A review by chelsloukelly
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

5.0

5/5: ‘The Astonishing Color of After’ is a Young Adult, Magical-Realism Contemporary by Emily X.R. Pan, intertwined with Magical Realism; half-Asian Leigh Chen Sanders travels to Taiwan to finally meet her maternal Grandparents. Leigh believes that when her Mother died by suicide, she transformed into a bird. In searching for the red-winged bird, Leigh uncovers untold family secrets, all whilst in the process of grieving. As a debut, Emily X.R. Pan excelled in breaking the stigma surrounding Depression and Suicide; Mental-Health is the main subject matter, integrated with bereavement. The writing is exquisite, fully immersive, and beautiful. Learning Chinese and Taiwanese culture through the characters was a unique feature and executed successfully. Alternating between past and present using real-life and magic, drew out raw emotions of the characters. It is a long, progressive story though, I find this necessary. Trigger warning, this novel is extremely challenging; as someone suffering with Depression, the condition is represented realistically – overall 5/5.