This was a gorgeous read. I love a book within book and the two stories within were intertwined beautifully. Nicely paced, well developed characters and a charming tale. My favourite element of the book was its setting. I have never been to Japan and it is top of travel wish list and I find myself drawn to novels set there. I loved the vivid descriptions, I could picture the locations clearly and the writing on the traditions, practice and culture were a joy to read. A really lovely read, recommend.

An amazing book, what a change to read about life and peoples interactions and there effects on each other. The story centres on a teenage boy Kyo and his grandmother. He is sent to live with his grandmother in a small Japanese village where he has to attend a special school to cram for his entry exams into medical school. This journey sets him on his way to discovering why his father died so early in his life and how his grandmother can come to terms with that loss and not make the same mistakes with Kyo. Very very enjoyable, I recommend this book to you.

This book really takes you to Japan (I've never been, but now really want to go). Two storylines -1 around an American, Flo, living in Japan and the other Ayako, who owns a cafe and the relationship with her grandson Kyo. Beautifully descriptive , great insight to the Japanese culture. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really loved the notion of a book within a book and found the language of 'Four seasons in Japan' mesmerising. I felt as if I was visiting the small town of Onomichi myself as it was described in such a way I could visualise it. The relationship between Ayako and her grandson Kyo was incredibly moving. The exploration of grief, belonging, family, literature and tradition are explored in a really interesting way. I enjoyed the parts of the book about Flo but found mysef longing to return to Ayako. The use of traditional illustrations and modern day photographs was a really clever way to engage the reader and highlight the differences between the two stories. I found this a very moving and beautiful book.

Flo is sick of Tokyo. Suffering from a crisis in confidence, she is stuck in a rut, her translation work has dried up and she's in a relationship that's run its course. That's until she stumbles upon a mysterious book left by a fellow passenger on the Tokyo Subway. From the very first page, Flo is transformed and immediately feels compelled to translate this forgotten novel, a decision which sets her on a path that will change her life...

It is a story about Ayako, a fierce and strict old woman who runs a coffee shop in the small town of Onomichi, where she has just taken guardianship of her grandson, Kyo. Haunted by long-buried family tragedy, both have suffered extreme loss and feel unable to open up to each other. As Flo follows the characters across a year in rural Japan, through the ups and downs of the pair's burgeoning relationship, she quickly realises that she needs to venture outside the pages of the book to track down its elusive author. And, as her two protagonists reveal themselves to have more in common with her life than first meets the eye, the lines between text and translator converge. The journey is just beginning.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s different but well-written, paced, and presented. The characters come alive and bring out their emotions on the page. It's an interesting take on the old, traditional Japan and the modern one. Shown by using a book within a book which is very clever. A very enjoyable read.

This was so beautiful, I was so invested in the simplicity of Ayako and Kyo's story and watching the slow development of their relationship together after being estranged for so long. I loved the descriptions of Onomichi, I think Nick Bradley wrote it in such a great way that I genuinely lost myself into the story and could picture myself there so well which really helped with my investment in the storyline.

It's a character heavy story with very little plot but that's just what I expected after reading Bradley's first novel so I wasn't disappointed, I think the characters are so well rounded and developed to the point of feeling as though they are real which I loved.

My only negative to the story was that the ending felt a little bit rushed and as a result I got a bit lost and confused but other than that this book was amazing and very heart wrenching!

This book covers beliefs, values, customs, practices, and institutions of culture that gave me great insight. The author has provided readers with a deeper understanding of the ways in which people from different cultural backgrounds live, think, and interact with each other. I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the richness and diversity of human culture. This is a book that can promote understanding, empathy, and a sense of interconnectedness among people from different backgrounds.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

This was amazing!

Four Seasons in Japan is a book-within-a-book. We have Flo, an American translator living in Tokyo and feeling discouraged with life after the last book she worked on didn't do as well as she had hoped. Her relationship is not going great either and she just does not know what her next step is going to be. One day, when she is going back home after an outing with friends, Flo comes across a book left by a man on the tube. She starts reading it, becomes fascinated by it, and decides to translate it - that is when we get to the other story featured in Four Seasons in Japan.

