These letters are an integral part of the story and I loved how they gave the book a less traditional feel. there are a fair few, which could have been messy, but i think everything is handled with care and honesty and is exactly what make this story so heartwarming.

And I think that’s kind of natural for a parent to think about their child’s trajectory, if it will mirror their own or diverge. I recommend to you guys who enjoy family dynamic relationship and a journey of finding one true self. In her curiosity about Mika’s life, Penny asks a lot of questions, but Mika isn’t keen on letting her daughter know about the sorry state of her own miserable existence, so she decides to embellish the facts about her life just a little. Mika in Real life has its flaws (looking at you problematic love interest) but I found myself flying through this one.The forthcoming book from 'We Are Not Like Them' authors Jo Piazza and Christine Pride asks the question: Who gets to make the choice to be a mom? It was like they did their part rightfully and properly in complimenting the whole story, the book, and Mika. Bighearted, sometimes bawdy, and always brave, Mika in Real Life explores the inescapable bonds between mothers and daughters, the enduring families by friendship that we make, and the weight of secrets that keep us from creating ourselves. Mika is ashamed of what her life looks like, and one white lie spirals into a series of many and Mika struggles to keep up the facade.

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. 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. Her work has been featured on Good Morning America as a GMA book club pick, by Reese Witherspoon as a young adult book club pick, and in publications such as: Marie Claire, Entertainment Weekly, Time, Cosmopolitan, Shondaland and Bustle. Read more about the condition New: A new, unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. Throughout the course of the book she learns how to accept that all of her expectations might not be met, especially when it comes to her relationship with her mother.There were also such honest and heart-wrenching lines from Mika as she had Penny and knew she had to give her away. Readers of Emiko Jean’s young adult novels will not be surprised that she has tackled fiction for adults with grace and wisdom. I really related to this because I’ve often felt these very same things not being quite American enough and not fitting into my previous culture. Now she has T-minus 10 days to clean her hoarder home, fake get back together with Leif, and somehow pull off a gallery opening. It's also a coming-of-age story for both 35 yr old Mika and her now 16 yr old daughter Penny, who she's just now getting to know.

But to me, the absolute genius in this story revolves around the observations on motherhood, and mother-daughter relationships. Jobless, single and living in a chaotic flat share, she can’t bear her daughter knowing her life is a mess. To me, the romance between Mika and Penny’s adoptive father was forced, not to mention a bit creepy and off-putting.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. 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. Biography: Emiko Jean is the author of Tokyo Ever After, which was the Reese Witherspoon YA pick for July and a NYT bestseller. This is a beautifully written book about mothers and daughters, adult friendship, adoption complexities and what it means to be a happy adult. I hoped things would work out, but I had doubts that this was the best way to build an authentic relationship.