caitlindee 's review for:

The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

3.75

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I thought this was a really interesting magical realism story and overall I did enjoy it. But the middle, for me, was extremely slow-paced and I wasn't staying as invested in the book as I wanted to. Suicide is a really tough topic to address in books, especially when it's a parent, but I thought the author did a good job handling it and wasn't romanticizing suicide or depression in any way. I enjoyed the past/present/magic flashbacks format of the book and it fits with how the story was being told; we were learning more about Leigh's mother along with her and while there will never be answers to all the questions, the healing it was able to provide for Leigh was really important.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide