Big Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

'Kakigori Summer' is the second book by Emily Itami, author of the Fault Lines. The book talks about the story of three sisters who are half Japanese and half English, something that, along with their mother's death when they were young, has marked their lives. The plot describes them coming together for a summer at their hometown, finding themselves, and rediscovering their family bonds as well as dealing with their own demons.

Overall, it is a sweet story, and the dynamics between the sisters and the kid, of course, are heartwarming and nostalgic. It is also interesting to learn slowly about their personalities and their stories prior to that summer.

However, the breaks between the chapters were too often and didn't serve the story, as it moved too fast from one POV to another. Also, the middle part was not as interesting as the beginning of the book. The ending took too long to wrap up the story, but it was an emotional one.

Finally, the writing was enjoyable and just right for the mood of the book.

This review is also posted on Goodreads and Storygraph

Rei is the eldest of three sisters, with a hotshot banking job in London and a sensible lifestyle, her boyfriend lost a few years ago because she has "the personality of a giant spike". Kiki is a single mum, raising little Hikaru, and their youngest sister, Ai, was a pop icon until recently, when a scandal has seen her fall from grace and enter a deep depression. Kiki begs Rei to come and help her rescue Ai: they're the only three "haafus" they know, with a missing-presumed-dead Japanese mother and a moved-quickly-on English father and they need to stick together. Returning to their home town and the family house next door to their very doughty great-grandmother (they've lost a lot of relatives along the way), they try to help Ai to heal and reconnect with old friends.

I loved the delicate relationships between the sisters and their terrifying great-grandmother and Hikaru is a lovely character; there's a lot of interest in the discussion of how he will do growing up, tall and blond, Japanese-English and Finnish, but decidedly monolingual in Japanese. Small-town life is lovingly portrayed as the beach and the sea and old friends help all three sisters to settle. And there's an air of positivity for all of them by the end. The black cat and even Ai's lost hamster make it through to the end and it's absorbing, thoughtful and also funny, a good read.

Blog review published 25 June 2025: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/06/25/book-review-emily-itami-kakigori-summer/

This novel is just the perfect summer read . I was a huge fan of Fault Lines and even though this is very different story wise it still has the same vivid dreamy writing style and is also a love letter to Japan . You get a real sense of place and feel immersed in the culture , the way of life, the people and the food!!
It's a story of sisterhood and family, of coming to terms with the past and about life . It's heartfelt and nostalgic and just feels like one of those real life type of stories. After reading both her novels I now know that Emily will be an auto buy author for me

I really enjoyed this story of three sisters, all very different, but all bound together by their love and support for each other. Set mainly in Japan the sisters, Rei, Kiki and Ai, are reunited when Ai is photographed kissing a married man causing a tremendous scandal. Told from the three different perspectives this is a slow burn but that suits the story, which is wonderful.

Briefly, eldest daughter Rei has always been the strong sensible one. She works in London in the finance industry and when middle sister Kiki contacts her to say that Ai is in trouble, and will she come home, she is at first reluctant. Kiki is the earth mother of the family. A single mum who works in a retirement home to fit around her life with her 5 year old son Hikaru. And youngest sister Ai is the family rebel. A Japanese pop star she is flying high until that paparazzi photograph emerged. When they finally all get together it is to travel to their hometown, where their grandmother still lives, whilst the furore dies down.

Losing their mother at such a young age, and their father taking no interest in them, clearly had a big effect on the three women and they all dealt with it in different ways. I’ve been to Tokyo and it instilled a deep desire in me to see more of this beautiful country and reading this book has only heightened that desire. The narrative is beautiful and very moving as the three women revisit their childhood and their formative years and eventually come to terms with their past. A heartwarming story about the importance of family support and care. I loved it.

was i smiling? was i hugging the book?was i hugging the characters in my mind or wanting to be adopted into this family to be hugged by a certain gorgeous grandma? this book had my hole heart. it took me right into this family and made me care about all of them and at the end care about if they were ok?
yes its messy, yes it is complicated. but what i came out with is what is important. and that something is the be all and end all of all things. and that thing is love. yes i said it, i went that soppy. LOOOOVE!
This book took us right into the unbreakable bond and love between the sisters. and how they will come together when one of them is in trouble.
we are bought Rei, Kiki and Ai. they are all at different points in their lives and each such a beautifully different character. Rei is a driven professional in London. Kiki is a single mother working in a retirement home. and Ai is a pop star on the rise until one day her career is put in the spotlight for all the very wrong reasons. she is in the middle of a scandal and needs help fast. and the place they all find themselves is back to the place of their childhood. to home. a place where they are known. and a place they all know. the sights, the smells. the people. they are all woven throughout them all. but not all is comfortable once there. and they soon learn that no matter what you do and no matter how much time and distance you put between you, things rarely stay unsaid for long. not when they need to come out. especially when it is something is big and life altering to all of them as their mothers death all those years ago.
this book is so gorgeous. it feels like its sitting right there in your heart. the girls are all incredibly told. and you feel like you are there with them fully relating to what they are going through and feeling. and how people feel towards eachother when there is a knowing like those amongst those you love. and all the decisions you make and all the things you do or dont day because of how much you love.
the grandma and son are standout characters. they bring such brightness to the story in their own way and help balance out the other parts we are reading about which arent always cosy but are always so very very real.
i think books like this weave into us and change us even if just for the length of time we read them. books so beautiful burrow into us and that is exactly what this book did. it is going to my top top top tier list of books.

I loved this story of three very different sisters coming together! It got off to a compelling start with the romance scandal and developed into a touching and emotional read about family bonds, identity, and of course sisterhood.

I am a really big fan of this author, having read her debut novel Fault Lines a couple of years ago. Nobody has ever made me long to visit a country, like Emily Itami makes me long to visit Japan
This is the story of three sisters all on very different paths in life. Rei, the eldest has a career in the City in London and is devoted to her work, and still getting over a recent relationship breakup. Kiki is a single mother to a young boy, and a geriatric carer back in Japan. And the youngest, Ai, is a famous Japanese pop star who has had a dramatic fall from grace.
Rei races to her youngest sisters aid, and along with Kiki takes Ai to recover away from the pressure of Tokyo - to the village by the sea where they grew up. Where their grandmother still lives.
A story about reconnecting with family, of sisters, and a real love letter to Japan and its culture. It is about coming to terms with the trauma of the past but also finding a way forward and healing.
Really lovely writing, and a wonderful insight into Japan. Loved it.