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If You Follow Me

Malena Watrous (Goodreads Author)

3.53 · Rating details · 1,043 ratings · 175 reviews

Hoping to outpace her grief in the wake of her father's suicide, Marina has come to the small, rural Japanese town of Shika to teach English for a year. But in Japan, as she soon discovers, you can never really throw away your past . . . or anything else, for that matter.

If You Follow Me is at once a fish-out-of-water tale, a dark comedy of manners, and a strange kind of l ...more

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Paperback, 384 pages

Published March 9th 2010 by Harper Perennial (first published February 20th 2010)

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Dec 15, 2009 Kater Cheek rated it it was amazing

Would I have adored this book so much if I hadn't been an English teacher in Japan myself? I don't know. All I can say is that it hooked me from the first letter, in which Marina's supervisor chides her for not following _gomi_ (garbage) law. Suddenly I could remember myself trying to figure out if my garbage was -moeru- (burnable) or not, and where to put it, and all the million other ways a foreigner could make mistakes in Japan.

While this book is set in Japan, it's not just about Japan. Nor i ...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Jennifer rated it it was ok

Oh man, I don't know. I wanted to like this story of a young woman coming to teaching English in Japan while struggling with her reactions to her father's suicide, and it's clear Watrous has lived in Japan and has a keen eye for the absurd or interesting detail (the plastic high school slippers, the sweltering teacher's rooms). But having lived here for more than a decade, I reacted to a lot of this book the way one might react to a horror movie in which the cute young teen suggests they all spl Oh man, I don't know. I wanted to like this story of a young woman coming to teaching English in Japan while struggling with her reactions to her father's suicide, and it's clear Watrous has lived in Japan and has a keen eye for the absurd or interesting detail (the plastic high school slippers, the sweltering teacher's rooms). But having lived here for more than a decade, I reacted to a lot of this book the way one might react to a horror movie in which the cute young teen suggests they all split up and check out different areas of the spooky house: WHAT ARE YOU DOING STOP THAT. The whole discussion of trash sorting, which the author treats as a cute peccadillo on her character's part, made me break out in a cold sweat: first she and her roommate throw spoiled meat into the plastic garbage. After being told that their neighbor had to pick all the rotting meat out by hand, her roommate throws used tampons into the plastic garbage. This isn't a charming free-spiritness, it's incredibly selfish (and gross!)

Despite her attention to detail, the protagonist is sometimes so lacking in cultural empathy that I couldn't possibly sympathize with her. It's not that I don't agree that female students in Japan could well learn that there's more to life than makeup and boyfriends, or that mothers need more support from their husbands, or that negotiating the maze of unspoken rules here is annoying. But there's a smugness to the book as the protagonist transforms the lives of the villagers with her quirky openness. Imagine a book where a Japanese student comes to live in "redneck America," and by the end of the book has taught the quaint but backwards folk the value of hard work, inspired a young tomboy to be more feminine so she can finally catch a man, and convinced the more disgustingly overweight townspeople to eat a healthy diet of rice and green tea. The scene where the heroine climbs up onto a sumo ring and does an impromptu faux-striptease made me actually gasp in horror: picture someone going to church and in the middle of Communion deciding it would be fun to jump up and do an impromptu performance of "I Like Big Butts And I Cannot Lie."

All of which is basically to say: um, maybe I'm not the best target audience for an expat's amusing fish-out-of-water tale. I've made a lot of errors like the ones the heroine does (failing to catch important implications, breaking rules I didn't know existed, etc.) and believe me, it's not cute or funny. So perhaps I just envy her protagonist--after all, no one wants to read a book that goes "The main character made some really stupid mistakes and as a result she had only limited success and people treated her like she was very strange forever and ever." ...more

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Sep 13, 2010 Leah rated it it was ok

Officially, Marina goes to rural Japan to teach English for a year. Unofficially, she goes to rural Japan because she doesn’t really know what else to do with herself; she’s just finished college, her father has committed suicide, and when her new girlfriend, Carolyn, decides to go, Marina wants to go too. It’s an escape for her, an identity moratorium in a place where she hopes to leave the bad things behind and move on with her life.

