Hello and welcome to today's post and to today's blog tour stop for Akemi Dawn Bowman's Starfish. Now this book is beautiful and I will be posting a full review but I really feel that it's one of those books you should go into knowing fairly little. So for that reason, this post is going to be some (pretty vague) but motivational reasons why you should pick up Starfish NOW... well after reading this...
Not Everything is Peachy- Yes this book is fluffy at times but unlike so many books of it's genre, it doesn't shy away from tough topics or try to shadow them in a guise of being quirky or relatable. It's honest, moving and a perfect blend of reality and fiction.
Art, Art, Art- If you're a fan of art or not, you'll love the depth and creativity Akemi has put into it. I can truly picture everything Kiko sees and draws and it makes me want to pic up a pen and create a masterpiece... only issue is I can't draw!
Kiko is Badass- Our main character Kiko is a fighter but not in a "I'm so different to other girls" way. Instead she's strong in a real way. her journey from passivity to courageousness is striking and inspiring.
Representation- I kind of dislike talking about representation in books because it shouldn't be a talking point, it should be something that's natural in fiction but unfortunately it's not the case. Starfish's lead, Kiko is biracial but it's clearly not just to be a box-ticking exercise. She is both proud and ashamed of her heritage, another aspect which is written about and discovered with grace and realism.
The Writing is Oh-So-Good- After reading this, Akemi is definitely one of my favourite writers. The way her writing flows is like speaking to a very eloquent friend. The imagery and subtlety of her writing is truly sublime and I can't wait to read her future books.
So there we have it! I know this is a super short post but I just wanted to wet you appetites for this book. If you've read it or are planning to read it, let me know your thought's in the comments!