Starfish
Books | Juvenile Fiction / Art
4.1
(1.2K)
Akemi Dawn Bowman
A William C. Morris Award Finalist A New York Public Library 2017 Best Book for Teens “Dazzling.” —Bustle “One of the most compelling reads of the year.” —Paste Magazine “This book is a gem.” —BookRiot A gorgeous and emotionally resonant debut novel about a half-Japanese teen who grapples with social anxiety and her narcissist mother in the wake of a crushing rejection from art school.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. From debut author Akemi Dawn Bowman comes a luminous, heartbreaking story of identity, family, and the beauty that emerges when we embrace our true selves.
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More Details:
Author
Akemi Dawn Bowman
Pages
343
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published Date
2017-09-26
ISBN
1481487728 9781481487726
Ratings
Google: 5
Community ReviewsSee all
"This is one of those books that will make you laugh,cry and think all at once,SA trigger warning,so take that into consideration if you decide to read it!"
J K
Jonathan Kent
"7/10- this book went from bad, good, bad, good, bad, terrible, good, perfect , bad, terrible, and when you think nothing bad can happen it gets worse. Loved it, I liked it because I related to Kiko a lot. Beautiful "
Elle Gutierrez
"I basically read this book in one sitting, that's how much I loved it. Akemi Dawn Bowman wrote an incredibly relatable story for anyone trying to branch out into adulthood. As a person of mixed race myself, I especially related to Kikos struggle to fit in when you don't look like everybody else. I also appreciate how self-aware Kiko was about her codependency. You don't see many fictional people, or even real people, who are willing to confront that aspect of themselves. It was truly inspiring to see Kiko overcome it and become independent. I hope I'll be able to read more from this author in the future. Be aware, though, that there are quite a few trigger warnings going into this book(racism, emotional abuse, sexual abuse). I'm not sure if that's all of them, but those are the ones I noticed. "
July
"Couldn’t put it down, re-inspired my passion and excitement to go to college for art. But like seriously such a good book!"
Egg
"This is probably one of my favorite books I've read, it has great representation without making it her only character trait, it represents perfectly 3hat it's like to have a narcissistic mom and struggling with past trauma, and anxiety, such an amazing book "
Alex Starz
"I really liked this book. This book represented what i feel inside so perfectly. Its a book about a young lady who is learning to not be defined by her mother or society. She has to overcome her emotional abuse and learn to live and love herself. Its really beautiful and really good. I highly recommend it. "
K M
Kitty Meowsky
"Best book to read during quarantine!!"
Kelly Lo
"If I did I don't think I'd remeber I haven't been able to read this book since my freshman year of highschool I do remember that I did like the ending "
Nevaeh Dorais
