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katiewarriner's review
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kmudzy07's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
3dotsforme's review
4.0
A First Nations girl aims to get into an art school but once there she is faced with the same racism that has taunted her all her life long.
graypeape's review
4.0
A quick, approachable read aimed at middle grade readers. Jen, our MC, is a 14 year old Indigenous/Irish girl starting high school at a prestigious art school, thinking she's found a place where she belongs- she makes two friends, Sabrina and Dan, right away. It doesn't take long, however, for racism to rear its ugly head, with a group of students saying she only got in to fill a quota, and what a shame it is that a more deserving student didn't get the spot, and hassling her for making art that's too "Indian." When her project for an important art show is vandalized, she creates a new piece that expresses her complex feelings about being mixed race, and has a happy ending after all.
I enjoyed the story more than I thought I would, to be honest. It highlights the present-day struggle of being Indigenous, especially mixed Indigenous; trying to be true to one's heritage and honoring that, while dealing with the modern world that isn't always accepting of "otherness." The support of her older brother, who has red hair and presents as white, and who also experiences racism for being too white at pow-wows, is lovely, and I loved that Jen has a male friend who is a friend, not a potential love interest. Jen decides not to report the vandalism, which I can understand. She can't prove who did it, she's feeling unsure, and turning inward, a very adolescent thing to do (and often an adult thing to do too). She doesn't give in to the racism and bullying, which is good. Thing get wrapped up into a happy ending a bit too easily, but it's satisfying. The novella length of the story makes for a quick read, and the representation is important and needed. Definitely recommended!
#DreaminginColor #NetGalley
I enjoyed the story more than I thought I would, to be honest. It highlights the present-day struggle of being Indigenous, especially mixed Indigenous; trying to be true to one's heritage and honoring that, while dealing with the modern world that isn't always accepting of "otherness." The support of her older brother, who has red hair and presents as white, and who also experiences racism for being too white at pow-wows, is lovely, and I loved that Jen has a male friend who is a friend, not a potential love interest. Jen decides not to report the vandalism, which I can understand. She can't prove who did it, she's feeling unsure, and turning inward, a very adolescent thing to do (and often an adult thing to do too). She doesn't give in to the racism and bullying, which is good. Thing get wrapped up into a happy ending a bit too easily, but it's satisfying. The novella length of the story makes for a quick read, and the representation is important and needed. Definitely recommended!
#DreaminginColor #NetGalley
paperbackparker's review
4.0
Thank you to Orca Book Publishers for providing me with an E-ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
"Dreaming in Color" by Melanie Florence was an absolute delight to read. I don't know how else to phrase it! I loved it a lot. I had no expectations going into it, as I found out about it just scrolling through NetGalley, and hadn't heard/read any reviews from anyone I follow. But it turned out to be wonderful.
It follows a young girl going into her first year at an art high school, as she navigates anti-Indigenous racism, friendship, and self-acceptance. I'm very bad at remembering character's names, so forgive me, but I really did love the main character in this book. I could feel her ambition, drive, and talent jump right off of the pages, and it was quite inspiring to read. She cares so deeply about her art and celebrating Indigenous culture, which was very heartwarming. I also really enjoyed the family dynamics in this. Her mom is Indigenous, and her Dad is Irish. She looks a lot more like her Mother, while her Brother looks more like their Father. Her and her brother's struggle with a lack of sense of belonging because of their appearance and how they're perceived in their community was a really awesome storyline that I loved reading about. I know there's a companion novel about her Brother, and it goes more in depth about his journey of dancing at Pow-wows, which I'm definitely interested in eventually reading. Furthermore, I loved how the main character's inner journey to self-acceptance was explored. I thought it was very well-done.
My only problem with this book was that I found the main character's friends to be a little one-dimensional and under-developed. It felt as though they were just there to further the main character's plot, and not really their own characters with distinct personalities. I would have loved to learn more about their individual lives, because overall, their friendship group was very pure and lovely to read.
Admittedly, I haven't read very many books following Indigenous characters, and I'm really hoping to change that. But this was an incredible introduction, and I know that this story will stick with me for a long time. Even though it was a quick, short read, it really had an impact and I think it's an important story. I definitely recommend it, and I hope more people read it! A true 4/5-star book for me.
"Dreaming in Color" by Melanie Florence was an absolute delight to read. I don't know how else to phrase it! I loved it a lot. I had no expectations going into it, as I found out about it just scrolling through NetGalley, and hadn't heard/read any reviews from anyone I follow. But it turned out to be wonderful.
It follows a young girl going into her first year at an art high school, as she navigates anti-Indigenous racism, friendship, and self-acceptance. I'm very bad at remembering character's names, so forgive me, but I really did love the main character in this book. I could feel her ambition, drive, and talent jump right off of the pages, and it was quite inspiring to read. She cares so deeply about her art and celebrating Indigenous culture, which was very heartwarming. I also really enjoyed the family dynamics in this. Her mom is Indigenous, and her Dad is Irish. She looks a lot more like her Mother, while her Brother looks more like their Father. Her and her brother's struggle with a lack of sense of belonging because of their appearance and how they're perceived in their community was a really awesome storyline that I loved reading about. I know there's a companion novel about her Brother, and it goes more in depth about his journey of dancing at Pow-wows, which I'm definitely interested in eventually reading. Furthermore, I loved how the main character's inner journey to self-acceptance was explored. I thought it was very well-done.
My only problem with this book was that I found the main character's friends to be a little one-dimensional and under-developed. It felt as though they were just there to further the main character's plot, and not really their own characters with distinct personalities. I would have loved to learn more about their individual lives, because overall, their friendship group was very pure and lovely to read.
Admittedly, I haven't read very many books following Indigenous characters, and I'm really hoping to change that. But this was an incredible introduction, and I know that this story will stick with me for a long time. Even though it was a quick, short read, it really had an impact and I think it's an important story. I definitely recommend it, and I hope more people read it! A true 4/5-star book for me.
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