Customer Reviews

Moon over Tokyo

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Allie O'Connor is an unlikely girl to be living abroad, especially in a country so different to her own ~ Japan. Everything about Allie's life is a dichotomy she is a journalist but wants to be a novelist, she is a resident of Tokyo but doesn't speak the language, she loves different cultures but keeps away from cultural events. To top it all off she is six foot tall but in her words, "Inside me a short person was crying to be let out."

Allie's "security blanket" is about to leave, her wild Australian friend, Gina is heading back to Australia and she needs a new friend now and doesn't hesitate to demand one from God. She just wasn't counting on him bringing along a man, let alone her nemesis from high school, Erik Larsen ~ tall, handsome, sophisticated...and a Republican!

Siri Mitchell excels in bringing different cultures alive in her novels hand in hand with wonderful characterisation. Moon Over Tokyo is delightful, brimming with the beauty and contrasts that make Tokyo both fascinating and frustrating for visitors. Allie and Gina's relationship is fun and thought provoking as Allie, a believer, is bound by her fears and Gina, a "heathen" Aussie confidently takes on the world. Eric adds a whole new dimension to Allie's world and yet she refuses to grasp the gift of friendship and love she has before her. I appreciated so much that Allie continued to struggle with her fears of a relationship even when love was exposed - her genuine hesitation was as real as it gets and make this novel stand out from many a traditional romance.

Moon Over Tokyo was a disappointment. Having loved most of Ms. Mitchell's previous books (3 out of 4), I thought this one would be a sure thing (like Kissing Adrien and France- but now with Japan). It was a slower read and though, I liked the characters and romance/chemistry between Allie and Eric, I never really got into it. It read more like a guide book for travelling and living in Japan. At times there was way too detailed of information for a work of fiction (ie. how to get from Allie's apartment to the subway-detailed directions, step by step instructions of how to get around the mall, where to find food, how to navigate a grocery store, etc).

I like reading stories that are fast-paced enough to keep my interest and this usually entails a good balance between exposition and dialogue. Here, there was so much boring, pointless exposition that it was aggravating trying to read through it all. The "informational" guide/travel book sections weren't interesting or noteworthy. It's just too much information that really seems irrelevant for a Christian romance, let alone a work of fiction (maybe it's meant to be a travel-logue...) Towards the end, I was skimming through to find some dialogue to speed up the pace of the story. Not a good sign. At the beginning, I had an inkling that I wouldn't like this story as much- there were multiple instances of paragraphs that read like a stream of consciousness, listing- ex. "I did ... I went...I saw...I also went..."

I really loved and enjoyed reading Kissing Adrien, Chateau of Echoes, and Cubicle Next Door. But perhaps my attention was more secured since the former two focused on French factoids- a country and language I am more interested in. But even then there wasn't this extent of minute details about places to see, where to eat, and step by step directions. If you don't mind that and are interested in learning lots of random guidebook-ish facts about Japan (or are planning a visit there...), then you'd probably enjoy Moon Over Tokyo. Maybe if you've travelled or lived in Japan yourself, this would all be a nice trip down memory lane... I hope Ms. Mitchell has better, more full-bodied and fleshed-out (not guide-books) stories in the works. I'd hate to miss out on such a great author to mediocre plots.

Siri Mitchell has done it again! This book is my favorite of hers since "Kissing Adrien". I read this book in one day. I could not put it down!
Siri has the ability to really make exotic places inticing. Even through the eyes of Allie who doesn't realize it at first. Her main character is likable and complex. I pictured all of the characters and what they were doing easily because of Siri's great writing. This book is one where it's not love at first sight, Allie has to dig deep and figure out who she is first
Allie thinks she is one way and presents herself that way, but it's not until God answers a prayer, and her new friend shows her things are not always what they seem. She has to reexamin her life and who she is. Eric is not your normal guy either. In this book opposites attract and it's great!
Siri has done it again- easily she is one of my favorite authors.

Allie has been living on an American base in Tokyo for a couple years as a reporter when her friend moves back to her homeland of Australia. Allie prays for a new friend and she meets Erik again - someone from her high school years earlier. He is a perfect gentleman throughout but Allie can't get past her prejudices about his political views and still thinks of him as a nemesis.

While Moon Over Tokyo is clearly a novel, it has the feel of a memoir. It feels like the author, who has been to Tokyo and does know what she's talking about, has inserted several passages of a journal she may have kept while traveling. There are many, many details about the busy city that are not really important to the story's plot. They would be especially interesting for others who have been to Tokyo (or want to) but I started skipping over some of it when I realized it could have been edited out. That said, it's a very realistic story. One that I could almost believe really did happen.

There was fun banter between the main characters and their relationship moved slowly, starting off with friendship and eventually entering into a deeper relationship. For those who have lived or traveled overseas, it is a completely believable relationship - needing each other, helping each other, having the common bond of just being somewhere at the same time. This is a fast-read which means there is not a plot depth that will consume you. It's a pleasant book to read though. And it has a nice layout and cover design which doesn't hurt!

Moon Over Tokyo is a charming story of girl-finding-what-she-never-knew-she'd-always-wanted.

I absolutely loved "The Cubicle Next Door" and couldn't wait to crack the cover on "Moon." I found an entirely different style story. This is a good thing in that Siri Mitchell is versatile and full-octave voiced, but sad in that I missed some of the quirkiness that made "Cubicle" so fun to read.

That said -- Allie's story is sweet and full of angst but I think the lacking piece is the charm of the quirky support system in "Cubicle."

