Customer Reviews

Now and Zen (S.A.S.S.(Students Across the Seven Seas))

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

 

 

Sixteen-year-old Noreli "Nori" Tanaka, will do absolutely anything to escape her parents constant bickering. So when the opportunity for her to leave her small, Powell, Ohio town and spend the summer in Tokyo, Japan arises, she leaps at it instantly. No, she's not interested in learning more about her culture; and she can't even bear the thought of having to sit in a classroom during her summer vacation, but the idea of being free from her parents for over a month is too good to resist. So, packing her bags, Nori heads off to the land of sushi, and high-tech gadgets with various other Americans enrolled in the S.A.S.S. (Students Across the Seven Seas) Global Outreach Program, and finds herself hating every minute of it. Nori's slanted eyes and jet black hair leave everyone believing that she is a native, and don't even question her regarding whether or not she's from the States. Not even the gorgeous, blonde student from Germany, Erik Sussmann. Erik is everything that Nori has ever looked for in a guy - smart, fun, and totally cute. But Erik seems to think of Nori as nothing more than "his Geisha." And, as if that weren't bad enough, he is convinced that Nori is a resident of Japan, and Nori can't find the heart to tell him the truth. After all, if she admits that she's just from America, Erik's feelings for her may change, and she doesn't want that. So, enlisting the help of one of her new friends (and Japan native), Atsushi Shiota, Nori begins working her background, tricking Erik into believing that she is the Japanese native that he thought she was - taking him on trips to shopping centers, and out to raging clubs, and fancy restaurants. But, the more Nori gets to know Erik, the more she is convinced that he likes her only because of her culture, and not because of the true her. Unfortunately, now that Nori has convinced Erik that she's a Tokyo native, she can't exactly go back on her word. That is, until she visits some of her true relatives for a week-long stay in their home, and experiences the truth about her culture for the first time. A truth that helps her embrace her Japanese roots, and find the Zen that is hidden underneath her strong facade.

For the past two weeks, I have been extremely interested in Asian mythology and Asian culture altogether. So when I came across Linda Gerber's NOW AND ZEN, I knew I had to read it. From page one Nori was a likable character. Though her slightly cynical perspective regarding her stay in Japan can get a little tiring, the maturity that she begins to display throughout the story really makes up for it, and gives her a vibe of a girl blooming into a young woman. Readers may be disappointed to see how often Nori puts down her bubbly, pink-loving roommate, Amberly. However, as the story continues, they will be happy to see Nori reevaluate who her true friends are, and make peace with those she once wrote off. Gerber has done a fabulous job of bringing Japan to life. Her descriptions of various marketplaces and restaurants are superb, and give the reader the feeling that they are biking the cobblestone paths right alongside Nori and her great aunt and uncle. I believe that, perhaps, the time Nori spends getting to know her relatives is one of the most enjoyable in the tale, and will really give readers a chance to see the importance of family, and develop an interest in learning more about their own ancestry. An addicting novel that leaves you craving your own jaunt through Japan!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Series fiction can be hit or miss, but Now and Zen is definitely a hit! Yes, we have the teenage girl on the adventure overseas, a hallmark of the SASS books. Yes, there's a bit of romance. But Gerber takes this genre to a new level with her well-rounded characters, some unusual dilemmas, a fresh look at Japan, and a touch of sincerely moving spirituality (or at least personal growth)--all this without being didactic! Main character Nori isn't perfect, yet she's perfectly likable. After all, who hasn't put on a bit of a mask at some point to impress someone of the opposite sex? Also, the ending is hopeful without being too easily wrapped up. This book is all the more impressive considering it's by a newcomer. Linda Gerber definitely needs to keep writing!

Nori Tanaka wants to escape from her home life and join S.A.S.S. (Students across the seven seas) in Tokyo, Japan for the summer. Studying abroad is not exactly what she expected though. First she runs into Amberly, the most bubbly girl who Nori has ever seen. They end up sitting next to one another and Nori just stays quiet as Amberly chats non-stop about everything. When they reach their destination, it is just Nori's luck that Amberly ends up being her roommate. On the first day of classes, everyone is given a partner except the native students who are supposed to help people along, but when the list is done, Nori ends up with no partner. She is devestated because she was hoping that her partner would be the good-looking German boy, Erik. Everyone seems to think that she is native Japanese because of the way that she looks and her last name. However, she is an American and has no idea anything about Japan. She ends up getting separated from her group at the train station, one of the most packed places in the world, and misses her train. She even loses her backpack on the train that she was supposed to get on. Lucky for her, a native Japanese student noticed and grabbed her backpack, getting off at the next stop to go back for her. Atsushi finds her against a pillar in the train station and ends up being her guide through the rest of the story. Classes begin and Nori tries to find a way to impress Erik. When she finds out that Erik is interested in her, as a native Japanese girl, he asks her to show him around. Since Nori does not know Japan, she enlists Atsushi's help. He reluctantly agrees. This continues with Nori's lie building and building. She does not realize how many people she may end up hurting, and throughout the whole time she is really acting out of character and hurting herself. When they go to their home stay visit and Nori is off to meet her aunt and uncle for the first time, she begins to realize the faults that she has and what she must do to clear the air back home and in Tokyo.

