Love Makes Mochi (Love in Translation)

 

Rating: 3 out of possible 5  Teacher's Scale: A solid buy for school libraries or Scholastic fairs; great for those interested in yukata couture, Tokyo and queer love.

My Thoughts: 

I originally picked this up for the title, but quickly discovered that Love in Translation is a curated series under the Joy Revolution brand (much like the Rick Riordan Presents imprint). Each book features a different author representing a different culture, following a similar "creative internship abroad" hook.

While the series follows a reliable formula--protagonist travels to a new country (Japan, France, India) meets a local guide, and finds both love and artistic success--this entry stands out as the only one featuring a queer protagonist. In all, love and creative success ensues. 

What I loved most were the atmospheric details. The walks through Tsukiji Fish Market and Ginza felt incredibly authentic -- especially the glazed fruit skewers and tamago, which are staples of our own visits to Tokyo.

This is a quintessential "believe in your gifts" first-love story. While Lilyn faces the pressure of designing a collection that blends her goth aesthetic with traditional yukata couture, the conflict never feels heavy-handed. It's not angsty or stressful; instead, the story lives up to its title--it is soft and sweet as mochi.  

From the Publisher:

Lilyn Jeong is living her best life—in Tokyo! She gets to learn from the legendary yet notoriously terrifying tailor Mrs. Matsumoto. Getting a glowing recommendation from her could be Lilyn’s ticket into her dream fashion school.

So when Lilyn is tasked with designing an entire collection, panic sets in. She has only weeks to figure out how to mix her goth aesthetic with traditional Japanese style. Thankfully, Mrs. Matsumoto’s rebellious, tattooed, rainbow-haired daughter Yua offers to help.

But going on cozy dates with this cute girl is way easier than sewing yukatas. Can Lilyn find a path forward in fashion and love? Or will she watch as everything falls apart at the seams?

Publication Information:

• Author: Stefany Valentine
• Publisher: Joy Revolution
• Publication date: January 27, 2026
• Print length: 320 Pages
• Book 3 of 3
• Grade level: 7-9

The Space Between Here and Now

 Rating 4, liked the jarring mystery of this and as readers or listeners, we feel Aimee's desperation and fear.

My Thoughts:

Sensory Time Warp Syndrome is a condition where there is a synesthesia trigger, for Aimee, a smell, that causes her to disappear and time travel back into her own memory. She keeps wanting help but her father tells her that she will grow out of it. Instead, the time gets longer, alarmingly longer. I felt for her as her life is controlled by this fear of disappearing. When she fixes on the idea that her disappearances may be related to finding her mom who has disappeared, the story gets really interesting. 

I think what makes this work is the novelty of the story, but also the way this mystery is so irritatingly slow to unveil.  This came out a few years ago and I am surprised that it did not get more press. Besides being a unique story, the cover is very eye catching. 

As far as the audiobook, it is easy to listen to, easy to get caught up in, easy to finish.

From the Publisher:

Seventeen-year-old Aimee Roh has Sensory Time Warp Syndrome, a rare condition that causes her to time travel to a moment in her life when she smells something linked to that memory. Her dad is convinced she’ll simply grow out of it if she tries hard enough, but Aimee’s fear of vanishing at random has kept her from living a normal life.

When Aimee disappears for nine hours into a memory of her estranged mom—a moment Aimee has never remembered before—she becomes distraught. Not only was this her longest disappearance yet, but the memory doesn’t match up with the story of how her mom left—at least, not the version she’s always heard from her dad.

Desperate for answers, Aimee travels to Korea, where she unravels the mystery of her memories, the truth about her mother, and the reason she keeps returning to certain moments in her life. Along the way, she realizes she’ll need to reconcile her past in order to save her present.

Publication Information:

Author: Sarah Suk

Publisher: Quill Tree Books (October 31, 2023)

Print length: 317 pages

Reading age: 13 and up

Audiobook narrator: Joy Osmanski

Audio publisher: Harper Audio

Listening length: 7 hours 50 minutes

Text source: Hawaiʻi Public Library, Libby App