A review by plumpaperbacks
Butterfly Yellow by Thanhhà Lại

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’d never heard of Butterfly Yellow until I found it on my library’s YA new arrivals display. I picked it up impulsively because it sounded like an interesting read, and I’m glad I did. Although I neither warmed to the characters nor became invested in the story until the second half, Lai’s novel is a raw, emotional story, unlike any I’ve read before. I was convinced this would be a 3-star read for most of the book, but the last third had enough of an impact on me to make me change my mind. The final chapters were sweet and I honestly don’t think any other ending would’ve been as good. This is a quick read, and one that definitely deserves more attention. I recommend it to all who can handle its content.

Representation

• Vietnamese protagonist and side character
• Black side character

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Minor: Body horror

I’m not sure if body horror is the right term, but it’s the best I could come up with. It’s very minor, mainly present in the last third of the book if at all. The book also contains discussion of war and brief mentions of depression.