Review Detail

All Rika wants is to find out where she belongs in the world. Having an Asian mother and white father paints a target on her back within the Little Tokyo society. Even though her cousins and aunts take good care of her, there's still that hole that stems from the loss of her mother and the feeling like she doesn't truly belong with them.

When the famous actress Grace sees Rika at a parade, Rika feels an immediate connection to the woman who barrels into her. But then she vanishes and goes dark on all social media platforms. Even though Rika has been told all her life that her mother died, she can't deny the connection she has with Grace. So, she'll do anything to find her.

Needing information from someone on the inside, Rika enlists Hank Chen to help her. Because he's filming a movie with her, Hank knows Grace very well and is even in a group text with her. But every time Rika thinks she's about to find her mom, something goes wrong or they don't make it in time. It leaves Rika with the question, will she ever calm her temper and find her place?

FROM LITTLE TOKYO, WITH LOVE is a modern fairytale retelling that focuses on facing prejudices and discrimination among half-Asians. Rika gets singled out by both people her age and the adults in the Little Tokyo community because of her half-blood. As a result, Rika developed a temper that she refers to as a kaiju (which is a touch I love). This anger always manages to rear it's ugly head at the worst time and sparks more negative attention. But Hank has a calming affect on her that she can't deny. The more time they spend together searching for Grace, the more Rika learns that there's much more to him than a Hollywood star. But Rika isn't the best when it comes to matters of the heart.


Final Verdict: FROM LITTLE TOKYO, WITH LOVE is a thought-provoking story with fairtytale elements that makes me feel like I'm reading a Disney story. There's even missing parents and everything. I love how Hank is so sweet and such a dependable character. He isn't intimidated by Rika's dark side. Rika is a strong character who is realistic with her insatiable anger. It's to be expected with how she's grown up. I would recommend this to fans of fairytale retellings, contemporary romance, and coming of age with diverse characters, specifically Asian heritage.