The book Flo starts to translate is set in Onomichi, a small city in rural Japan, and discusses the relationship between Ayako and her grandson, Kyo. Ayako is a very strict old lady who owns a café in Onomichi and, in her way, is trying to reconnect with Kyo, as they are both still coming to terms with the suicide of Kyo's father, Ayako's son. Kyo is feeling lost and left out after not getting into university on his first try and being with his grandmother in this small town takes him on a journey of self-discovery.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters felt painfully real and it dealt with sensitive topics in a very gentle way. I loved to see Ayako soften and heal with her newfound relationship with Kyo, who reminds her so much of her son. She got a second chance at raising someone and coming to terms with what she thinks is best for someone, as opposed to what that someone really wants to do with their life

A delightful charming read with the main part being a story within a story. Set in Japan with wonderful descriptions and well developed characters I found I became drawn in and more invested as time went on. There are many strands within the book but mainly the struggles of Kyo to conform to the expectations of his family or be himself. Dark secrets and inability to communicate within a family abound. Definitely worth a read as it is beautifully written and flows well.

Four Season of Japan was another one of my impulse requests during my springtime request rampage on NetGalley. I liked the cover and the sound of the blurb, and as I’m curious about Japanese culture in general, I thought this would be a nice palate cleanser between my other SFF ARCs and SPFBO books. I really wish I would pick up more books set in Japan.

Flo is an American, living in Japan, working as a translator. While she loves Tokyo and Japan, she is unhappy with her life. Her girlfriend is about to leave for New York, translating jobs are sparse as nothing picks her interest (when she is not battling with self-doubt, that is), and she feels like a burden for her friends. Until, one day, Chance brings a book her way, that she can finally dedicate her time to.

Four Seasons in Japan follows Flo over a year of changes, as well as the book she is translating, which tells the story of a year where Kyo, a nineteen-year-old boy has to live with his grandmother, Ayako while he studies for his university retake exams. All the while honing his artistic skills and trying to figure out how to communicate with Ayako. There are generational differences as well as city vs countryside oppositions. Kyo is used to the big city life with countless entertainment possibilities, and hanging out with his friends while her mother works as a doctor and barely has time for him. Ayako on the other hand is very used to her quiet life and her routines and has very a strict view of things. She knows grief and loss all too well and tries her best to do better with Kyo. She is the type of woman who means well but is absolutely certain she knows what’s best for Kyo, and never admits if she is wrong.

Neither is easy to live with, and it’s very fascinating to read about how their relationship grows over the time of a year, with all its ups and downs. Even though they are very different people, they also have more in common than they would think. They are both stubborn, strong-headed, driven by their passions, and have hearts of gold. Neither of them is easy to like or agree with at times, but I loved reading about them and all the characters that appear in their lives. Especially Ayumi. She was the best.

Flo, on the other hand, came off as a bit insufferable. Yeah, she is having a hard time, and I certainly could identify with her at times, but I totally agreed with her girlfriend and friend about her being exhausting for people who try to talk or to get close to her. The thing is, her character is just not fleshed out enough. We know almost nothing about her, we only see little glimpses into her life, and as a reader, it’s very hard to connect with her in any way. And while I understand the author’s intentions, I don’t think she added much to the overall reading experience. Except maybe the bits where she visits the town the book is based on, and we get an interesting look at how reality and fiction can differ. That was actually fascinating.

Nick Bradley in his novel deals with some serious topics such as depression, suicide, generational differences, and how much pressure society puts on children and adults alike. From a very young age children are expected to study very hard and meet the expectations of their parents who want the same or better for them (as any parents would), and even the littlest slip can have consequences. Kyo’s failed university entrance exams make him feel like a failure and a disappointment, and while he struggles with his mother’s expectations for him, he also tries to figure out how to pursue what he actually wants. On the other hand, parents work themselves to exhaustion, to the point where they have barely time for their children, or at least, that’s the case with Kyo’s mom. And even when Kyo tries to express his feeling and thoughts, she dismisses them, thinking she knows what’s best for him. But does she? We don’t get an answer to that, exactly, but this book certainly gives enough food for thought.

