Sunday, December 06, 2009

Love in Translation by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga

Celeste Duncan has lead a hard life. She never knew her father, her mother died when she was young, she moved from foster home to foster home all her life; never finding a permanent family, and her boyfriend is always criticizing her music. She just feels stuck. But when an unexpected phone call tells her about her late aunt, she must travel to Tokyo to return the family heirlooms and possibly find some clues about her father. With her cute homestay brother, Takuya, they travel Japan trying to find her family. But things get tough with her nosy homestay mother, Takuya's ex girlfriend, and her music career. Will she ever find the family of her dreams?

This book was very good! Celeste is nice, her Japanese teacher, Mariko, is funny, Takuya is cute, and his ex, Sakura is annoying. Everything is right. There are a lot of Japanese words and traditions that are well-explained. This book makes me want to go to Japan! Love in Translation did not end the way I thought it would, but I like this ending better! I could really see this book as a blockbuster film!

There are a few sexual references, and one sex scene.

Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Gearhart, Oregon United States