Tokyo is the most interesting thing in this light novel

I wanted to like this more, but the narrator is wet and his yearning for romance with his one night stand is sad, sad, sad. Tokyo, however, is brilliantly rendered in a romantic light and I can’t wait to visit.

A novel isn’t simply a string of words of a certain length: there are various plots—and anti-plots—that can help to shape a narrative. And that’s what’s missing here, a discernable shape to the story, both a route and a destination, even a non-route or an anti-destination. Instead, as Louie tries to make his booty call into something more, the cracks appear in the narrative, the lack of passion or tension, just two ineffectual souls passing like ships in the night. And the ending is just cruel.

Two stars.

As a litfic enjoyer, there were elements of this short novel I liked - the beautiful rendering of busy cities, the minutiae of everyday life which can get lost in the constant rush, and a heartfelt desire to slow down and enjoy the little things. This is a love story to urban locations, the hum and roar of cities and the particular feeling of loneliness that comes with being surrounded by so many people; getting lost in the flow.

I also found that the creeping disquiet associated with the love interest resonated - and will resonate - with people who’ve felt they’ve had to claw for attention. Who’ve thought too hard about how someone feels about them.

However, I was jaded by the actual love interest, Landon, who unfortunately is exactly the sort of dislikable hot then cold Brit I’ve encountered far too many times. I didn’t find the attraction or connection between the MC and the LI believable, nor did I enjoy the way the MC hung onto him despite his unreliability.

While I appreciate the close inspection of bad habits, particularly when it comes to choice in romantic partners, I found this a little lacking on the emotional engagement side. Though as someone who finds large cities endlessly fascinating, I enjoyed how much of this is for people who both love and abhor how easy it is to lose yourself in them.

A book for travellers, perhaps, rather than a truly enjoyable romance.

The writing of this book is beautiful, reading felt like walking the streets of Japan alongside Louie. It made me desperate to visit Japan.

What I really struggled with in this book was the relationship between Louie and Landon. I likely Louie although he was a bit annoying at points, but I found Landon completely insufferable. Sure he could cook, but he was just an arse to Louie sometimes! They had barely any chemistry, but Louie’s actions did feel true to real-life.

I’d recommend this book to people who love well-written stories, or Japanese settings, it was a beautiful book to read.

Happy Reading! xx

Rating: ★★★¾

Not often do I read a new book that is exactly my cup of tea. Or should I say coffee? I instantly connected with the story and characters, growing more curious about their journey with every page I turned. The writing style was different than what I am used to, but I am saying this in the most positive way one can imagine. It was refreshing. I loved it. This book reads more like a literary fiction covering the topic of loneliness, rather than a romance book, but there was enough romance to stay interested in the love story. With this only being the author's debut release, one can only expect great things for their future releases.

I loved the concept to this a lot and it was written well it just unfortunately kind of lead nowhere

I’m not sure about this one. It kind of reminded me of Call me by your name but the pacing is slower and I couldn’t connect with the side characters. Overall an enjoyable read as it navigates the loneliness of youth and I do be a sucker for the Tokyo scenery.

I really enjoyed the way this brought Louie’s story together. Yes it was about him + Landon but it was about the friendships he made along the way too. The narrative was chopped up and scattered throughout this in a non linear form but it made for a nostalgic vibe when reading it. Not all love stories end with a HEA and honestly, I don’t think Landon even remotely deserved someone like Louie. I really want to see Japan in cherry blossom 🌸 season more now than ever!


Thank you unbound firsts for letting me read this stunning novel! Seven Days in Tokyo is out 1st July 2025!! 🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

“Seven days in Tokyo” truly captures what I want and expect out of a contemporary novel. It language is lyrically descriptive and immersive in a way that makes you long for the streets of Tokyo all the while you get to see emotions and experiences you’ve probably experienced yourself mirrored back to you through the characters you’re reading about.

This is a story about love, culture and identity, about feeling lost, about self-doubt and trying to figure out whether love is worth a leap of faith or not. It is a story about grasping with what it means to fall in love in a modern world; the power dynamics, the cultural differences, the bleak reality of worrying about work and visas and the isolating feeling of never truly belonging somewhere. In short, this is a story that feels like a comfort for anyone who feels lost in their 20s.