Four Seasons in Japan is a slice-of-life kind of story where we get a glimpse into the life of a rural city through a boy who thinks he failed, and his grandmother who is determined not to fail. Into the life of a translator living in Japan coming from a different culture. We watch how their life changes as the seasons do. It’s not a long book, and I breezed through it in a weekend (a rare occurrence these days), as I was hardly able to put it down. Four Seasons in Japan could have been an excellent book, if it was better balanced between Flo and the story she is translating, giving both equal times to shine and breathe. Overall, I’m glad I picked this book up, and I’ll check out Nick Bradley‘s books in the future to see what he comes up with next.

Four Season in Japan focuses on Flo, an American translator living in Japan. Her translating work isn't going well, as is her personal life. When she finds a mysterious book left on the subway, she is immediately drawn in.
This book-within-a-book story is uniquely structured, and is well paced,

Captivating! A beautifully written novel that has a book within a book. Books about books are always a win for me., Nick has described Tokyo so well, I want to visit immediately. Flo developed as a person throughout the book and I loved her.

I am fortunate enough have access to many advance copies of books and have found new authors that I've really enjoyed. I tend to read anything that is set in a small community across different genres, but occasionally come across something that is out of this norm. This certainly fits that description, with a story within a story, both set in Japan. Sometimes I struggle with books like this, however this one I really enjoyed giving an insight into life in Japan and expectations that young people have to live up to. Highly recommended if you want to read something different.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influenced my review of the book.

Flo finds a book left behind by a homeless man on a train she's travelling on. She's a translator by trade and starts to read and translate this story as she's finding it hard to stick to the book she's supposed to be translating. Her girlfriend has left to go to New York for a year and Flo was supposed to go with her but their relationship looks to be over..Flo becomes obsessed with finding the author of the book. This gives her boring life a bit of excitement finally.
The abandoned story is about Ayako, an elderly lady who lives alone in a small town close to Hiroshima. She leads a busy life, running a small cafe and taking her daily walks along the mountain paths. Her grandson is sent to live with her from Tokyo as he's failed his exams and therefore can't go to university for another year. Kyo, her grandson is her dead son's child. Her son committed suicide as he was very depressed about his life and the direction it wasn't going in. Ayoka grieves for her son dai!y. They find it hard to relate to each other at first.
I have to say I struggled in places to carry on reading this story. It seemed to go flat in parts, and I found it really hard to continue on with it. Once I'd lost my flow, I'd have to stop, leave it and then try again. I also found the ending a bit of an anticlimax. What I imagined the ending to be, it really wasnt!!.
I received this free ARC book for an honest review.
#Netgalley, #randomhouse, #nasubijutsu.

I was a big fan of Nick's debut The Cat and The City, and I'm glad to say he's done it again. "Who needs friends when you have books?"

Once more he takes us on a journey and immerses the reader in the culture and beauty of Japan. It's a brilliant book within a book. At times Ayako is a frustrating character, the way she treats Kyo and so stubborn. But when we learn more of her background and story it makes more sense. And makes the journey of their relationship more satisfying. My favourite character was Kyo, who is at that age when he's trying to figure out what he wants in life. He's conflicted between what he's supposed to do and what he actually wants to do. And obviously Coltrane the cat.

A lovely, gentle and comforting book that was a joy to read. There is a book within a book going on, a fresh awareness about words and translation, and some tenderly drawn characters that it is a pleasure to spend time with.

Flo is a translator who has lost her love of life until she finds her next project - a book left carelessly on a train leads her to a quest for its author and permission to translate. The book is about a lost young man and his relationship with his grandmother, and his journey from failing his university exams to finding his purpose in life.

This is a really sweet book. it took me a little while to get into in, but once I was hooked I carried on reading.

