A possible retreat from goodreads ... though I'm tempted to yell "get off my lawn" at this site's tumblresque-ness. Yes, that's totally a word.
Completely LOVED this book. If you've ever watched a Japanese drama, you know exactly what to expect. Cute bad boys, a gutsy girl, silly friends, and DRAMA. Throw in a paranormal twist and you've got a blockbuster. It was so authentic too, this author obviously lived and breathed in Japan and it shows. Everything was meticulously researched down to the food, kendo, the customs, the language, how real Japanese teens talk ... everything. It made me miss my Japanese classes so much to read about how these things looked through a gaijin's eyes, just like I had for so long. And I've been to Tokyo and it's one of the most welcoming, bizarre, lovely, crazy busy, and wonderful places I've ever been. (I'm sure Shizuoka is just as beautiful.)
The absolute worst thing about this whole book though? Giving me one chapter of the next book at the end.
ARGH.
Forgot to add, the arc was given to me by NetGalley. ありがとうございました。
Reading the negative reviews, I understand now why they're so up-and-down. Japanese (and Korean) dramas are definitely an acquired taste. They're formulaic. They're basically soap operas, but I ate them up for years while I was studying Japanese and fell in unabashed love.
And this book pulled up those memories and made me long to visit Japan all over again.
Here's a link to Toro Iseki, so you can see where Tomo and Katie spent so much time together. And jeez,no wonder people saw the dragon!
Can't wait for the next book.
すき。。。
じゃ。次回までは、またね。