I LOVE YOU SO MOCHI

Narrator Natalie Naudus brings sparkle and authenticity to this story of a teenager trying to find her own voice. Though Kimi Nakamura has been anticipating art school as long as she can remember, she hasn't painted in months. She accepts her estranged grandparents' unexpected invitation to Kyoto for spring break and begins a quest for self-discovery. Naudus elegantly captures Kimi's range of moods-- from her enthusiasm at being in Japan and joy at the thrill of meeting a cute boy in a mochi costume to her distress and confusion while confronting her own lack of direction. Naudus is equally deft at slipping in the correct pronunciations and inflections for the many Japanese words and spoken mannerisms throughout the text. N.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2019]