I could relate to Louie’s struggle with never really fitting in anywhere, of being too much of one thing, not enough of another. Of never truly belonging to one place or culture because you’re a mix of several. As a person of colour, it was also a comfort to read about the dynamics — and awareness of dynamics the characters display themselves, to a certain point — that can exist in relationships between a white person and a person of colour, which in this story is truly contrasted even more by Landon’s status as a white, british expat (or, immigrant, as the rest of us would be called) in Japan.

Furthermore, the delicacy of the relationship, the uncertainty and second guessing you may experience when you’re standing at the precipice of something that might change you (for worse or for better) felt incredibly real and relatable.

Although the writing is beautiful and the plot at times compelling, there are times where the story is a bit too slow paced for my sake and times where it drags on to the point where it’s hard to care for the characters. At times I also wondered whether all of the flashbacks were necessary or not, since so little time has passed between them and the present day and not much really happened that would be cause for a reader to need the flashback. I think if this story would have been told through another format (I am thinking of film specifically here) the flashbacks would have been more welcome but as it is right now I did at times feel like they weren’t needed. However this is a personal opinion and preference and doesn’t affect the overall experience of the story too much.

If you want a more realistic and grounded Call me by your name-esque story and don’t mind a miscommunication-trope (and I certainly don’t!) this is a story for you. I see a lot of potential from this author and would love to read more by Alvior in the future!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Unbound Publishing for sending me this ARC and allowing me the chance to read and review it!

This one had beautiful scenery and details but I just could NOT get into it. The relationship was painfully boring and I didn’t feel an ounce on chemistry between the main characters.

Would absolutely love to go to Tokyo after reading though so I guess that’s a plus

Slow paced contemporary fiction that takes a deep look into love, loneliness, and the unique feeling of finding one's place in a new country.

There is so much emotion in this novel. It is written as a stream of consciousness from the viewpoint of Louis as he meets up with Landon with whom he had a one night stand the year prior. They meet in Tokyo to share 7 days together.

They both are seeing if there is a deeper connection there between them. During the trip, however, Louis starts to examine himself and how he fits into the world he finds himself in, and he realizes that maybe what he thought he wanted isn't right for him. This book is deeply introspective and really brought up some emotions for me. It was a bit slow paced, but I was okay with that as it actually allowed me to slow my reading and enjoy it more. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed enjoyed the book and am deeply grateful to Netgalley and Unbound Publishing for sending this book my way.

Seven Days in Tokyo by José Daniel Alvior is a wonderfully immersive read that beautifully captures the essence of Tokyo. The vibrant descriptions of the city’s culture and atmosphere pulled me right in, and the characters’ journeys were heartfelt and engaging. While the pacing was a little uneven at times, the story’s emotional depth and vivid storytelling more than made up for it.

"7 Days In Tokyo" by José Daniel Alvior weaves together the intricate threads of meetings, cultural contrasts, relationships, and the lingering shadows of colonial exploitation into a tapestry that feels both timeless and contemporary.

The dynamics between Louie and Landon capture that delicate intersection of cultures where attraction can spark, yet vulnerability often leads to misunderstandings. Their initial encounter in New York ignites a flicker of love—a complicated blend of hope and hesitation. When they find themselves in Tokyo, a city ostensibly detached from their cultural baggage, they are challenged to confront their feelings head-on. Louie's certainty contrasts starkly with Landon's reticence; it is as if Landon stands at the precipice of possibility yet hesitates to leap. He has a well of excuses - “spewing rubbish like ceilings and sexual ADD”—serve as barriers that both protect and imprison him.

Alvior brilliantly encapsulates this modern emotional landscape, where the weight of colonial legacies adds layers to their relationship. Louie longs to embrace their connection openly, while Landon clings to secrecy, haunted by the potential judgment from a society that remains oblivious to his truth - “no one you [Landon] know knows about me [Louie]”. The narrative gently nudged me to ponder how historical narratives shape personal ones, where affection flourishes in obscurity but struggles under the light of societal expectations.