Nori is not a terribly likable character, so I went back and forth on the novel as a whole. It is hard to not like the main character of the story you are reading and want to continue it. However, the cultural information was very interesting. If you have never been to Japan, you will learn some new things. I think my favorite part of the book was when they were describing the field trips that the students went on. Plus, I got to know a few Japanese words, even if I don't pronounce them correctly. I did not like Erik. Throughout the whole story, he portrays a smooth talking bully. What happens to him at the end is justified, but not nearly as satisfying as I would have hoped. In some cases, I think the villain gets off to easily, and this happens to be one of those times. This is definitely a book that I would encourage my students to read because I think that they would be able to notice the changes in Nori and identify with the loss of self when you are trying to impress someone who you like.

4/5 stars
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Now and Zen is the story of seventeen year-old Japanese-American Nori Tanaka who is traveling to Japan as part of a global exchange program focusing on climate change. From the moment she lands in Tokyo, everyone instantly assumes she's native-born but Nori doesn't speak the language and doesn't even like sushi (a bit of a pun since the seaweed sushi is wrapped in is called "nori"). Just this plot point alone could have made this book a comedic read, a sort of modern version of 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'. Instead the reader is subjected to over two-hundred pages of teenage angst and crushes with the wrong guy mixed in with some local color (the author lives in Japan) and some zen wisdom.

Nori is not very likable as a character, and certainly not one I could envision as a positive role model for teenaged girls, in spite of how smart she is. Granted her parents may or may not be going through a divorce, but Nori spends far more time feeling sorry for herself and not truly learning to live adventurously. She abuses the kindness of fellow student Atsushi in order to impress a German student named Erik, who believes she is from Japan and whom she has a crush on.

Ironically, it is the peripheral characters--Atsushi, Kiah (a fellow student from Australia), Amberly, as well as Nori's aunt and uncle--who actually save this book from being a total loss.

I loved Now and Zen. Linda Gerber creates a vivid and enriching sense of place. In addition, through effective dialog that works, she introduces us to well crafted characters from the 3-D Nori, Amberly, Michiko; Atsushi and Erik; Baba and Jiji, to keypal Val, who we also know pretty well. Our middle school library will need to purchase several copies, and they will deservedly fly off the shelves. M. Swist

This charming story takes Japanese-American Nori into the world of her family's past -- and what a world it is! While Nori explores Japan, she learns a few hard lessons both inside and outside of her overseas classroom. Japan through Nori's eyes is an amazing place, full of wonders both ancient and modern. Linda Gerber has produced an outstanding first novel with strong characters and a fast-paced storyline that makes it impossible to put down. This story is told with an honesty and sweetness that will captivate her readers. I can't wait for her next book!

This book was really good, like most of the other S.A.S.S. books. In this book, the main character, Nori, goes to Japan with other AP students and learns to love her Japanese heritage, though she loathes her "squinty eyes" at first when many of the other students assume that she is a native of Japan. This book actually taught me a lot about Japanese culture and Japanese landmarks I did not know about, in an interesting first-person detail. If you are looking for a quick, fun read in which you learn about new cultures and places, then this book (and the other S.A.S.S. books) are right for you.

If you like stories that about have adventure, Japan, or characters that you can relate to and go through real life situations problems then Now and Zen by Linda Gerber is the book for you. In the story Nori Tanaka, the sixteen year old main Japanese-American character from Ohio, goes to Japan through a Global Outreach Summit program, to get away from her parents constant arguing. She begins to feel considered an outsider by both the Native Japanese students because they know she is American and by the American students because they think she is Japanese.

For her break Nori goes to stay with her aunt and uncle, she calls Baba and Jiji, in Kyoto. Have you ever been to a traditional Japanese tea ceremony? Well Nori gets to experience this ancient ritual and starts to feel more connected to her roots. Nori also gets to go to the shrine the Ashikaga shogun built in ancient times. As you follow Nori through Japanese adventures and through her ups and downs you will begin to be sucked into the story not ready to put the book down.

As I read this book I felt I was right there with the character and the author drew you a picture of the bustling streets of Tokyo and the tranquil sites of Kyoto. I believe people from all ages will enjoy this book, because the author reels you into the story with just the beginning paragraph, "Seventeen hours. That's how long it takes to fly from Columbus, Ohio to Narita, Japan when you make three stops along the way. Seventeen long hours stuck on a plane with a bunch of losers. Not exactly the experience Nori had envisioned when he signed up for a summer abroad."

American teenager Nori Tanaka goes to Tokyo for an international foreign study program with other students from around the world, partly to escape the tension at home, where her parents are about to get a divorce. When gorgeous Erik, a German student, thinks she is a native Japanese instead of Japanese-American, she doesn't correct him, and soon entangles herself in a web of lies. Will he like her if he knows the truth?
This novel is a very light but entertaining read with lots of local color about Japan, and some Japanese vocabulary. Although the plot has to do with "boys" and crushes, the book is completely clean and appropriate for tweens.