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riakul 's review for:
The Astonishing Color of After
by Emily X.R. Pan
Oh there was so much to like in this book, almost everything minus the love story between Leigh and Axel. Honestly, if I had known earlier that this cringy romance would contribute absolutely nothing to the main plot, I would have skipped it altogether.
Other than that it beautifully explored this thing we call depression. I am calling it a thing because I'm not sure if it is an illness or much more than that. All I know is that it is crippling, paralyzing and affects not only the person but the people around him. AND THAT IS NOT A CHOICE! It is confusing, for everyone the person and their people, alike.
Anyway back to the point, Emily X.R. Pan gives us first hand experience of what it feels like to be touched by depression. The confusion is cleverly mirrored in the mystery around Leigh's mom's suicide. While its presence(depression+suicide) was obvious, its reasons were not.
The touch of magic realism made this a little more uplifting. Expressing emotions through colors was novel and hella cute. I low key wish I had someone to do that with. The author somehow managed to end this on a positive note, which was really cool.
If you are looking for a good heartfelt read, pick this one. But we prepared for an extra and totally unnecessary romance.
This book also happens to be very quotable, here are a few I liked:
“It’s okay to be afraid. But not okay if be afraid means you do nothing. You must not do nothing. That’s not life worth living.”
“Once you figure out what matters, you'll figure out how to be brave.”
“The purpose of memory is to remind us how to live.”
Other than that it beautifully explored this thing we call depression. I am calling it a thing because I'm not sure if it is an illness or much more than that. All I know is that it is crippling, paralyzing and affects not only the person but the people around him. AND THAT IS NOT A CHOICE! It is confusing, for everyone the person and their people, alike.
Anyway back to the point, Emily X.R. Pan gives us first hand experience of what it feels like to be touched by depression. The confusion is cleverly mirrored in the mystery around Leigh's mom's suicide. While its presence(depression+suicide) was obvious, its reasons were not.
The touch of magic realism made this a little more uplifting. Expressing emotions through colors was novel and hella cute. I low key wish I had someone to do that with. The author somehow managed to end this on a positive note, which was really cool.
If you are looking for a good heartfelt read, pick this one. But we prepared for an extra and totally unnecessary romance.
This book also happens to be very quotable, here are a few I liked:
“It’s okay to be afraid. But not okay if be afraid means you do nothing. You must not do nothing. That’s not life worth living.”
“Once you figure out what matters, you'll figure out how to be brave.”
“The purpose of memory is to remind us how to live.”