Allie is bound up and fearful and looking for something that she just can't find, and her two female friends don't offer much relief or hope. This is where it differs from usual Chick-Lit and I wouldn't give "Moon" that label.

Enter Eric who is exactly what she loathes and his confidence in his loathsome state frustrates Allie repeatedly.

Each chapter begins with a Haiku - an impressively appropriate Haiku. Japanese scenery, sights, smells, sounds and tastes permeate this novel, giving it depth.

Spiritually, this story is enriched by the graceful and respectful way Mitchell shares Japanese customs and Buddhist beliefs. Mitchell creates characters who follow God but make mistakes along the way. The main characters drink socially so beware if you make it a policy not to read books with alcohol imbibing Christian characters.

As appearing on the NovelReviews blogspot.

Moon Over Tokyo was a fun read; albeit a little bit predictable. If you are an expat living abroad, you might see a some of yourself here...and some might see a little too much for comfort. Like others who find themselves as "stranger in a strange land," Alli (the main character) lives abroad and holds herself somewhat hostage on an expat compound, minimally interacting with the locals as she is overwhelmed with the Japanese language. When a former school friend is also posted to her city, she begins to get out more...but he has to organise everything. Typical of some expats...floating through, never interacting. Alli is a good Christian trying to make a go of her posting and her real dream: to write a novel. And then she is confronted with, perhaps, a love interest. An interest she has forbidden for herself. Can her job, her dream, this man, and her faith all work together? As soon as I finished the book, I packaged it up and sent it off to another Christian friend living abroad. Lovely descriptions of Tokyo.

Allie O'Connor is an American reporter living in Japan. Her dream however is to write a novel. She still hasn't adapted to the Japanese culture even though she's lived there for over two years. One day at church she runs into her old high school nemesis, Eric Larson. Eric was everything Allie stood against for in high school. However since then, she finds out they have quite a bit in common. Eric shows her how to enjoy living in her new surroundings and also gives her hope for a new change for a relationship in her future.

Siri Mitchell's books are always a favorite to read, the characters are well developed and the story makes you really think. This one is no exception. I really loved the descriptions of the Japanese culture and society. I've been to Japan once, well it was really a layover in the airport during our flight to Malaysia, but the airport itself was stunning. I love the cover of the book. It shows both the old and new cultures blending in Japan. I also always enjoy novels set in Asian countries, it's nice to read a setting outside the US for a change. I also liked the haikus that opened up each chapter. I liked reading about how Allie had to adapt to living in a different country. However I didn't understand though why it has taken her so long to experience the Japanese culture. In the beginning of the story it would seem that she knows her way around the area, but after meeting Eric it looks like she only has a routine and doesn't deter from it. She's basically an American living in Japan and not trying to fit in, only getting by. I liked their relationship together. It was good to see that they took things slow and that Eric valued even just a simple kiss. I thought that, while I liked seeing opposites attract, too much was made on their political differences. It got kind of repetitious to keep reading about Democrat vs. Republican ideals especially since how they were living in Japan now. But Eric seems like a really nice guy and the perfect match for Allie.

There are several social drinking scenes in the book, so if you are uncomfortable with Christians drinking you might want to avoid this book. I found this to be an excellent novel. It really makes me want to go visit Japan, but for now I'll enjoy it through this book.

Replete with cultural details, this chick lit-esque romance takes place in modern-day Japan. Journalist Allie O'Connor has her prayer for a friend answered in a very unexpected way when her former classmate Eric Larsen shows up to live in her district as an embassy employee. The love story is complicated by miscommunication and unadmitted fears, but it's very sweet, if a bit idealistic. The plot is low-key and unsurprising, yet still held my attention - aside from the rather dry and confusing descriptions of Japanese tourist attractions. Allie is a down-to-earth and likeable heroine, even if her lack of initiative is a bit infuriating at times!

I enjoyed learning a little more about Japan. Moon Over Tokyo is a good, light read for a lazy day. But expect to be skimming a few times in the drier sections.

Once again Siri Mitchell has taken me as a reader to a foreign culture. An exotic place. Tokyo, Japan. And with that excursion came site seeing, food, religion, economics, and a fascinating interpretation of things in nature as seen through Japanese culture. Siri has a gift for making the reader transport to another location somewhere in the world. Whether it's Paris, like in Kissing Adrien, or Colorado, like in The Cubicle Next Door, or traveling Europe as in Chateau of Echoes and Something Beyond the Sky. That is one of the things I enjoy the most about her books. And she always has strong heroines with passion and convictions about something whether it's the use of drinking straws, or the perils of politics.

What I enjoy most about Siri's books as evidenced in Moon Over Tokyo as well as her other novels, is her amazing ability to draw out the tension in a first person POV romance. I always feel like I know the heroes even though they are only known through the heroine's perspective and the actions she sees. She also takes friendship between a man and a woman and draws it out until they fall in love. Her novels are always so romantic and charming that way. She also shows the heroine growing through her experiences and ending up deciding to trust, to risk her heart, to try love. I've yet to read a book Siri has written that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. While this one had more detail than the others, I didn't find it annoying at all, but it did distract a bit from the tension in the story. She has her own brand, distinctly Siri. It's always exotic, fun, deep, and littered with every possible food unique to the culture. I'll never need to travel Europe or Japan because I've fully experienced them already through Siri's novels.

I loved several of Siri Mitchell's books. I liked this book, but the main character seems hung up on a promise she made to herself and comes across a bit clueless. It almost reads like a travel book on Japan, which can be interesting, but leaves less time for character development.