The indecipherable nature of their love story draws heavily from this intrigue of the unsaid, reflecting a broader sense of existential ennui. There’s an acute awareness of a generation grappling with identity and belonging, caught in the web of anxiety about the future. Alvior’s sparse yet incisive prose evokes the urban landscape of Tokyo in the cherry blossom season, mirroring the unpredictability and ephemerality of their relationship and the twists they must navigate.

At times, the echoes of Baldwin’s "Giovanni’s Room" resonate in the pages, bringing forth a familiar, yet painful exploration of love and identity. It took me a couple of chapters to connect with their story, but when I did, it was well worth it.

Ultimately, "7 Days In Tokyo" stands as a powerful meditation on love's complexities, fraught with possibility. A quiet, tender, yet powerful debut.

Thanks to Netgalley and Unbound Firsts for the Arc

3.75/5

For those in the middle of falling in love, I think you’ll find solace in these emotionally volatile times with this book. This story captures the complex feelings of falling in love in incredible detail and with the serene cherry blossom season backdrop, what more could you ask for? Although not for everyone, our main character’s back-and-forth dilemma with his lover certainly resonated with me. That overthinking mindset, yet also the deep longing and relief when you see that special someone is an experience that I can relate to, and it was incredibly gratifying to read about someone going through the same thing.

Seven Days in Tokyo engaged me right at the start but unfortunately didn't hold my interest past the first chapter. I found the pacing slow and the jumping narrative confusing as the plot didn't seem to have moved much between the time periods so it felt like nothing had changed.

There were some beautiful descriptions of various parts of Tokyo and it did heighten my interest in visiting, but this was by far the most interesting part of the novel for me. The characters felt flat and devoid of emotion so I found it hard to connect with any one of them.

I struggled to finish this and probably would have given up had it not been such a short novel.

I was disappointed by this book. I found neither of the characters to be compelling, and I found the timeline of the plot to be confusing and uninteresting. Most of all, I hoped that the book would absorb me more in the setting of Tokyo.

Does "Seven Days in Tokyo" truly deserve 5 stars out of 5? Probably not. But every once in a while, I encounter a story that's so right up my alley that it gets an extra star from me just because.

It's one of those stories in which not much happens. A man goes to Tokyo to meet a one night stand he really liked, and gets to see a couple of other friends while he's there. He sightsees. He worries about his work visa for the US. He thinks about his job. He maybe falls in love. He has doubts over the lover who blows hot and cold. He thinks about the meaning of life and the beauty of fleeting things - cherry blossoms, cafes, relationships.

I really enjoyed the style - it's slow and poetic, and it really allows one to feel all the stages of a fleeting relationship, with its remnants of clinging hope and silent questions. Really well-written (but not a romance, despite the tags added to it; more litfic with a relationship theme).

The description of Japan was wonderful. Made me daydream of going there one day. I also loved the slow burn romance.

Seven Days in Tokyo by José Daniel Alvior is a beautifully evocative work that effortlessly captures the highs and lows of human emotion. Blending happiness and melancholy, the author transports readers to Japan with vivid descriptions and an eye for the smallest details that bring the setting to life. Alvior's writing is immersive and poignant, making it easy to feel as though you're wandering the streets of Tokyo alongside the characters. This novel is a testament to his talent, and it leaves you eagerly anticipating more from this gifted storyteller.

This was the perfect read at the perfect time. Cozy but reflective, looking at the messiness of situationships and long distance flings. The tangle of feelings when it's not likely to go anywhere. All mixed up in the beauty of Tokyo, the allure of glimpsing another life you could be living. Really loved this, it was the ideal book to end my year.

Louie and Landon's one night stand held promise - to see if their romance will bloom, Louie goes to Tokyo to spend a week with Landon. A slow-burner of a love story.

This book was full of delightful descriptions of life in Japan - I found myself looking at holidays there as a result - however, despite its promise, the book didn't quite do it for me. Despite its emotion-filled pages, the characters didn't leap into life so I didn't really care whether their romance worked out or not.

I still enjoyed it enough to finish though.