When a soul is given a second chance on Earth, it is because they have made a mistake during their mortal life. If they remember what that is—souls have no memory of their time on Earth—they will be put in the queue of souls awaiting rebirth. If not, they disappear. At least this is the story the angel Prapura tells our unnamed soul in Colorful: A Novel by Eto Mori.

This is a story about many things: adolescence; misunderstanding; bullying; anxiety; depression; isolation; and suicide. However, it is done with humor, understanding, and compassion. As the novelist states at the end of the book, she is reaching out to teenagers: “I chose to write about a serious subject with a comical touch…I wanted kids who liked reading and those who didn’t to have fun with it to start…and then, when they closed the book at the end, I wanted the weight on their hearts to be just a little lighter.”

Twenty years ago—when this book was first published in Japan—our author was moved by the struggles of young people in Japan (school hierarchies, bullying, suicide). These issues are universal; hence this translated version (by JoCelyn Allen).

The story centers on Makoto Kobayashi, a fourteen-year-old young man who has committed suicide. After being dead for ten minutes, he comes back to life complete with our unnamed soul. The soul has been given some guidance, and a briefing about Makoto. He enters his Homestay (the name given for the period of time the soul is in Makoto’s body). He knows that the young man had no friends and thought his family didn’t care about him. He was introspective and a fair student. What he excelled at—and what gave him solace—was his art. This is where color is used in the story drawing parallels between life and feelings. For example, towards the end of the book Makoto speculates to himself,

“The idea of the Kobayashi family I’d had in my head gradually began to change color. It wasn’t some simple change, like things that I thought were black were actually white. It was more like when I looked closely, things that I thought were a single, uniformed color were really made up of a bunch of different colors…Depending on how you looked at it, you could see pretty much every color.”

This quote affirms the theme that we are all different. We do not need to think of ourselves—or behave—in the ways others expect us to. We also do not need to think of ourselves the way we have told ourselves we are. Messages that our young men and women need to hear. As Prapura tells Makoto, “You need to exist in this world.”

I would like to thank NetGalley and Counterpoint Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A person who was disqualified from reincarnation cycle by something they did in their most recent life, gets a second chance to prove their worthy of reincarnation.

Considered a YA book, "Colorful" is instead a story that will touch all ages.

"Congratulations, you've won the lottery!" shouts the angel Prapura to a formless soul."

Prapura informs a random soul that he has been chosen for a 'homestay'. Even though guilty of a grave error in his life, he has won the opportunity to return to the world by borrowing another's body. The trick is as soon as the soul is able to recall his own enormous mistake, the homestay ends he moves on. And that's how the soul came to be Makoto Kobayashi, a ninth grader, who committed suicide. With Prapura as his guide, Makoto slips into his new life and begins to discover its complexities.

This simply written story is a gem. Although there are many references to things Japanese, the story itself has already shown, by having been translated and loved in a number of other languages, that it will resonate with readers everywhere. There's an anime movie with the same name on YouTube if you should care to watch.

Makoto makes assumptions about his parents, his brother, the other students at his school and gets them mostly wrong. His journey leads him to a new understanding of those around him and ultimately, a new beginning. The reader can't help but relate those lessons to their own lives.

Jocelyne Allen did a lovely job of translating "Colorful" for an English speaking audience, but I wondered what it would be like reading it in Japanese.

The story is funny, sad, angry, painful, touching, and colorful. I was moved to tears several times.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This is a book you share with people you love.

A copy of was provided to me by Counterpoint Press /Net Galley for an honest review.

The description of this book made me hesitant to read it, but after my daughter read it she liked it so much that I felt willing to give it a go. And, I'm so glad that I did. I thought it might be too "other-worldly" for me since it seemed to involve spirits, but that aspect of this short book is simply a vehicle for reflection on choices one makes in life. It's a simple and clear read about a 9th grade boy who tried to commit suicide and all of the circumstances of his life, his family, and his schoolmates. Without some knowledge of the Japanese culture it may be a little hard for some readers to understand how very typical this experience could be. It would be a great choice for a teen bookclub or even a classroom read at the YA level. There is a lot to unpack here. As a teacher, it would be an exciting choice for class discussion.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

The premise of this book initially made me hesitate to request it, but I am so glad that I didn't succumb to that initial reluctance. It's hard to write about this story without giving away too much, so I'll have to be vague. In this novel, a recently deceased person/soul is in a state of limbo when they are suddenly informed that they have won the lottery. An angel, Prapura, explains that this second change comes as a sort of test-- the soul shall inhabit the existence of a teen who has died by suicide. This is known as a "homestay," and the soul must figure out their biggest mistake in their previous life or never be reborn. It is written from the perspective of the soul as he lives the life of Makoto, and this unique voice makes this a great read. The message of the book is also wonderful, and the afterward from the author only deepened my admiration. Colorful would be a great YA read, but it's also great for adults.