What happens when being a crown princess starts to get real?
In Tokyo Dreaming, the sequel to Emiko Jean’s Tokyo Ever After, Izzy Tanaka is settling into her role as crown princess. But the Imperial Household Council and royal watchers are still scrutinizing her every move. And they’re pushing for her next natural step: college.
She’s not the only one under the microscope as the Council deliberates on Crown Prince Makoto’s marriage to Izzy’s mom. It’ll take everything Izzy has to transform into the perfect princess so the Council can’t refuse.
While Tokyo Dreaming takes a more serious tack than TEA, it’s an absolute delight to read. You get fake dating; a possible royal wedding; college prep and interviews, and more adventures with Izzy’s old nemeses: her cousins Akiko and Noriko. And we get glimpses of the Asian Girl Gang as they tackle freshman year and try to stay in touch.
Ultimately, Tokyo Dreaming is a story about self-determination versus sacrifice to an institution. As friend Noora tells Izzy, “Just remember when you’re asking yourself what Japan wants from you, make sure you ask what you want from yourself, too. Don’t bury who you are to become who others think you should be.” If you’ve watched how that’s played out for real life royals over the last several years, it’s a message made more poignant because Izzy and co. get to realize it before they’re too far down a path.
This is a series I’ve got a soft spot for, I won’t lie. It’s refreshing to see a brash Japanese American character who might not be college material, navigating the spotlight with as much grace as she can muster. Izzy might have come from Emiko Jean’s brain, but she’s a character of my heart.
4 stars
CW: One closed door love scene at a hotel late in the book.
Tokyo Dreaming is available now.
UPDATE 6/2 — THIS WEEK’S EVENTS ARE POSTPONED DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES and ARE BEING RESCHEDULED FOR THE WEEK of 6/13. STAY TUNED FOR FIRM DATES.
Emiko Jean will be on tour this week promoting the book in Seattle and LA:
June 2 – Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park (Seattle)
June 4 – The Ripped Bodice, Culver City, CA
GET TOKYO DREAMING from The Ripped Bodice | Bookshop.org | IndieBound | Amazon | Apple Books
(This post includes affiliate links that kick us a small percentage at no cost to you if you use them to shop. If this post was useful or helped you discover a new book, please use them to support my work – thanks!)