Description: Kimi's obsessed with transforming everyday ephemera into Kimi Originals: bold outfits that make her and her friends feel like the Ultimate versions of themselves. But her mother disapproves, and when they get into an explosive fight, Kimi's entire future seems on the verge of falling apart. So when a surprise letter comes in the mail from Kimi's estranged grandparents, inviting her to Kyoto for spring break, she seizes the opportunity to get away from the disaster of her life. When she arrives in Japan, she's met with a culture both familiar and completely foreign to her. She loses herself in the city's outdoor markets, art installations, and cherry-blossom festival--and meets Akira, a cute aspiring med student who moonlights as a costumed mochi mascot. What begins as a trip to escape her problems quickly becomes a way for Kimi to learn more about the mother she left behind--and to figure out where her own heart lies.
Brief description: Sarah Kuhn is the author of a variety of comics, short fiction, and the Heroine Complex series. A third-generation Japanese American, she loves writing about geeks, aliens, romance, and Barbie. When not writing, she is on a quest to eat every kind of mochi in the world. She currently resides with her husband in Los Angeles. For more information, visit heroinecomplex.com.