Review
"As sweet and satisfying as actual mochi... a tender love story wrapped up in food, fashion, and family. I gobbled it up." -- Maurene Goo, author of The Way You Make Me Feel"A walk through Japan, a swoon-worthy boy, and an amazing journey of self-discovery. It was adorably perfect!" -- Kasie West, author of P.S. I Like You"Filled with fashion, heart, family, and romance... Sarah Kuhn is a bright new voice in YA." -- Cecil Castellucci, New York Times bestselling author of Don't Cosplay with My Heart"As delightful as its title, I Love You So Mochi is a nuanced exploration of the struggle between where you come from and who you are, and how together they define where you're going. I connected with this book so mochi!" -- Gloria Chao, author of American Panda"Just as sweet and delectable as mochi! This book is a delightful, tender romance full of humor and humanity that will take you on a heart-warming journey through the streets and dishes of Kyoto." -- Britta Lundin, writer on CW's Riverdale and author of Ship It"Travel! Fashion! Romance! I Love You So Mochi has it all. Sarah Kuhn combines flirty fun with the deep questions of purpose and familial loyalty. Filled with wonderfully unique characters and the equally intricate and varied relationships between them, this book is a dish you want to keep diving into." -- Keiko Agena, actress, and author of No Mistakes"A deft, fun, and heartfelt coming-of-age story about finding yourself even when you don't know where to start looking. There is a real depth here that -- when balanced with Sarah Kuhn's tart sense of humor -- creates a transcendent, compelling read." -- Amber Benson, actress, director, and author of The Witches of Echo Park series"Whimsically fresh, funny and heartfelt... A treasure trove of charming characters and delicious adventures, this book is one you won't be able to put down!" -- Ally Maki, actress on Cloak & Dagger and Wrecked"I Love You So Mochi is a sassy, delightful, heartwarming love story about navigating familial expectations, finding yourself in-between two cultures, and following your true happiness... while eating delicious Japanese food along the way. I wish I could travel back in time to gift this book to my teenage self." -- Yumi Sakagawa, author of The Little Book of Life Hacks"[A] frothy romance as sweet as mochi with a heaping side of satisfying self-discovery." -- School Library Journal"An incredibly sweet and heartwarming coming-of-age romantic comedy... Strong characters and a story with real depth make this a worthy read." -- Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Sarah Kuhn is on a quest to eat every kind of mochi in the greater Los Angeles area. She is the author of the Heroine Complex series and has penned a variety of comics and short fiction about geeks, aliens, romance, and Barbie (yes, that Barbie). Additionally, Sarah is a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. In her spare time, she thinks way too much about one day adopting a pug and the lasting legacy of Claudia Kishi. A third-generation Japanese American, she lives in LA with her husband and an overflowing closet of vintage treasures. You can find Sarah online at heroinecomplex.com.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
I'm supposed to be embarking on a quest of self-discovery, but I keep getting lost. I don't mean that in the super introspective, "let's talk about my feelings" kind of way. I mean I literally don't know where I am.It's my first day as a spring break tourist in Japan (on a Super Important Quest of Self-Discovery) and I've taken the train from my grandparents' tiny town to Kyoto, hoping to walk something called Philosopher's Path. That sounded peaceful and contemplative and like just the thing to do when you need to figure out your life. Instead, I ended up wandering in the wrong direction because I saw a girl wearing a tiered skirt made out of two different kinds of material -- wispy tulle contrasting with heavy wool -- and she looked so incredibly cool, I just had to know where she was going. Then I got caught up studying the cherry blossoms overhead, a glorious canopy of pink and white fluff that seemed to go on forever. Now my distracted wanderings have led me to an outdoor market with food stands frying, steaming, and boiling everything from delectably salty squid to buttery sweet taiyaki.I take a deep breath and try to refocus on my quest of self-discovery. I came to Japan hoping to find answers to big, important questions. Like:Who am I?What am I supposed to do with my life?What do I really want out of my future?I thought arriving here would spark major revelations, but instead I'm sitting on some random bench, staring at a blank page. I press my pencil to paper, willing the revelations to come.They don't.Crap. Did I really just travel halfway around the world on a whim to a place I know nothing about?I may have just ruined everything.
