess material. Unlike her cousin, Belle, she's only half-Japanese, and has had to deal with racism and unacceptance from both the Asian community in Little Tokyo and the outside world, even as she wins the top spot in her dojo for her judo skills. But when she agrees to drive Belle, who's won Queen of the Nikkei Week, a Japanese cultural festival, in the parade, Rika isn't expecting to meet a teen celebrity from Dance Off skulking around her aunt's car. She definitely doesn't expect to be attracted to him or to meet up with him again. But rising Hollywood star Henry Chen may hold answers to where Rika truly belongs.

This is a modern fairytale, and each chapter starts with a once-upon-a-time fairytale storytelling device. But it flips the trope around, with both Henry and Rika having to rescue each other at different points in the story.

These characters are fierce and loving, investing their whole hearts into the world. Rika and Henry fall for each other rapidly, and their chemistry is pretty electric for a young adult book. A large part of Rika's storyline involves her temper, which her aunt calls her kaiju (monster)-temper. She famously bit a boy when she was eight, nearly getting kicked out of her dojo. Rika uses the illustration of the nure-onna, one of her favorite monster from Japanese folklore, because she's cunning in how she exacts her revenge. Rika struggles to learn to think of her passion and differences from her community as a good thing.

This is a powerful story of what it means to belong and realizing that we all deserve a happy ending.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the advance review copy of this book.

I finished this book in one night because it was such a quick and fun read! I was instantly sucked in by the narration style, though I was surprised because it WAS a bit on the younger side of YA so I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did! While I'm not a part of the Half Asian club like Rika and Henry, their struggles and rants about not completely fitting into any of their communities was highly relatable and powerful. It was also just really nice to see someone that is "angry" all the time and have that frame shifted to say passionate. That really hit close to home for me and I just really loved that!

Of course, I loved the relationships not only with Rika and her cousins and family, but alsso Henrika was just absolutely adorable and I truly couldn't stop grinning with how cute and cheesy it was. They fit together really well and they did have natural chemistry right from the start!

This was the perfect light rom-com I needed and I'd definitely recommend it!