Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman is such a beautifully told story about finding your true self and learning to love who you are.  It is about gaining self-confidence and using that confidence to follow your dreams.  The writing in this novel is fantastic and it is no wonder it was a Morris Award Finalist.  I'm just disappointed it took me so long to finally read this book.

Starfish is the story of Kiko Himura, a 17 year old girl who is half Japanese, but knows very little about this heritage.  In large part this is due to a mother who has always been distant and unsupportive.  Since Kiko and her two brothers don't look like their mom, blonde hair and blue eyes, she has spent most of their lives very hands-off.  Since her parents' divorce, Kiko has had to live with the belief that it was largely her fault, while also dealing with a mother who is more obsessed with herself than she will ever be with her kids.

When Kiko does not get accepted into the art school of her dreams, she wonders if she will be stuck in an unhappy life forever.  But a chance meeting with a childhood best friend sets her on a path of truth and self-acceptance.  Kiko begins to learn that she can be the one in charge of her own happiness.  And when she finally discovers her own worth, her future becomes full of the stars she has always dreamed of.  

From Amazon:

A William C. Morris Award Finalist
A New York Public Library 2017 Best Book for Teens

“Dazzling.” —Bustle
“One of the most compelling reads of the year.” —Paste Magazine
“This book is a gem.” —BookRiot

A gorgeous and emotionally resonant debut novel about a half-Japanese teen who grapples with social anxiety and her narcissist mother in the wake of a crushing rejection from art school.

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.

From debut author Akemi Dawn Bowman comes a luminous, heartbreaking story of identity, family, and the beauty that emerges when we embrace our true selves.