From Little Tokyo, with Love

April 1, 2021
Rika sets out to find the truth about her mother. Rika Rakuyama has never felt like she wholly belonged anywhere. Being half Japanese and half White, Rika doesn't feel completely accepted in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo, where tradition is everything. Her mother's sister took her in when her teenage mom died, and now Rika lives with Auntie Suzy and her wife, Auntie Och. Rika is not #TeamPrincess like her cousins; she feels full of rage like a nure-onna or mythological Japanese snake-woman...until she meets popular rom-com actress Grace Kimura in a bizarre encounter and becomes convinced that Grace is actually her long-lost mother. With the help of cute Chinese Filipino rising star Hank Chen, Rika sets off on a whirlwind adventure through Los Angeles, hoping to learn more about her mother; the book highlights the magic of various locations around the city. As she and Hank spend more time together and unravel the truth, Rika gets drawn into the life she could have, but she struggles to open up fully to her own happy ending. Rika and other characters struggle with who they are because people gossip about and comment on their race, sexuality (Rika's cousin Belle is pansexual), and mental health and judge them according to ethnic stereotypes. Written like a modern fairy tale, this is a thoughtful exploration of finding one's full identity and sense of place and community. A beautiful and entertaining blend of family, romance, and self-discovery. (Fiction. 14-18)

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June 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-Rika dislikes all things fairytale; she doesn't believe happy endings are in the cards for her. She never knew her parents, and was adopted by Auntie Suzy and her wife, Auntie Och, as a baby. Together with their daughters, Belle and Rory, they are one happy Japanese family. Except biracial (white and Japanese) Rika feels like an outsider, an orphan with a temper who feels closer to the drawings of yokai, Japanese monsters, covering her bedroom walls. Until she meets Henry Chen, a heartthrob and movie star, who unexpectedly becomes Rika's knight in shining armor. Together, they go on an adventure, dodging paparazzi and fans, to help Rika find answers about her birth mother. Deeply rooted Japanese customs and family are the heart of this compelling story, set in beautiful Los Angeles. Written in Rika's perspective, Kuhn has created a protagonist who doesn't fit the mold of a typical "princess." Instead, she is spirited, fearless, real, and fights tirelessly for what her heart desires. Readers will surely fall in love with Henry Chen and the memorable and relatable cast of characters. The enthralling dialogue will keep readers engaged as they put together the pieces of the puzzle. The narrative delves into real-life issues facing youth who are biracial, orphaned, and dealing with cultural barriers and demands. VERDICT An inclusive contemporary fairy tale that sheds light on important topics, this should hold a place on school and public library shelves.-Suraya Jairam, Queens P.L., Hollis, NY

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2021
Grades 9-12 Sweetly predictable romance, an angsty outsider protagonist, teen heartthrobs, judo, Japanese American community mores, and an affectionate portrait of L.A.'s Little Tokyo: Kuhn blends them all in a fairy tale-based format. Seventeen-year-old orphan Rika has grown up raised by her two aunts (whose marriage is portrayed refreshingly matter-of-factly). Biracial Rika has always felt like an outsider because of her ethnically ambiguous appearance in the homogenous culture of Little Tokyo. Her family lovingly nurtures her, channeling her notoriously prickly energy into becoming the judo dojo's star pupil. Then, during Nikkei Week, a famous annual celebration in Japanese American L.A., Rika falls in love with teen heartthrob dance star Hank Chen and discovers her presumed-dead mother may be none other than the Asian rom-com screen queen Grace Kimura. Kuhn perfectly captures the overwhelming emotional roller coaster of adolescence, from rage to passion to family closeness, painting a loving and accurate portrait of Little Tokyo that Angelenos will treasure. Biracial teens of all cultures will identify with Rika's journey toward self-acceptance.

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