Starfish Book Review

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

From Goodreads: 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.

First of all, can we take a moment to appreciate this gorgeous cover? This may be my favourite cover design I’ve seen this year. The purple just looks so amazing with the white animals, and then the silver foil writing made me slightly mesmerised for a while. And then I opened the book, and the writing knocked me back too. Starfish is one of those books that you just can’t put down. I read every since page with a strange kind of reverence. It’s a pretty hard-hitting book, and it deals with a whole range of issues: sexual abuse, racism, anxiety issues, neglect, suicide. So if you’re not ready to read a book that deals with these things, it might not be right for you.

I think what worked for me was how amazing Kiko was as a character. She’s so pure and sweet, and she always seems to want to do the right thing and follow her dreams. It’s just that she’s been conditioned to be a people-pleaser, even if it means sacrificing her own happiness in the process. Which just made me really sad. Every scene with her mom made me bubble up with fury, and it was so hard reading some of the things she says to Kiko. Like, this book is a whole life-lesson in how not to parent. Thankfully, it is a book about learning to overcome things. Kiko has a lot to deal with, and I really appreciated her inner strength to be able to cope with all these things, even if she doesn’t believe she’s doing all that well. It’s a book about growing as an individual and finding your roots and your path in life. And honestly, it was just so gorgeous to read.

“My fingers rest against the edge of the balcony. The ocean sends another wave toward the sand before pulling it back again. Over and over again it does this. It’s hypnotic. It’s beautiful. […] Looking out at the ocean, I don’t know how anyone could be anything but lonely. […] But it feels good. If lonely can ever be something good, this is it. This is Kiko at peace with the world.”

One of the really great things Bowman does with Starfish is show some of the complex and problematic ways people perceive race in society. Kiko is half American, half Japanese, and yet she runs into several significant issues simply because she doesn’t ‘look white enough.’ Case and point, when she kisses a boy at a party and he later tells her she’s not the kind of girl he’s interested in, and then follows it up by admitting his parents wouldn’t approve of him having an ‘Asian girlfriend.’ And yet, as Kiko quite rightly points out in the narrative: “But I’m only half Japanese– I’m the same amount of Asian as I am white. Why doesn’t anyone ever call me half white?” Starfish points to all these tiny moments of prejudice and stereotyping and forces us to question them. Furthermore, it plays a significant role in Kiko’s anxiety. She believes she isn’t beautiful, that she’s actually ugly, partly because her mom keeps suggesting she thinks people who look like Taylor Swift are the most attractive people in the world, and because Kiko isn’t used to fitting in, she’s always felt like the outsider. With this in mind, it’s really no surprise that Kiko struggles to see herself as others around her do. So it made my heart just about melt into a puddle when she decides to go to California. I was practically punching the air, because I felt like she deserved the cheering. Also, since she’s never been allowed to experience any Asian culture [her mom is a total control freak] my absolute favourite moment is when she finds China Town in California [which also houses Korean and Japanese stores and restaurants] and gets to look around all the cool shops and try lots of amazing sounding food. She’s so happy in this scene that I felt totally giddy for her.

I’m giving Starfish a full 10/10 stars. It was a really delightful book which has some truly beautiful writing and characters I just want to wrap in a hug. And while there are some incredibly heavy issues handled here, I think Bowman does it with perfect poise, allowing readers to engage and understand.

If you want to buy a copy of Starfish you can order one through Waterstones UK here, Amazon UK here, or Book Depository here. Akemi Dawn Bowman is also one of the confirmed authors for YALC in London this July. If you want to buy a ticket, you can do so here.