Title: The Lost Identity
Subtitle: When the Mirror Lies
Series: Japanesque TS
Author: Yulia Yu. Sakurazawa
Welcome to a world where the boundaries of gender and identity are as fluid and unpredictable as a dream. My new novel, The Lost Identity: When the Mirror Lies, delves into the complexities of the self through the lens of a most extraordinary transformation. While not explicitly about a relationship between LGBTQ+ characters, it takes readers on an intense and uncomfortable journey of self-discovery, as it challenges our understanding of how we see ourselves and each other.
The story begins with Kotaro Mamiya, a middle-aged man with a comfortable life and a set view of the world. Suddenly, after a bizarre event, his mind is trapped inside a young woman’s body. This is not a simple body swap. It’s a one-way transfer, which also challenges the concept of where his self resides.
The novel then explores the complex and nuanced ways in which gender impacts our everyday lives. Mamiya is forced to navigate the world as Reina, a young woman who is subject to everyday sexism, and to the unwanted attention of the men around her. It’s a shift in perspective that forces Mamiya to confront his own preconceptions about gender, female identity, and what it means to be desirable. In one sense, it allows a deeper understanding of issues that have been overlooked by society, as well as revealing the power dynamics that are usually only seen from the inside.
But, more than this, The Lost Identity is about questioning the nature of the self, the core of who you are, and how far you might go to retain control over your own destiny. Is your body your identity? Or is it your mind, your soul, and your thoughts that form your true self? These are complex questions, and the answer is different to everyone who reads it.
I was particularly interested in how our memories and perceptions shape us, and what happens when those are challenged by a new viewpoint, especially when one of those viewpoints is in a different body. The Lost Identity: When the Mirror Lies has a plot that will keep you reading until the very end, but, more than that, I hope it encourages you to ask yourself important questions, and perhaps to look at yourself and others in a different way.
While the protagonist does not identify as LGBTQ+, their experience mirrors many of the themes and issues faced by the community, such as the struggle to find their own space and be accepted by society, as well as the need to define what it means to be an individual. If you are interested in characters that are challenging the established norms, and you want to read about issues related to self-acceptance and self-discovery, then The Lost Identity might well be the book for you.