Mika in Real Life

Today I finished the novel “Mika in Real Life,” by Emiko Jean who is also the NYT Bestselling author of “Tokyo Ever After,” and “Tokyo Dreaming”. Mika is a thirty five year old woman who is at a low point in her life losing another job and never seeming to please her very traditional Japanese parents. One day Mika gets a call from her daughter Penny she gave up for adoption sixteen years ago. Mika and Penny hope to get to know one another and Mika tells a white lie that then ends up being a whole big fake like where Mika has her life put together both in her love life and her career. The novel is about the bonds between a mother and daughter, grief, letting go and following your dreams. I enjoyed “Tokyo Ever After,” so I knew I would love “Mika in Real Life”.

Pros

I love all the characters. I liked seeing bits of Mika’s past in art school. I also like Mika realized that her worth didn’t come from her mother Hiromi’s approval but that it came from herself and Mika learns to love herself. This novel is one every mother and daughter should read, as it’s a reminder that a mother tries the best she can, and that a child needs to be their own person and not an exact replica of their parents. I also liked the Bon Odori dance that Penny did.

Cons  

There wasn’t much I disliked from the novel. The only thing left to say is I wish this book was longer because it was very good.

Overall

Overall I enjoyed the novel very much and I can’t wait to see what Emiko Jean will write next.