Review of Sex Business Tokyo

[edztan15]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sex Business Tokyo" by Alta Eva Bourne.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Angela Krukowski takes a last look at her boyfriend Theo and sister Lynn as she sits in an airplane taking off from Australia to Japan on a hot February morning in 1985. With striking beauty and burning passion, she wants to try her luck in Japan to become a successful dancer. As she settles in her new residence in Shinjuku, Japan, she finds out that living in this new country is not going to be as easy as it seems. After few days have passed without finding a job as a dancer, her financial status is now at risk. Angela needs to do something if she has to stay longer in the country to fulfill her ambition. As desperation slowly creeps up, Angela decides to do take advantage of her unique beauty to avoid financial loss and becomes a sex worker. The decision is against her principles and will but her inner voice, which she calls the Voice, tells her that this is just a means to an end. Angela eventually realizes that being a sex worker in Japan is a viable business, albeit full of risks. Dodging the police, the dangerous Yakuza, and the risk of catching AIDS, Angela will do almost everything not only to survive but also to attain her dreams.

Sex Business Tokyo is a fiction novel written by Alta Eva Bourne that is a mix of drama and suspense. The book takes the readers into some of the places in Japan, and the author did a great job in immersing the readers in the country’s culture. I loved the fact that I’m learning different things about Japan while reading the book. My favorite aspect of the book is how subtle Angela’s character arc was done. Throughout the book, Angela goes through different transitions in her life which in turn, changes her personality. These changes won’t be immediately apparent while reading the book, but once you take a pause and absorb what you have read, you will realize that there was a drastic change in her that you didn’t notice happening. I also liked that although the subject of the book revolves around the sex business, the author managed to tell the story without making it lewd and uncomfortable for the readers in terms of sexuality.

The book, however, is not a perfect one. For one, the book could have used thorough editing as there are a number of typos and grammatical errors in it, although these errors won’t affect the reading experience that much. I also did not like the way the author put most of the Japanese people in a bad light. There are several passages in the book where the Japanese people are viewed as inferior and morally questionable from Angela’s point of view. Although this comes from the perception of the main character, it could still offend some readers. The aspect that I disliked most about the book is that the message of the story is a bit hard to swallow, at least for me. It implies that the end always justifies the means even if it is a morally bad one. I did not like how the character does something against her principle, yet comes to terms with it by skewing her perception and instead, put the accountability to another entity (the Voice). I understand that this is a matter of personal beliefs, but I think this aspect would make some readers uncomfortable. On the flip side, this could be a good conversational piece and the message is actually thought-provoking.

I’m giving Sex Business Tokyo 3 out of 4 stars. There are aspects in the book that I don’t agree with, but I still enjoyed the narrative and was actually intrigued about what will happen next that I could not get enough of it while reading. The typos and grammatical errors, although there are quite a few, are not that severe to disrupt the reading experience. Overall, the book is an enjoyable read that is meant to challenge one’s principles and beliefs.

I recommend the book to open-minded adults who want to vicariously experience how grim the sex business is. The main character has some questionable views so the reader should put those views into context so as not to be offended by them. Since the subject matter is about the sex business, this is not for young readers or those who are sensitive to such topics. This is also a story of hope and perseverance so readers looking for inspiration and motivation will definitely pick something up from it.

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Sex Business Tokyo
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[Mayur Arjune]

Sex business is somewhat creepy in some culture, but otherwise it is fine. I feel it is as an expression of liberty and freedom of sensuality. Making love is our right. Thank you for this review.

[Ntombifuthi Londi]

The book seems to be intriguing, it has prompted me to want to read it. Unfortunately due to financial constraints women end up making decisions that are against their principle just to survive. Great review.

[Nathaniel Owolabi]

Great review, although I understand that this is just a fictional book. It still makes me feel weird.
Due to my principles I am not a fan of people being put in positions like this because of their financial situations. It's quite sad. However, I think people's choices are theirs to make, so no judgement from me. I would not be reading this book though.

[Novela book]

This books contains a lot about Japan's culture and norms. It has a suspence element which I prefer and I liked the protagonist who is trying hard to achieve her dreams.

[Miriam nkere]

It's so unfortunate that situation pushed her into being a sex worker, i hope she turned a new leave. Good review

[IamJc_Bembo12]

Sex work is work, no need to put sex workers in shame because of their chosen career. This book, not just only introduces how the sex business happens in Tokyo but also explicated and demonstrated how living there feels like. Thanks for this honest and great review!

[Raymonda onwuka]

The story sounds interesting, but it isnot my kind of story. I am going to pass on this one.