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booksandbears's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Suicide and Mental illness
achay91's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Suicide
leantonego's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Such an amazing and heartwrenching book. Stunning writing and perfectly executed motifs. The ending felt a bit rushed and genuinely left me with a lot more questions than answers, but it is magical realism so... 🤷♂️. I enjoyed it a lot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Suicide
marissasa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book is so sad but so moving. I've never read or heard from the point of view of a teen/child whose parent committed suicide before and this one was deeply emotional and really played into the theme of generational trauma. I loved that it explored the family issues on each generation's level through the use of memories, and showing each woman's point of view. There were layers to Leigh's experiences and I felt that her different identities as biracial, a child of an immigrant, an artist, and more were well explored and added to her characterization. The most unique and memorable part of this story was the recurring motif of emotions and feelings as colors, which reminded me a lot of synesthesia and was a beautiful way for Leigh to express her inner thoughts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent
natnurdock's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Racism
wiktoria_bojda's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent
rowanrelph's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Blood, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
jennifermreads's review against another edition
Received advanced reader copy from publisher via Baker & Taylor book supplier
I'm opting to not finish this book. As amazing as the first 121 pages were, I was overwhelmed with the trigger points in reference to depression and grief. The timing of my reading this was not good for me. And the triggers were so severe for me that I just cannot go back to reading it.
** No stars or date finished because (1) I didn't finish it so cannot adequately judge the material and (2) I do not want it to count in my Goodreads challenge.
I'm opting to not finish this book. As amazing as the first 121 pages were, I was overwhelmed with the trigger points in reference to depression and grief. The timing of my reading this was not good for me. And the triggers were so severe for me that I just cannot go back to reading it.
** No stars or date finished because (1) I didn't finish it so cannot adequately judge the material and (2) I do not want it to count in my Goodreads challenge.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Grief
karinaov's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Suicide
literarypenguin's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The first thing I have to say about this book is the representation is so amazingly well done! First we get Asian mental illness representation which we hardly ever see in modern media. We also got a f/f relationship that was not in your face or portrayed in a negative light is so cool to see. The talk about grief and losing a parent is raw and talked about in a respectful and understandable way.
The story revolves around a young girl named Leigh who has just lost her mother to suicide and has to deal with the grief of her sudden and unexpected death. The story takes her to Taiwan where she uncovers family secrets and trauma that has stayed buried for decades. Trying to uncover the meaning of this mysterious large red bird, who Leigh believes is her mother's spirit, she must try to piece together this forgotten family history to figure out what her mother wanted her to remember in her final words.
The main topic in this novel is grief. How the sudden loss of a loved one can effect a person's state of mind especially if this death is in a way that no one saw coming. In the case of a suicide a family can be torn apart, they could feel guilt for not seeing the signs or blame themselves for not doing enough when they could have. It is a very tough subject to talk about when it comes to mental illness especially in certain communities. Mental illness is mostly not spoken of, trying to hide it or move on with life because of the horrible stigma surrounding it. Reading about Leigh and her father moving on from her mother's loss and trying to figure out how to continue with their life. To move forward.
Leigh was a no nonsense teenager who was very passionate about her art and wanted to pursue it as her occupation. I loved her passion for art and how she would not budge on it no matter what other people thought. How she saw the world in color and details that no other people could see. Her bond with her mother over their creative pursuits and passion was heartwarming. It also showed her strained relationship with her father, how his work took him away from her and her mother making her crave his attention and their relationship to be back to the way it used to be. Axel was a great and support best friend to Leigh, I loved how they asked how they were feeling by describing a color to each other! It was so sweet! They were both artists who understood each other and the struggles that came with their passions. Their romance was very believable and I could see their feelings for each other develop over their friendship. It would have been good if they stayed as platonic friends but this romance they developed was just as good as well. Caro was that supportive friend will all need in life! She was bold and spoke her mind when she needed to. Her romance with her girlfriend was so lovely! What I appreciated was how positively it was portrayed and wasnt a main focus in the story. These two girls loved each other and they were both drawn too each other despite being opposites.
The representation was super well done! The portrayal of feeling like you dont belong somewhere and dont understand a certain culture because you weren't raised around it hits a lot of people all over the world. That was another reason that I liked the friendship between Leigh and Axel because they both understood what it was like to be mixed race and not feel like you belong on either side of your cultures. The writing took it's time to explore these feelings, finding out exactly what lead up to the tragedy, and finding out how to move past that loss to begin living again.
I was very pleased with this book and it has become one of my favorites! A powerful story about loss, grief, and finding yourself after that loss. How to move on without forgetting about that person and continue to honor them long after they pass on. A truly impactful and unforgettable book!
The story revolves around a young girl named Leigh who has just lost her mother to suicide and has to deal with the grief of her sudden and unexpected death. The story takes her to Taiwan where she uncovers family secrets and trauma that has stayed buried for decades. Trying to uncover the meaning of this mysterious large red bird, who Leigh believes is her mother's spirit, she must try to piece together this forgotten family history to figure out what her mother wanted her to remember in her final words.
The main topic in this novel is grief. How the sudden loss of a loved one can effect a person's state of mind especially if this death is in a way that no one saw coming. In the case of a suicide a family can be torn apart, they could feel guilt for not seeing the signs or blame themselves for not doing enough when they could have. It is a very tough subject to talk about when it comes to mental illness especially in certain communities. Mental illness is mostly not spoken of, trying to hide it or move on with life because of the horrible stigma surrounding it. Reading about Leigh and her father moving on from her mother's loss and trying to figure out how to continue with their life. To move forward.
Leigh was a no nonsense teenager who was very passionate about her art and wanted to pursue it as her occupation. I loved her passion for art and how she would not budge on it no matter what other people thought. How she saw the world in color and details that no other people could see. Her bond with her mother over their creative pursuits and passion was heartwarming. It also showed her strained relationship with her father, how his work took him away from her and her mother making her crave his attention and their relationship to be back to the way it used to be. Axel was a great and support best friend to Leigh, I loved how they asked how they were feeling by describing a color to each other! It was so sweet! They were both artists who understood each other and the struggles that came with their passions. Their romance was very believable and I could see their feelings for each other develop over their friendship. It would have been good if they stayed as platonic friends but this romance they developed was just as good as well. Caro was that supportive friend will all need in life! She was bold and spoke her mind when she needed to. Her romance with her girlfriend was so lovely! What I appreciated was how positively it was portrayed and wasnt a main focus in the story. These two girls loved each other and they were both drawn too each other despite being opposites.
The representation was super well done! The portrayal of feeling like you dont belong somewhere and dont understand a certain culture because you weren't raised around it hits a lot of people all over the world. That was another reason that I liked the friendship between Leigh and Axel because they both understood what it was like to be mixed race and not feel like you belong on either side of your cultures. The writing took it's time to explore these feelings, finding out exactly what lead up to the tragedy, and finding out how to move past that loss to begin living again.
I was very pleased with this book and it has become one of my favorites! A powerful story about loss, grief, and finding yourself after that loss. How to move on without forgetting about that person and continue to honor them long after they pass on. A truly impactful and unforgettable book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness