Now and Zen- S.A.S.S

Have you ever thought of going on an overseas exchange trip?

Nori Tanaka certainly did.

Nori is a teenager who wants to get away. Her parents are having trouble, and she wants to study abroad. Instead, she’s just an ordinary American girl, who wants to learn about the culture of the country some of her family grew up in. When she arrives, she expects tranquillity, not concrete and neon. When she meets a German student, Erik, that she is interested in, she feels as she shouldn’t say that she isn’t what she seems to be- a Japanese girl from Japan. But should she tell him the truth? Or just let him think of her as a native? Throughout the course of the novel, she begins to feel like she knows more about this place that other students think she calls home. But reality strikes at the end, and she is faced to tell the truth; that she isn’t from Japan.

Nori is a girl, who develops a belief: that you should tell the truth, even when you think there’s no need to. People assume that she is a traditional Japanese girl because of her physical appearance. However, Nori will surprise you with her thoughts and actions, which is what kept me engaged in the story.

The story is set in modern Tokyo, Japan, and also in Kyoto when she stays with her relatives. Nori chooses to study there because she would like to know about her Japanese ancestors. The dialogue is captivating and fun, using emails and instant messages between her friends and family. Part of the reason this book engaged me was because it was in the third person most of the time, although Nori kept a diary, which keeps you imagining what she is feeling.

I personally had kept an ongoing interest as I read this book. It was good to even learn a bit about Japan and its history, as well as read the story.