Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker was perfectly fine. I’d even be comfortable saying it was good.

In 2026 Lee Turner takes a lot of drugs to treat insomnia, and probably other things that were never named. He unnerves his father, but gets along with his father’s Japanese girlfriend. After Lee kills his college roommate in a sleep medication blackout, he moves to Japan to hide. Which he can do because part of his blackout included a solid coverup.

In 1877, after the samurai class stopped existing, Sen is training to be a warrior for the samurai revolution under her abusive piece of shit father.

Lee and Sen live in the same house and are able to hang out across time. Although it’s more that Sen hangs out with Lee because then his father can be relieved his son is straight with an Asian girl fetish (just like Dad!). Sen’s father would just kill Lee. Because he kills – that’s 90% of his character. He’s pretty straightforward.

Lee is excited to befriend Sen because he thinks it’s the breakthrough he’s been looking for in his quest to communicate with the afterlife. Lee is haunted by his mother who’s been missing long enough to be declared dead. He’s also haunted by his roommate.

The book was dreamy and emotionally intense. It also had time travel and memories that I assumed were trauma/drug induced because they didn’t make sense, even within the paranormal setting. And then some parts were depressingly realistic.

The story got better as I read. It went from good enough to good to an explosion. But at least Sen and Lee found each other and became friends. Their relationship was the highlight of the book.

I do love a good fictional friendship.