Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this diary-style, illustrated novel translated from French, a Québecois 15-year-old moves to Japan to be with her father, who's doing research there, while also navigating friendship troubles and heartbreak. Just when things have settled down from the events of The Year My Life Turned Upside Down (2023), Franny Cloutier encounters both culture shock and her father's Japanese girlfriend, Yoko, when she lands in Tokyo. Not handling the changes well, she falls into old habits of self-sabotage and chaotic behavior, followed by remorse. The attractive illustrations evoking Franny's emotional ups and downs embellish each diary entry and text thread, creating an alluring appeal. By contrast, the pervasive use of ableist language and inaccurate, exoticizing portrayals of Japanese culture and people weaken this work. Eventually, Franny gets distracted by Sam, the gorgeous son of her father's Parisian boss. His reciprocal interest gets her entangled with Capucine, Sam's ex, at the French school they attend. Conflict with Franny's best friend back home, Leona, adds even more stress. Franny has poetic moments of introspection ("What if forgiveness had the power to change us for the better?") that eventually lead to her opening up emotionally. Plenty of loose ends and lingering questions leave room for a sequel. Most of the main characters are cued white. A visually engaging and unpredictable romp marred by issues with language and representation. (Fiction. 12-16) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