Flo is an American living in Tokyo. She translates books from Japanese to English. Her most recent book was a bit of a pet project and has had mixed reviews due to the subject matter rather than her translation. This has shaken her confidence. Her private life is also in turmoil. Her girlfriend wants her to move to New York with her, but she is dithering. Her friends don't even know she has a girlfriend such is her compartmentalisation of her life.

By chance she picks up a copy of Sound of Water and instantly wants to have this as her next project. The reader now gets to read this book as well. It is the story of Kyo, who, after failing his exams to go to medical school, is sent to live with his Grandmother, Ayako, in Onomichi, a much smaller town, far away from Tokyo. He will attend cram school there and resit his exams. Initially, things are frosty between Kyo and Ayako. He is very modern, expecting all the mod cons that he has in Tokyo and Ayako is very traditional and doesn't even own a TV. He suffers from feelings of failure, but doesn't know how to express this to other people and cause his to make some strange decisions. Gradually they find a rhythm and jog along.

In the meantime, Flo has to track down the author of the book, known only as Hibiki, in order to gain their permission to translate.

This worked for me as a reader as I wanted to know more, i wanted to find out the background to Ayako and whether the book was based on Hibiki's life. A nice book.

Flo is an American translator living in her dream city of Tokyo but her life’s far from perfect, her career’s stalled and her girlfriend is leaving her. Then she finds a mysterious book set in the port city of Onomichi, and becomes obsessed with finding its author and producing a translation. Nick Bradley alternates between Flo in Tokyo and the Onomichi narrative. The Onomichi novel centres on the rocky relationship between café owner Ayako and her grandson Kyo who’s come to stay with her while he studies to retake exams. Ayako and Kyo's storyline focuses on the growing bond between them - as well as the various stumbling blocks constantly threatening to derail it - and the everyday of their local community. Kyo's supposed to be preparing for medical school so he can become a doctor like his mother but his real passion is drawing, partly inspired by his feelings about his father who died by suicide when Kyo was very young. And as time passes he's increasingly torn between following his own path or conforming to his mother's expectations.

Bradley concentrates on storytelling here, building on his many years in Japan and his extensive background in Japanese fiction. The result is mostly fluid, accessible and undemanding. I enjoyed Bradley's more inventive flourishes and the attention to detail such as the inclusion of Kyo’s artwork, as well as the many references to Japanese culture, history and literature. But there were times when the writing felt slightly forced and flat, and the characters too stock – some of the ideas around generational divides, youth versus age, and their impact on Ayako’s sensibilities versus Kyo’s felt a little stereotypical, particularly Ayako’s as the forbidding, irascible older woman. I also found the contrast between the "found" novel and the episodes centred on Flo’s experiences an awkward one. It’s a very readable piece and there were numerous charming elements – particularly the street cats - and I can see it appealing to a number of readers but it didn’t entirely work for me: the resolution to both storylines was frustratingly abrupt; and Bradley’s story frequently strayed into the kind of life-lesson territory I tend to avoid.

This is such a lovely story. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Kyo is sent to live with his grandmother, Ayako, by his mother. He is 19 and has failed his exams to get him into medical school so it has to spend a year at a cram school to get his grades. He is not happy leaving a city to go to a small town but it all works out in the long run. My review is short as I want people to read this and realise this is such a lovely book and I do not want to give anything away other than to say it gives a great insight into Japan and their people. A MUST READ

This is an enjoyable two-hander of a book. Flo's story (losing love, trying to find her way) involves her finding a book on a train and then trying to track down the author, because she really wants to translate it into English. Within her story we the get the 'novel', a coming-of-age tale of surly teenager and equally surly grandmother learning to live together.

OK, sometime I found the 'Westerner in Japan' POV a little bit clichéd at times, and the Japanese story is equally 'here's a life lesson, let's grow together' - but, hey, it is well-written and Nick Bradley clearly loves Japan, and there are some nice moments throughout.

3.5 stars, but I'm in a good mood so rounded up to 4.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)