Queen of the Tokyo Ballroom

De: Jennifer Sky

Narrado por: Jennifer Sky

When Jennifer Sky was 15, she was offered the chance to spend a summer working as a model in Japan. For a girl from rural Florida who spent hours poring over fashion magazines, it seemed like a dream come true. But soon she found herself all but abandoned in an unfamiliar city, attempting to navigate a ruthless industry on her own and waving goodbye to childhood on the boozy margins of Tokyo's expatriate scene. In Queen of the Tokyo Ballroom, Sky recounts the summer that changed the course of her life-and left her still sorting out the consequences two decades later.

©2014 Jennifer Sky, The Atavist (P)2014 Jennifer Sky, The Atavist

Striking nonfiction story

This is one of those great, brief essays you feel like you live in while you read or listen to it. It’s the engaging story of Jennifer Sky’s first modeling trip in Tokyo and the exploitation that follows. Sky reads it herself and does so clearly and without artifice. An excellent quick listen.

disappointed

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

More story was needed. I felt like the story wasn't told or this was the version of her story you'd tell to your 7 year old.

What was most disappointing about Jennifer Sky’s story?

Jennifer hints at the difficulties endured, but this book ended up sounding like she went to Japan, didn't get modeling jobs, drank and partied, came back to America, worked in modeling and movies and was traumatized. I don't want to undermine that something(s) happened to her but she doesn't share any of that. For someone putting herself out there as a voice for abusing young girls in this industry, I was not moved at all.

How could the performance have been better?

She sounded bored and lacked passion or feeling.