She recognizes that she needs freedom from her mom to heal, but doesn’t wish her ill will. Her mom has done some indisputably horrible things to Kiko, but in the end, she extends her mother grace that I find appropriate, mature, and healthy.

Although she is never formally diagnosed in the book, the reader is left to insinuate that her mom might be battling mental health issues of her own. Much of the book focuses on Kiko’s relationship with her mother. The book discusses how mental health issues can negatively impact relationships without villanizing people outright. Yes, some of the content may be hard to read sometimes, but these experiences are also hard to live through! The tone matches our society’s current reality, and provides a beautiful look at how one survivor overcomes traumatic experiences to find her power. While it wasn’t a 5-star read for me, it’s undeniable that this book will be empowering to many of its readers. I appreciate books that discuss tough issues and traumatic life experiences in a way that is genuine rather than gimmicky. In this review, I’ll share with you what I loved and what didn’t quite work for me in Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman. Doing so sparks a journey of self-love, acceptance of her cultural identity, and allows Kiko to finally learn how to speak the truth of what she’s been through. An old friend encourages Kiko to travel across the country with him so that she can explore other options. To make matters worse, her abusive uncle announces that he’s moving back into the family home.

When she’s rejected from Prism, her #1 choice, she’s at an all time low. Starfish is about a half-Japanese high school graduate named Kiko Himura who is desperate to get into art school and escape a mother who only ever tears her down. I purchased the book on a whim for about 5 dollars simply because I liked the cover. If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t expect to like this book.

Starfish book akemi