Of course, with her limited Japanese, even basic conversation ...more

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Apr 07, 2010 Lori rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, arc-reviewers-copy, chickylitty

ARC from publisher

Many thanks to Harper Perennial for allowing me the opportunity to review Malena Watrous's "If You Follow Me".

This was my first adult woman lit novel in a very long time. It's a genre I tend to overlook nowadays - though not because I dislike it.

When I first found myself craving novels again, back in my early twenties, "Chick Lit" was all I read. I tore the bookshelves at Border's apart, searching for the next Anna Maxted, Sophie Kinsella, and Helen Fielding. They were books wi ARC from publisher

Many thanks to Harper Perennial for allowing me the opportunity to review Malena Watrous's "If You Follow Me".

This was my first adult woman lit novel in a very long time. It's a genre I tend to overlook nowadays - though not because I dislike it.

When I first found myself craving novels again, back in my early twenties, "Chick Lit" was all I read. I tore the bookshelves at Border's apart, searching for the next Anna Maxted, Sophie Kinsella, and Helen Fielding. They were books with main characters I could relate to. But they were also all very similar. After awhile, the themes became predictable: Girl works crappy job, locked in crappy relationship. Girl quits job, dumps boyfriend, wonders if she did the right thing. Girl finds great job, better man, lives happily ever after. My reactions to those novels became predictable too: I can't wait to start this novel, oh no I can see where this is going, darn it why don't they ever create a strong female lead character, I gotta find something better to read, Thank god it's over.

I eventually started branching out and widening my literary scope. Instead of reading books about woman living similar, if not outrageous, lives, I needed more. I wanted something different. Visits to the book store found me, more often than not, clutching classics and old school sci-fi novels to my chest as I waited in line to pay. Almost refusing to acknowledge the "other" genre.

As I've gotten older, and wiser (perhaps), I have come to find great stories in just about every literary category there is. I know better than to shut out an entire group of novels just because of the label it is given. And Watrous's novel is the perfect example of that.

Struggling to come to grips with the recent suicide of her severely depressed father, Marina meets Carolyn at a group grief session, and they quickly fall in love. When she finds out that Carolyn plans to teach in Japan, Marina wastes no time in applying as well, eager to leave the life she is currently living, hoping this will help her move beyond her fathers death and closer to the woman she loves.

Upon their arrival, both girls find adapting to the Japanese rules and culture difficult. Marina's supervisor, Hiro (Miyoshi-sensei) writes her numerous letters informing her of the gomi (garbage) rules. Her neighbors watch her wearily, and report her every misstep, her girlfriend itches for a space of her own.

Tensions rise as the girls struggle with their students, and keeping their relationship a secret. Carolyn starts to count down the days left until she can return to the states, while Marina focuses on breaking down barriers and building relationships with the people around her.

"If You Follow Me" breaks the typical "Chick Lit" mold. It introduces you to Marina, a young american school teacher, who moves to Japan to teach high school students English. It's more than just a young woman's struggle with identity and love. It's about overcoming stereotypes, breaking boundaries, understanding and accepting different cultures, and transitioning from temporary to something more permanent.

A great read. A book that you can curl up with, but that will also challenge your mind. ...more

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Mar 04, 2010 ModCloth rated it liked it

Attempting to flee her grief after her father’s suicide, 22-year-old Marina leaves bustling New York for the small, quirky town of Shika, Japan. Despite submerging herself in a new culture, a burgeoning career as an English language teacher, and within various complicated relationships both personally and professionally, Marina finds she can’t avoid her past — no matter how ridiculous the present may get.

The more Marina attempts to fit into her new community with Carolyn, the girlfriend she met Attempting to flee her grief after her father’s suicide, 22-year-old Marina leaves bustling New York for the small, quirky town of Shika, Japan. Despite submerging herself in a new culture, a burgeoning career as an English language teacher, and within various complicated relationships both personally and professionally, Marina finds she can’t avoid her past — no matter how ridiculous the present may get.

