Reviews

See No Color by Shannon Gibney

bookinitwithahtiya's review against another edition

3.25

The first half of this book was excellent and felt like a potential 5-star read…but the second half did not deliver. I would have appreciated tons more character growth from the MC Alex and actual depth in some of the other Black characters so we didn’t fall into so many stereotypes. This book grazed the surface of so many important conversations and, honestly, could’ve (and probs should’ve) been twice as long. I turned the last page feeling unresolved, and I can only imagine what a young reader might feel if they were really connecting with and experiencing similar things to Alex.

jackiehorne's review against another edition

4.0

See full review at
http://romancenovelsforfeminists.blogspot.com/2016/02/rewriting-passing-narrative-beverly.html

hayleybeale's review against another edition

4.0

16-year-old Alex Kirtridge is a transracial adoptee - a person of color adopted into a white family, and this excellent novel looks at her search to understand her identity. See my full review here.

go_maggs_go's review against another edition

2.0

I don't think I was the right audience for this one. I wanted a little more resolution at the end.

jwinchell's review against another edition

4.0

I'm a sucker for first person coming-of-age narratives that elucidate previously untold stories. I'm also a sucker for fiction with narrators who are readers--Alex and her sister Kit always have a book going, even if it's a small part of the setting/story. Alex's journey and questions and struggles are real--acknowledging her skin color, thinking about the social complexities of race, acknowledging and confronting racial micro aggressions (even by her own dad), exploring her adoption, learning to own and craft her own story, committing to and quitting a sport, finding intimacy with another person, and figuring out what she really wants and who she really is.

This book is one I'm glad I purchased for our library collection; it speaks to many of our students' experiences and of those around them. They say self-censorship is one way controversial books never made it into the hands of readers, and I have to admit that there were 2 make-out scenes of this one that I worry are too graphic for middle grade readers, especially the younger ones. But these scenes are not gratuitous nor are they the crux of this characters' journey; in fact, they propel her to think about what she wants in new ways.

spudsimple's review against another edition

4.0

It's no secret that I'm not the biggest fan of YA, unless it is Harry Potter or strongly influenced by Harry Potter. So when I landed on 4 stars for this book (technically 3.5 but I rounded up). This is an excellently written story of a transracial adoptee and a day in her life (or summer) as she works through her identity. It's a story that I haven't heard before and I'm honestly shocked this book isn't widespread and beloved.

My only gripe is that it seemed rush towards the end. It's a relatively short book and I feel like it could have benefitted from being 100 pages longer. As it is, it just kind of ends abruptly and leaves me wanting more time in Alex's head.

k_mele's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

courtandspark's review against another edition

4.0

This book has some powerful elements about race and racial identity. However, the end became muddled in too many underdeveloped plot arcs.

molly_dettmann's review against another edition

2.0

I really wanted to like this book, and overall it wasn't a bad read, but it just sort of ends without addressing some major issues Alex is going through. Hated the dad, and no character besides Alex gets really developed at all. It seriously reads like it's missing at least 100 pages.

crystal_reading's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed See No Color. Alex is biracial and is beginning to look at who she is beyond a baseball player and her father's daughter. Her family has always told her that her skin color doesn't matter. He father even corrects people if they say she is black. He lets them know she's mixed in a way that makes mixed sound like an improvement. It's quite obvious that skin color does matter. Her family doesn't seem to have the first clue though. They love her and want the best for her, but they don't understand what she is going through and they don't see an issue.

There aren't many transracial adoption stories out there and this one is written by someone who had that experience. The ending is rather abrupt, but I found Alex's voice compelling and I appreciated seeing her point of view.

Sarah Hannah Gómez has an awesome review here https://mclicious.org/2015/09/22/white-discomfort-and-seeing-no-color/