From the Bookshelf of Ranters and Reviewers…

The Astonishing Color of After

Emily X.R. Pan

Start date: June 1, 2021

Finish date: June 30, 2021

Discussion: BOTM

Why we're reading this: June 2021 Diverse BOTM.
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November 2021 Series BOTM Suggestions
By Sofia , duckish things · 9 posts · 19 views

last updated Oct 21, 2021 11:56PM

October 2021 Continuation BOTM: The Wicked King
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last updated Oct 21, 2021 11:55PM

What Members Thought

Sep 17, 2020 Emma rated it liked it

Shelves: books-i-own

Review to come once I get home - I’m at a bookstore right now 😂

15 likes · Like · see review

Aug 09, 2020 Amelie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: standalones

“Once upon a time we were the standard colors of a rainbow, cheery and certain of ourselves. At some point, we all began to stumble into the in-betweens, the murky colors made dark and complicated by resentment and quiet anger.”

After her mum dies by suicide, Leigh travels to meet her grandparents in Taiwan, and to find her mother who she believes turned into a bird. Throughout her search, she ends up chasing after ghosts, and uncovering family secrets.

“Because the purpose of memory, I would arg “Once upon a time we were the standard colors of a rainbow, cheery and certain of ourselves. At some point, we all began to stumble into the in-betweens, the murky colors made dark and complicated by resentment and quiet anger.”

After her mum dies by suicide, Leigh travels to meet her grandparents in Taiwan, and to find her mother who she believes turned into a bird. Throughout her search, she ends up chasing after ghosts, and uncovering family secrets.

“Because the purpose of memory, I would argue, is to remind us how to live.”

This was such a beautifully written story, and I felt like I could connect with Leigh and what she faced on a deeper level. I liked the way the author used colours to describe different situations, and I thought this was a really creative way to express Leigh’s inner thoughts and feelings.

I loved reading about Leigh’s journey to learn the truth and I liked the way the flashbacks of Leigh and her family’s memories were incorporated into the story. I loved the way everything alternated between reality and magic, as well as, the past and the present, and it was very entertaining to read about.

The descriptive language used to describe the setting of the story was also written well, and I liked the way the Taiwanese culture was embedded into the story, in both a realistic and fascinating way. I felt like the author did a great job at capturing and incorporating parts of this culture, such as, the food and different traditions.

Another thing I loved was the important role of art in the story, and how Leigh and Axel could express themselves and each other through art. Leigh’s mother also had a passion for music and piano playing which I could personally relate to.

I loved the way the story was resolved in the end when Leigh learnt to let go of her guilt and come to terms with her loss, and improved her relationships with her family and Axel. The story also handled the issues of depression and suicide really well. The book itself was very moving and well written, and I would highly recommend reading it.

“Believing is a type of magic. It can make something true.”

4.5/5 stars ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Feb 27, 2021 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, magic-realism, poc-representation, heartbreaking, character-driven, ya, contemporary, east-asia, slow-paced

Awww I loved reading The Astonishing Color of After and I'm still reeling over the technicolour excellence of the book. I thought the messaging, writing, as well as the cultural representation were really well done!! It's a vividly written, emotionally touching, and sincere read which is leaving me in coloured streaks after I had finished the book.

What I enjoyed:

+ The writing style: The word painting and magic realism are signatures of the writing style. I really loved how the emotions that Leig Awww I loved reading The Astonishing Color of After and I'm still reeling over the technicolour excellence of the book. I thought the messaging, writing, as well as the cultural representation were really well done!! It's a vividly written, emotionally touching, and sincere read which is leaving me in coloured streaks after I had finished the book.

What I enjoyed:

+ The writing style: The word painting and magic realism are signatures of the writing style. I really loved how the emotions that Leigh tries to convey are described in terms of a wide spectrum of colours. As someone who had a rough idea with colour theory, I think the colourful descrptions enhances the emotional engagement while I was reading the book.

+ Cultural representation: I really loved the way Emily X.R. Pan described the Taiwanese culture in the book. It felt really authentic to me and I really liked how these elements seamlessly incorporated into the magical realism.

+ The messaging: This is one of the most successful aspects of The Astonishing Color of After. Through a nuanced approach and sincere narratives, this book not only portrays the experience of living with depression, it also highlights the importance of seeking help / having a healthy support network. Through the solid messaging, this book also has excellent characterisation: this is Leigh's journey of self-discovery as much as her journey of understanding her family & her mother.

What to be aware of:

- This book contains following potential content warnings: depression, mental illness, loss of loved ones, suicide, and ambulance.

- Pacing: The pacing is on the slow side but I think the slower pacing works quite well in the book. I think the moments of reflection & introspection in the book are also moments in which Leigh experienced her most profound character growth.

To sum it up, The Astonishing Color of After is a beautifully written masterpiece which offered a lot of depth and sincerity upon tackling the common stigma around mental illness.

...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Mar 17, 2021 akacya ❦ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: buddy-reads, own, ownvoices, format-ebook, genre-contemporary, audience-young-adult, asian-authors

buddy read with lyra!

this book was incredibly beautiful and poetic.

4 likes · Like · see review

Nov 14, 2020 Riddhi rated it liked it

3.5 stars
This was really touching and important but it could have been better!
The magic wasn't developed and felt weird and the characters were not up to the mark. I highly expected something different but this wasn't bad. My expectations were incredibly high...i got disappointed. But this book covered a very serious issue and descriptions were very very beautiful. Mixed feelings abt this book!:) ...more

1 like · Like · see review