The more Marina attempts to fit into her new community with Carolyn, the girlfriend she met in a college bereavement group and followed to Japan, the more she seems to stick out. The main culprit for this is Marina’s inability to understand Japanese gomi, or garbage, law that is practically akin to obsessive compulsive behavior. We’re not just talking about separating out recyclables — everyday of the month is reserved for a particular type of waste. As embarrassingly advised to Marina in a letter, “Before you throw a bottle, please clean (very clean!) and remove paper from outside. You should save this paper for Tuesday’s burnable collection, to put in bin by Mister Donuts. I think you eat a donuts every day. Maybe you know Mister Donuts location well.”

As her neighbors obsess over her gomi foibles, Marina tries everything to reach her students, whose attention is monopolized by Hello Kitty and sumo wrestling (she eventually succeeds somewhat by using sex-ed aids). As seasons pass for Marina abroad and her relationship with Carolyn deteriorates, she slowly discovers that she can’t be afraid to strike out on her own — even if that means facing the reality of her father’s death.

Loosely based on Watrous’ own life, If You Follow Me humorously depicts an awkward outsider’s experience. From the difficult-to-break language barrier to wrongly-taken social cues, Watrous’ rich characters make you feel like it could be you mixing up the plastics and paper outside of Mister Donuts. Though at times her prose lags, Watrous’ debut effort succeeds with a sharp eye capable of picking apart relationships and intensely voicing that strange space that lies between life and death. If You Follow Me will make you believe that nothing can truly disappear. ...more

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May 21, 2010 Pygmy rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, interracial_love, whites_in_asia

ETA: Okay, nevermind about the never-to-finish categorization. I ended up reading the book in a day due to my work computer getting whacked with issues one after another. The writing is very good, and I was able to enjoy most of the book quite a bit once I started skipping over the lesbian/threesome/pot-smoking/depressed-daddy-flashbacks. I especially enjoyed reading the budding romance between the protagonist and her Japanese supervisor, Miyoshi. The romance was actually very similar to the one ...more

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Nov 18, 2017 Amelie rated it did not like it

I thought this book would be great, because of the original plot, but it was boring.
Maybe, this book it's not for me.

...more

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Jun 11, 2011 Jenny rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2010, favorites

"I am kind of so sorry."
"You have committed a rude."

The use of the above accented English is just one way in which Malena Watrous, debut author of If You Follow Me, transports her readers to Japan where 22-year-old Marina has moved with her girlfriend, Carolyn, to teach for a year. Carolyn and Marina meet each other at a grief support group after Marina's father committs suicide. They are disappointed to find they have been assigned to schools in the Japanese countryside rather than in the city "I am kind of so sorry."
"You have committed a rude."

The use of the above accented English is just one way in which Malena Watrous, debut author of If You Follow Me, transports her readers to Japan where 22-year-old Marina has moved with her girlfriend, Carolyn, to teach for a year. Carolyn and Marina meet each other at a grief support group after Marina's father committs suicide. They are disappointed to find they have been assigned to schools in the Japanese countryside rather than in the city of Tokyo where they requested. Nevertheless, they immerse themselves in the Japanese culture -- though some of the immersion is involuntary. In the beginning of the novel they constantly find themselves in trouble with an unexpected cultural norm -- for not separating their garbage correctly and putting the different types of garbage out on the correct days.

As they learn to deal with the garbage issue (gomi) and other cultural roadblocks they come across, they also grow individually. (Although I will say at one point I thought "enough with the gomi!" LOL). But the amount of time spent on the gomi issue only enhanced the understanding of the cultural attitudes to which Marina had to learn to adjust. Meanwhile, Marina hoped her relationship with Carolyn would grow stronger by moving to Japan together. This is despite having to keep their relationship a secret, due to the more stringent attitudes of the Japanese culture. But somewhere along the line their relationship starts to fall victim to the same pitfalls of so many relationships.

