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“Pan’s emotionally charged debut is a compelling exploration of grief and the insidiousness of depression.”
—Publishers Weekly

The Astonishing Color of After

Written by Emily X. R. Pan
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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.

Primary ISBN: 9780316463997
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook
Young Adult, Age 15 or older

Community Represented: , ,

Themes: , , , , , ,

Setting: United States, Taiwan

Character’s New Arrival/New American Status: 1st Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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