Seven Days of You

Sophia has lived in Japan and other countries during her itinerant life, but her family is preparing to leave Tokyo to return to the U.S., leaving her seven days to do all her favorite things—eat the snacks she’ll no longer be able to get, go clubbing, sing karaoke, and have wild nights out with her friends. The arrival of Jamie, a boy from her past, upends Sophia’s final week in town and may promise romance. Vinesse laces her debut novel with references to Japanese culture, cuisine, and daily life, though the story generally centers on the experiences of white teens abroad. As Sophia and her friends jump from one drama to the next, yelling and fighting along the way, it’s not entirely clear what holds their friendship together beyond a shared circumstance as expats. Readers will appreciate the rowdy nighttime tours of this vibrant city and Sophia’s will-they-won’t-they flirtations with Jamie, but despite countdown clocks that open each chapter and Sophia’s awareness of her dwindling time in Japan, the story doesn’t make the most of the built-in urgency of the premise. Ages 15–up. Agent: Molly Ker Hawn, Bent Agency. (Mar.)