I really saw this book as hardly about Carolyn at all. It was more about Marina and her own growth as a person and learning who she is. She spends the entire novel learning how to deal with the unexpected death of her father. Her time spent assimilating to the Japanese cultural is almost therapeutic in that it helps her reflect on her life as a whole and what her father's death means in it all.

The book is broken up into 4 parts. Each part represents a season of the year she is there, and, in a way, it represents another level of growth Marina has made. Ms. Watrous expertly writes about many of the nuances of the Japanese culture but does so by inserting these mannerisms into the characters. The writing was beautiful and in no way reflective of a new author. But then Ms. Watrous isn't new to writing. She has an extensive history of writing stories, essays, and book reviews. (Check out her website for details). Her characters, specifically Marina, were very real and genuine. I never felt that anything was contrived, and Marina's growth as a person throughout the novel seemed authentic. Comedic moments combined with somber reflections throughout and created an honest portrayal of humanity and of people trying to understand each other's differences.

And you can't ignore the beautiful cover!! I also want to quote an author who provided her thoughts on the book because I don't quite feel that my more amateur writing ability adequately sums up the essence of this book.

Curtis Sittenfield, author of Prep and American Wife says "It's fearlessly honest, occasionally heartbreaking, and extremely funny..."

The synopsis on the back of the book also calls If You Follow Me "a dark comedy of manners." I thought both of these quotes described this book perfectly.

So, in summary, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was very well done. Marlena Watrous has proven to be an excellent author in writing, storytelling, and character depictions, and I can't wait to read more by her. ...more

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Apr 13, 2019 Lauren rated it it was amazing

One of my favorites. Love learning about what it's like to live abroad. ...more

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Mar 01, 2010 Ti rated it liked it

Shelves: books-sent-to-me

The Short of It:

Reading If You Follow Me, is like taking a cool sip of water on a hot summer’s day. It’s refreshing and bold and filled with vivid, colorful characters.

The Rest of It:

I was rather surprised by this one. I expected it to be a “fish out of water” story, and to a degree, it is but there’s much more to it than you would expect. It’s light and airy in one sense, but it deals with some heavier themes and Watrous manages to take all of these elements and roll them into a nice little pac ...more

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Jan 08, 2016 Saiokuo rated it really liked it

When a friend told me about this book it seemed eerie; what’re the odds someone would write a book about a girl whose father commits suicide her senior year of college and she joins the JET program to teach in Japan to avoid having to face impending future decisions? Hell, the main character even got placed in a rural town not too far from me. So yeah, I was pretty intrigued by the book that may or may not be my own biography… Ok, I’ll try not to get too carried away. There were plenty of differ When a friend told me about this book it seemed eerie; what’re the odds someone would write a book about a girl whose father commits suicide her senior year of college and she joins the JET program to teach in Japan to avoid having to face impending future decisions? Hell, the main character even got placed in a rural town not too far from me. So yeah, I was pretty intrigued by the book that may or may not be my own biography… Ok, I’ll try not to get too carried away. There were plenty of differences like the fact that Marina came with her partner which adds another level of tension to her transition. Being out in Japan is not a particularly easy thing to do, especially out in the inaka.

I wasn’t all that surprised to find out the story is based on the author’s own experience living in Japan and teaching English. The details she captures about the job and life are too precise to have come second hand. The strange version of English you come to speak (and hear) when living in Japan peppered with phrases in Japanese too convenient to translate is an all too common symptom of life here. While I personally haven’t encountered the gomi police I’ve heard the horror stories from others. For anyone considering the JET program, living abroad, or who is already teaching here I’d have to suggest the book.

Beyond that, I like the way the author deals with grief. Even though Marina doesn’t outwardly show it it’s still a regular part of her daily schedule; this too is relatable to me. You go about your day until a small thing sneaks up and knocks you over. I thought the author did a really good job tying the grief story in with the Japan story especially given Japan’s history with suicide.

