ARC REVIEW: The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin

★★★★★

Writing Quality 5/5, Character Development 5/5, ‘Couldn’t put it down’ – ness 5/5, Intellectual Depth 5/5, Originality 5/5, Overall 5/5.

I came across this book on NetGalley, and I requested it without even reading the description (stupid decision, I know). At the time, I didn’t know The Little Teashop in Tokyo by Julie Caplin was part of a series, as I never heard of it before, so when I saw it was the sixth book, I got a little scared. What if the books were linked? How am I supposed to read the sixth novel, if I haven’t read the previous books? Well, to my happiness, they weren’t related, and I was able to read the book without any problem!

Be in the moment. Too many photographers hide behind their cameras and they end up with superficial, surface shots. A good photographer reveals the layers beneath.

Now, the action of the book floats around Fiona. To the persuasions of April(one of her best friends), Fiona signs herself into a photography competition, whom she wins. As a prize, she gains an all-expenses-paid trip to Japan. There she was supposed to be mentored by a well-knows japanise photographer, Yutaka Araki, but instead of him, she got stuck with Gabe, the person who broke her heart and changed the course of her life. What is she going to do?

Recently, she’d decided that life was too short to spend time on things you didn’t have to, like finishing books that didn’t appeal, watching the end of a film that wasn’t your thing, and studying every picture in an exhibit.

The storyline was lovely. It was clear and well-written. I especially liked the depth of the description. You can see from afar that Julie Caplin put a lot of research into this piece of writing. The ways she described Tokyo and every tourist sight were, without a doubt, perfect. The Digital Museum, the Mount Fiji and the cherry blossoms were lovely! Japan can combine every sacred tradition beautifully with technology and modernism. I have always had a soft spot for the Japanese culture, and this novel made me realise once again how beautiful Japan is. It made me travel a bit while in quarantine, and it was exactly what I needed.

‘Teenage years are difficult in every culture.’

‘I think so. We know so little of ourselves, we’re not yet us. But we think we are.’

One thing that I wasn’t fond of were Fiona’s insecurities. I know she has been through a lot, and I know sometimes, it is hard to be positive about yourself, especially your body, but I felt like the author emphasizes that way too much. We all know Gabe is gorgeous, and you have him. Chill a bit!

‘Traditions are best held by those who honour them,’ […]

I am more of a short-chapter kind of gal, and the ones in this book were quite long. Even if I am not over the moon for those, the fact that the book is told from two perspectives, helped a lot. It keeps you there, and you can’t get bored while reading.

[…] after all, a picture is worth a thousand words.

This is not the kind of book that keeps you at the edge of your seat. You are hooked but not because of a mystery, but because of the story itself. You can predict what is about to happen, but that makes the story even better. You want to see how the author got to the ending, not the ending itself. I loved reading this novel and I will definitely come back for the other ones!

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