Tokyo Ever After: A Novel

The main character Izumi is a Japanese-American high schooler, the daughter of a single mother and a regular teenager in small town California. She discovers by chance who her father is, and he's the Crown Prince of Japan. Thrust into the spotlight, she heads off to Japan to connect with her father and her Japanese side. I didn't like that her mom did almost nothing to prepare her for the trip but I did like the storylines of trying to fit into a Royal family, the extended family drama, and the romance with the guard. Her close knit group of friends were great, and I also really liked the tabloid article inserts into the story. The friends also highlighted the microaggressions they all experienced, as Asian-Americans and the feelings of being torn between two worlds which added a bit of seriousness to an otherwise fun story. I hope there's a sequel for this, though the ending wraps up things nicely. If you liked the "Princess Diaries" or "American Royals," you'd like this one (and in fact it was blurbed by Katherine McGee). I was lucky enough to win a copy from Goodreads Giveaway and the publisher Flatiron Books (which also thankfully included a family tree, much needed!). Thank you to both and as always, all opinions are my own and unbiased.