A review by readwithmeemz
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

5.0

I’m an Indigo Employee, and I received an advanced galley of this book, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was a breathtaking, beautiful, devastating book. I was blown away by how beautifully written it was - there was so much vulnerability, and so much beauty, and so much pain - that you could actually feel each emotion, and see it depicted as its own vivid hue.

Pan weaves this heartbreaking tale of love and loss - recurring themes that show up in every relationship, in every interaction, in every beautifully written part of this story. The otherworldly/paranormal aspects of this story tied in so well with the exploration of very real, very devastating issues such as mental illness, grief, suicide, and regret.

This book is truly something else - I haven’t read anything quite like it before, and I really did fall in love with this story, and with Pan’s writing.

I would definitely offer a content warning, for anyone who wants to pick up this book - it is beautifully written, but also painful, and raw - and pretty heavy. It covers topics like depression and suicide - and paints a really realistic picture of grief, and what it looks like when you lose someone you love.