Swimming to Tokyo
My Rating: four-half-stars
Published by: Spencer Hill Press on July 29th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Adult, Contemporary, Romance, College Life
ISBN: 1939392330
Pages: 315
Disclosure: I was invited by the publisher to read this title in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. I received no monetary compensation, and all comments are subjective and mine alone.
The rules for swimming are simple:
Rule #1: There is no lifeguard on duty.
Since her mom died three years ago, nineteen-year-old Zosia Easton's been treading water. Living at home. Community college. Same old Saturday nights. So when her father breaks the news he's taken a job transfer-and by the way, it means renting out the house that's been her refuge-a summer in Tokyo feels like it just might be a chance to start swimming again.
Rule #2: Beware of unexpected currents.
Finn O'Leary has spent God knows how many years trying to drown out his past. Juvenile detention. Bad decisions. Worse choices. He's managed to turn it around - MIT, Dean's List, a sexier-than-thou body with a smile to match - at least on the surface. When his mom asks him to spend the summer with her, Tokyo seems as good a place as any to float through the summer.
Rule #3: Swim at your own risk."
St. James Brown has hit the new adult contemporary genre with a bang in “Swimming to Tokyo.” It was truly a pleasure to read her debut novel, and I can say with absolute certainty that we will be hearing from her in the future.
The thing I liked most about this book was that it veered off course of current new adult titles, which are almost written in a cookie cutter fashion. Not so with this novel. It was a fresh and new take on the new adult stage in one character’s life and the changes and revelations she makes. Now you know I don’t give information on a book’s plot in my reviews. So, read it and find out what the character, Zosia, deals with, and how this book is so wonderfully different than the majority of new adult titles on the market.
The plot was well thought out and well written, and, again, original. The characters were real. They were damaged and had baggage, and that made them easier to relate to and root for. I also adored the secondary characters, which people know by now are usually my favorites in a book, if written right.
Bottom line: Take a look at Brenda St. John Brown’s debut title. I don’t think it will be the last we see of her!
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