Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
… but how a person feels on the inside apparently has nothing to do with how they look on the outside.
Starfish is a treasure chest, bursting with succulent emotions which spread over the reader trapping them within the words.
I paint a girl with wings instead of arms, flying along the border where darkness becomes light, unsure of where she’s supposed to be.
I fell in love with the cover and then with Kiko who I identify with more than I want to admit. I was with her on this journey, all the way. With her insecurity and anxiety combined with honest, edgy emotions result in a powerful book which swept me up and kept me awake long into the night.
I draw a girl with arms that reach up to the clouds, but all the clouds avoid her because she is made of night and not day.
Kiko has her own inner running dialogue expressed through her art which reminded me of Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun. This sensitive insight brings the book alive and binds us to her heart.
I draw a girl without a face, drawing somebody else’s face onto her own reflection.
Title: Starfish
Author: Akemi Dawn Bowman
Publication Date: 26 September 2017
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Review copy
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Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin.
But then Kiko doesn’t get into Prism, at the same time her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the west coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the anxieties and fears that attempt to hold her back. And now that she is finally free to be her own person outside the constricting walls of her home life, Kiko learns life-changing truths about herself, her past, and how to be brave. — Abstract from Goodreads.com
The fact that I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book does not influence my policy to write an honest review.
Disclaimer: The quotes appear in my review copy and may not appear in the final version.
Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight
Totally agree with you on this one, this story was SO well done! Even though everyone has loved it, I still didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Fabulous review, I am glad you loved it too!
Sue @ Crushingcinders
Thank you Shannon. Happy reading!
Sam@WLABB
With each review I read, I get more and more excited about this one. It sounds wonderful.
Sue @ Crushingcinders
I hope you love it too. Happy reading!
Zoe @ Stories on Stage
This sounds like such a great story! I’m definitely going to give it a try. Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous review! <3