Reviews

The Color of the Sky Is the Shape of the Heart by Chesil

jwanz86's review

3.0

A intriguing and curious read. The book is a snapshot of the journey of Ginny/Jinhee, struggling through school as she duels with the duality of her identity. The book weaves in her story in the present, getting kicked out of another school, as she reflects back on her time in a North Korean school in Tokyo, where she (as a Japan-born Korean) must push away her Japanese cultural connection.

It’s a quick read to the point that there almost feels like there’s parts of this story missing that could have been further explored (like Jinhee’s time in Hawaii). But the story setting in Oregon contrasts well with her journey in Tokyo. It also explores nationalism in a very relevant way, and how that bubbles up in Jinhee.

bkimsey44's review

emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Slow burn. The pace doesn't pick up until about 100 pages in. I had to reread some of the earlier chapters again to understand the significance of things that happened later. I enjoyed learning about some of the challenges and racism that Korean people experience in Japan. It was eye-opening for me.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault and Self harm

m_aurora's review

emotional reflective sad fast-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

4.25

plutoleahh's review

reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Xenophobia

kxiong5's review

4.0

As its title suggests, this book feels the way a mixed metaphor does: like the pieces aren’t fitting together, like time isn’t quite in clean order, like moments in time are experienced as if underwater or as if trying to parse the ringing in your ears. I think that this effect, while a little disorienting when reading, feels more capable of telling the story it wants to tell. And the way the characters around Jinhee develop very much feels like the way someone would see their friends—fear them, then idolize them, see them shining bright and clean and happy in relation to the self. Same for the way the world develops—the fullness with which Jinhee projects her own pain outwards / that that pain warps her vision so completely that it seems like the whole world is fucked. And who’s to say she’s wrong? She’s stuck in an intersection of life in which life can come out of nowhere and strike you in the face. How else does one come to grips with that?

All in all—this book doesn’t necessarily help you figure out what’s going on, but it at least shows you deeply and poetically what it’s like to be hurt by things you can’t put into words, and to be hurt by that inability to put it into words. I do wonder about how clean the ending is—is it really that you can just throw the words down on a page and suddenly find the clarity to stop running? Maybe. But I don’t think I quite believe that yet.

lakshmigandhi's review

emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

natasha29singh's review

2.0

The book is too short to do justice to the author's experiences. The plot is non-linear, it meanders considerably, and the book is over so soon you don’t fully understand or identify with her struggles. Still, the premise is unique, and it's decent for a coming-of-age story.

benrogerswpg's review

2.0

This was not my type of book.

I didn't particularly enjoy it.

I can't remember where I heard of this book, but I wouldn't recommend it.

2.4/5

julieh46's review

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

zaineandherbooks's review

informative

4.0