Staff Pick
The Astonishing Color of After is a captivating story of a young woman’s grief. Leigh keeps seeing a large red bird she believes to be her mother, who recently died. She journeys to Taiwan to meet her mother’s family for the first time and to learn about her past. The writing is beautiful, the story is magical, and the emotions are very real. It was truly a pleasure to read this debut novel. Recommended By Jennifer H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A stunning, heartbreaking debut novel about grief, love and family, perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson and Celeste Ng.
Leigh Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: when her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird.
Leigh, who is half-Asian and half-white, travels to Taiwan to stay with her maternal grandparents who she never met. There, she is determined to find her mother, the bird. As Leigh grieves, she uncovers family secrets, forges a new relationship with her grandparents, and tries to reconcile the fact that on the same day she kissed her best friend and long-time secret crush, Axel, her mother was taking her own life.
Alternating between contemporary and magic elements, past and present, romance and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a novel about finding oneself through family history, art, friendship, and love.
With lyrical prose in the vein of Laini Taylor, and an innovating structure reminiscent of A. S. King, Emily X.R. Pan's stunning debut novel is poised for literary appeal and commercial success.
Synopsis
"Emily X.R. Pan's brilliantly crafted, harrowing first novel portrays the vast spectrum of love and grief with heart-wrenching beauty and candor. This is a very special book."--John Green, bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down
A stunning, heartbreaking debut novel about grief, love, and family, perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson and Celeste Ng.
Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird.
Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. There, she is determined to find her mother, the bird. In her search, she winds up chasing after ghosts, uncovering family secrets, and forging a new relationship with her grandparents. And as she grieves, she must try to reconcile the fact that on the same day she kissed her best friend and longtime secret crush, Axel, her mother was taking her own life.
Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a stunning and heartbreaking novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love.
Synopsis
A Time Magazine 100 Best YA Books of All Time Selection A stunning, heartbreaking debut novel about grief, love, and family, perfect for fans of Jandy Nelson and Celeste Ng.
Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird.
Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. There, she is determined to find her mother, the bird. In her search, she winds up chasing after ghosts, uncovering family secrets, and forging a new relationship with her grandparents. And as she grieves, she must try to reconcile the fact that on the same day she kissed her best friend and longtime secret crush, Axel, her mother was taking her own life.
Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a stunning and heartbreaking novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love.
"Emily X.R. Pan's brilliantly crafted, harrowing first novel portrays the vast spectrum of love and grief with heart-wrenching beauty and candor. This is a very special book."--John Green, bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down