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A review by plantybooklover
Indigo Girl by Suzanne Kamata
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is marketed as Teen, but I feel like it's probably better suited for Middle Grade readers. It's a very well told story and one that would hold the attention of many 11-12 yr olds, but probably not many 17 yr old readers.
This story revolves around Aiko- an American teenager with cerebral palsy - who spends her summer vacation in Japan- with her biological father who she had never met. Aiko is struggling a bit to fit in - her mother has remarried to a nice man- and had a new baby, leaving Aiko feeling like a third wheel- although she acknowledges that her Step dad is a stand up guy. She's sure she will fit right in when she arrives in Japan, but to her dismay- she is confused by many of the cultural norms and feels she isn't fitting in that well in Japan either. She initially begs to return home, but after a few weeks she begins to find her place, and enjoys many of the summer activities in Japan, including the Indigo dye making process on her father's farm (that is somewhat unique to Japan). As she gets to know her Japanese family, she comes to realize that relationships- hers, and her parents, can be quite complex. The story ends with her return to the US, having created meaning for herself, and family in both Japan and the US.
Some reviewers felt that they wanted more "depth" regarding Aiko's cerebral palsy, but I felt like the book really was perfect in this way. Aiko has CP- she describes in the moment - some of the limitations it places on her, and some of the ways she has adapted to manage independently. I don't think it was meant to be the central point of the book- in fact, I felt it showed exactly how Aiko dealt with her cerebral palsy in the day to day.
4 stars- only because the side plot of the Manga communication was just way too strange for me... and it never got entirely resolved, I hate things that aren't somehow resolved.
This story revolves around Aiko- an American teenager with cerebral palsy - who spends her summer vacation in Japan- with her biological father who she had never met. Aiko is struggling a bit to fit in - her mother has remarried to a nice man- and had a new baby, leaving Aiko feeling like a third wheel- although she acknowledges that her Step dad is a stand up guy. She's sure she will fit right in when she arrives in Japan, but to her dismay- she is confused by many of the cultural norms and feels she isn't fitting in that well in Japan either. She initially begs to return home, but after a few weeks she begins to find her place, and enjoys many of the summer activities in Japan, including the Indigo dye making process on her father's farm (that is somewhat unique to Japan). As she gets to know her Japanese family, she comes to realize that relationships- hers, and her parents, can be quite complex. The story ends with her return to the US, having created meaning for herself, and family in both Japan and the US.
Some reviewers felt that they wanted more "depth" regarding Aiko's cerebral palsy, but I felt like the book really was perfect in this way. Aiko has CP- she describes in the moment - some of the limitations it places on her, and some of the ways she has adapted to manage independently. I don't think it was meant to be the central point of the book- in fact, I felt it showed exactly how Aiko dealt with her cerebral palsy in the day to day.
4 stars- only because the side plot of the Manga communication was just way too strange for me... and it never got entirely resolved, I hate things that aren't somehow resolved.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism, Death, Child death, and Cancer