I know some other expats in their reviews have stated that her constant disregard for Japanese rules and life bothered them but it really didn’t for me. I saw Marina much more sympathetically as someone desperately trying to stay afloat rather than someone knowingly and ignorantly trying to gaijin smash their way through life. I do wish Marina’s bisexuality had been handled a little better, specifically in the conversation with her mother when she says it might be a choice. Marina fell in love with a man and later fell in love with a woman. It wasn’t like she said “today I want to try being straight/gay” it just happened. Maybe that was meant to be a character quirk of not wanting to label herself but it still bothered me. All around though, a solid story.
...more

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Mar 17, 2010 Becca rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads, queer-lit, literature

The first thing I noticed about this book was how beautiful it was. But it is a truly gorgeous book -- matte spring green cover, a women in mosiacs, and it smelled exactly like a treasured, well-made & well-loved book does. The matte cover is a pleasure to hold and touch.

Yes, it's amazingly petty, but the multisensory experience was apropos for a book that is so immersive. Watrous' detailed characters, evocative prose & well-researched setting left the mark of a truly good book -- when my readi The first thing I noticed about this book was how beautiful it was. But it is a truly gorgeous book -- matte spring green cover, a women in mosiacs, and it smelled exactly like a treasured, well-made & well-loved book does. The matte cover is a pleasure to hold and touch.

Yes, it's amazingly petty, but the multisensory experience was apropos for a book that is so immersive. Watrous' detailed characters, evocative prose & well-researched setting left the mark of a truly good book -- when my reading was interrupted, I would look up stunned to find myself not in Japan. Characters are certainly a highlight of the book -- memorable, but not caricatures.

Watrous denies that it is a memoir, but it clearly draws from autobiographical influences, from the physical description of Marina to her name (Marina v. Malena) and the location & occupation in Japan. In the P.S. interviews included in this copy, Watrous states that this If You Follow Me is not the story of her life, because lives do not have plots. Honestly, that's not much of an argument; If You Follow Me has little in the way of traditional plot, although it does have narrative arcs. Instead, the novel is comprised predominately of linked incidents. This adds to the charm & uniqueness of the novel. The lack of cookie cutter rising action, climax, falling action, or even central plot is what helps If You Follow Me be so atmospheric. Marina's embarrassment is palpable because the reader knows what it's like to be so acutely embarrassed and unable to get over it, despite knowing that it will pass. The narrative arcs keep it from feeling like just a "day in the life," and add a sense of completion at the end of the novel. The combination of the two techniques is a terrific blend.

Language is clearly another strength of Watrous -- the English, both broken and fluent, is clever. Watrous uses her characters who do not speak English fluently as an excuse to invite phrases and use words in novel ways. She uses Japanese to express constructs not possible in English. ...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Jennifer Mcgown rated it liked it

I thought that this is a great book to read if you are thinking of going to Japan and especially if you are thinking about living there. It is about two women who go to Japan to teach English to Japanese students. Mariana is going to escape the pain and grief of her father's death and Carolynis going because it was her idea in the first place. Mariana does not speak or read Japanese, so it is a real culture shock when she and Carolyn are placed in rural Japan in small town. Mariana is placed in ...more

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Mar 19, 2010 Stephanie rated it it was ok

I really wanted to like this because it was written by a friend of a friend of mine. But I didn't connect with the protagonist (aka the author), who taught English at the local vocational school in a remote Japanese town right out of college. There's lots of drama (how can there not be when you're in your early 20s!), misunderstandings (Japanese/American culture clash) and introspection (letting go of a tragedy). The theme of each chapter is a Japanese vocubulary lesson -- slightly clever, but d ...more

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Mar 29, 2010 Dora rated it it was amazing

I wish I could go back in time to a time before I read this book so I could read it for the first time again. That is how much I loved this book.

