Tokyo Heist by Diana Renn

Read by: Anna/Copley Teen Room

Tokyo Heist is the story of two stolen Van Gogh drawings and a missing Van Gogh painting. It is also the story of the young man who bought that painting and the family he left behind when he committed suicide over 30 years ago. And, it’s the story of a bright teenage girl with an eye for drawing her own manga series, known as Kimono Girl. 16-year-old Violet hadn’t planned on solving an art heist mystery during her summer vacation spent with her estranged father. She hadn’t planned on getting chased by the largest Japanese gang, known as the Yakuza. And she definitely didn’t plan on a trip to Japan any time soon. But she gets all that, and more, in this gripping mystery/suspense novel where sometimes the only way to solve a crime, is to draw it out like a Japanese comic book.

I LOVED  this book. That’s it. Plain and simple. The way it was told, the language used, everything was realistic and gripping. Plus, I loved Kimono Girl. I was picturing the scenes Violet was drawing easily, and I loved the idea of a girl who could slip in and out of paintings to solve crimes and move around. It was a very interesting way to view the world and solve a crime. Anyone who loves Japan and manga will likely fall in love with Violet and this novel. It’s a quick dive into Japanese culture, but one not soon forgotten. I highly recommend this title.

Go to our Events for Teens  tab on the BPL Summer Reading page to find out where and when Nimmi will be doing henna tattoos.

The art of making henna tattoos, called mendhi, goes way back, at least 5,000 years. If you want to know more about it AND learn how to make your own designs, here’s a good place to start. 

If you need some ideas for what you’d like drawn on you, the Henna Page Symbol Index  has some suggestions.   

For more information about submissions and voting, check out the tab at the top of the page for all the details you need to know!