Mika in Real Life

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Hotjar sets this cookie to know whether a user is included in the data sampling defined by the site's daily session limit. Wonderfully written and compelling, Emiko Jean perfectly captures the essence of the parent and child bond; the intensity, fear, sacrifice, constant change, grief and inadequacy you feel as a part of your heart walks around outside your body. With warmth, humor, and heart, Mika in Real Life explores the challenges and complexities of mother-daughter relationships in their many different forms.

This was a feel good story about the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, with a focus on adoption. GLAMOUR'A funny, touching celebration of second chances' MAIL ON SUNDAY'Warm, funny and a brilliant read' SUN'By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, this is a total joy of a read' HOLLY MILLER, author of The Sight of You________Penny Calvin has questions. I really like the time span in this book is long and it really emphasized Mika's growth until the end of the book, and it's not just her self-growth but also her growth in relationship with Penny, Hiromi, and Thomas.Those dialogues, random flashbacks in between and the cute awkward gestures (love the interactions between Mika and Thomas)— it balances the story’s rhythm and its development.

Mika in Real Life follows Mika, a 35-year-old women who placed a child for adoption when she was 19. Unfortunately, Mika wants this to work so badly, she begins lying about parts of her life she wishes were better: her job, her living arrangements, her boyfriend and well. But despite these setbacks, Mika has a good heart, she’s a great friend, and she’s simply doing her best. Her flaws were a journey; those trauma and fears, to speak up on the truth and how she fights back— her characterization was the best!Of course, the illusion can only last so long; it is when Mika’s lies come crashing down that her real life can actually begin. Mika in Real life has its flaws (looking at you problematic love interest) but I found myself flying through this one. Mika and Hana are pleasingly still best friends and in fact, even though there is the family “romance” of mother and daughter reuniting and romance for Mika herself, the primary relationship in the book is between these two loving friends, and they are surrounded by a great friendship group of diverse and interesting people. Jean didn't hold back and captured the raw emotions between characters when they messed up or were changing and growing. Told in both narrative and epistolary format; Mika in Real Life started with a letter Mika wrote to Penny, a daughter that she had to place for an adoption when she was 19.