I loved everything about it. All the characters felt real to me, the writing was wonderful, the story was phenomenal. I loved the metaphor of garbage/baggage/letting go throughout the book, and especially how the author didn't bang the reader over the head with it. ...more

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Mar 16, 2010 ☮Karen rated it really liked it

Recommended to ☮Karen by: goodreads

Shelves: giveaways-goodreads

Thank you goodreads First Reads! This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Marina, an American in Japan teaching English in the most unusual ways, is sort of a fish out of water as she tries to assimilate to all the rules and social mores of the Japanese. At times very sad and other times it made me laugh out loud. ...more

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Apr 05, 2010 Cindy rated it really liked it

Shelves: goodreads-giveaway-from-friends

This was a very funny and at times a very sad book about a young American girl teaching English in rural Japan. It is also a strange love story that I really did not pick up on until half way through the book! I especially liked the letters that Marina receives from her supervisor, Miyoshi, telling her of her American mistakes. I enjoyed this novel from the very beginning to the very end!

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Feb 22, 2010 Ms. Online added it

Shelves: 2010-winter-reviews

If You Follow Me
By Malena Watrous
Harper Perennial

This tragicomic debut novel follows a spunky, feminist and perpetually wrongfooted college grad as she spends four
seasons in rural Japan escaping the memory of her father’s suicide.

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Mar 26, 2010 Lauren orso rated it it was ok

Shelves: read2010

all 350 pages of this didn't take me a full workday.

for me, two stars on this type of book is completely forgettable, just readable enough; one star would be eat,pray,love and that sort of oprahesque drivel. this was just barely better. ...more

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Mar 16, 2010 Megan Hansen rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-won, fiction

This is a fun, quirky fish out a water story. Reading about different Japanese customs and how Marina coped with them was very entertaining.

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Jun 20, 2015 Kyra rated it really liked it

There was something so quietly moving about this book. I quite enjoyed it.

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Aug 27, 2020 S. rated it really liked it

Shelves: red-queen

3.7/5.0. the "fish out of water" Japan expat story has been done, very many times. I can't award a full 4/5 stars for a cliched work. but, on the other hand, there is skill, there is fluency in the work that does not permit the 3.0.

like Watrous, I graduated Columbia University and went to Japan on the JET Programme. I am happy to see a classmate and colleague succeed in the literary world. Watrous did the Iowa Writers' Workshop, too, which is where a certain polish is added to the work I believe ...more

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Oct 15, 2017 Rocío Iglesias rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 25, 2017 Alex Lewis rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romantic-mystery

Not something I would have picked up, but having taken online courses from the author induced me to read it. This is a story of a young woman who experiences frustration, confusion, mixed emotions, friendship, and finally love in a foreign culture. This is done with humor and beautiful subtilty throughout. Great art.

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May 07, 2017 Linda rated it liked it

So.. This was readable but I'll only read it this one time. It was that interesting. Just remind me to never live in Japan. Most of it was interesting, parts of it I couldn't wait to get through from boredom. I slogged through it and came out on the other side. ...more

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May 09, 2019 Prajakta rated it really liked it

I loved it. I’ve been living in Japan for the past 6 years and can relate to the indirect speeches, always being the temporary person and having an array of rules to remember. But this book gives me hope making me believe that I can still form deeper connections with the people around me.

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Jun 29, 2018 Becca rated it really liked it

3.5/5. I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this book (I think maybe it was in a Goodreads blog post a while ago?), but I'm glad I did. ...more

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Sep 11, 2018 Corinne Morier rated it really liked it

Shelves: childhood-books, memoir, japan-related, books-for-sachiko

Read it sometime in 2015. If I reread it, I'll write a proper review. ...more

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Sep 20, 2018 Debbi rated it it was ok

Learning more about Japanese culture was the highlight of this book. The story didn't ever grab me although there were a few chuckles here and there. ...more

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Nov 29, 2018 Gwen rated it really liked it

I really loved this book. The cultural and communication style differences between the Japanese and Americans is hilariously accurate.

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About Malena Watrous

Malena Watrous

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Malena Watrous is a writer and an instructor of creative writing. Her first novel, If You Follow Me, won the Michener-Copernicus Award and was a Lambda finalist. She co-authored a cookbook, My Mexico City Kitchen, with Gabriela Camara. She has taught workshops in both fiction and nonfiction at Barnard College and USF, and currently works as a Lead instructor for Stanford’s Continuing Studies Onlin ...more