Colorful

A Novel

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Pub Date 20 Jul 2021 | Archive Date 20 Jul 2021

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Description

A beloved and bestselling classic in Japan, this groundbreaking tale of a dead soul who gets a second chance is now available in English for the very first time.

"Congratulations, you've won the lottery!" shouts the angel Prapura to a formless soul. The soul hasn't been kicked out of the cycle of rebirth just yet—he's been given a second chance. He must recall the biggest mistake of his past life while on 'homestay' in the body of fourteen-year-old Makoto Kobayashi, who has just committed suicide. It looks like Makoto doesn't have a single friend, and his family don't seem to care about him at all. But as the soul begins to live Makoto's life on his own terms, he grows closer to the family and the people around him, and sees their true colors more clearly, shedding light on Makoto's misunderstandings.

Since its initial release over twenty years ago, Colorful has become a part of the literary canon, not only in Japan—where it has sold over a million copies—but around the world, having been translated into several different languages. Now, Eto Mori's beloved classic is finally available in English.
A beloved and bestselling classic in Japan, this groundbreaking tale of a dead soul who gets a second chance is now available in English for the very first time.

"Congratulations, you've won the...

Advance Praise

"Mori's award-winning novel will inspire and engage teens to look at their life from a new perspective . . . A good addition to any collection." —School Library Journal 


"In this welcome and timely translation, American readers meet Makoto, a modern-day Holden Caulfield who has had it with academic pressure, social rejection, and family expectations. His page-turning adventures are both caustic and tender, and entirely real, and his journey teaches that even if we’re kind of a mess, we’re still doing our best and that’s what matters. Colorful is ultimately an outstretched hand to young adults. It delivers the most craved-for reassurance: you’re okay, and you are not alone." —Julie Lythcott-Haims, New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult

"Eto Mori’s Colorful is ingenious, funny, and offers razor-keen insights into adult lives. It will captivate English language readers as it has millions of Japanese." —Katherine Govier, author of The Printmaker’s Daughter and The Ghost Brush


"Unlike anything I've ever read before, Colorful is a fresh and bold story that asks big and important questions about death, mental health, and most importantly, what it means to truly live. Makoto is a singular character whose struggles will be deeply relatable to many young people. A truly special novel." —Jasmine Warga, Newbery Honor award-winning author of Other Words for Home and My Heart and Other Black Holes


"Through Jocelyne Allen's translation of the Japanese classic Colorful, author Eto Mori invites a new generation of readers to view the coming-of-age experience, though rife with travails, with heart and good humor. Whether in Japan or the United States, readers will find space in these pages to laugh, reflect—and keep breathing." —Kit Frick, author of See All The Stars and I Killed Zoe Spanos


“Certain books, you know the ones, get under your skin. I was extraordinarily moved by Eto Mori's Colorful. It was as if Makoto was speaking directly into my own ear in the dark. This intimate, brave novel has already been read by millions in Japan. It cries out to be read by millions more.” —Peter Orner, author of Maggie Brown & Others 

"Mori's award-winning novel will inspire and engage teens to look at their life from a new perspective . . . A good addition to any collection." —School Library Journal 


"In this welcome and timely...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781640094420
PRICE $16.95 (USD)
PAGES 224

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Featured Reviews

The premise of this book initially made me hesitate to request it, but I am so glad that I didn't succumb to that initial reluctance. It's hard to write about this story without giving away too much, so I'll have to be vague. In this novel, a recently deceased person/soul is in a state of limbo when they are suddenly informed that they have won the lottery. An angel, Prapura, explains that this second change comes as a sort of test-- the soul shall inhabit the existence of a teen who has died by suicide. This is known as a "homestay," and the soul must figure out their biggest mistake in their previous life or never be reborn. It is written from the perspective of the soul as he lives the life of Makoto, and this unique voice makes this a great read. The message of the book is also wonderful, and the afterward from the author only deepened my admiration. Colorful would be a great YA read, but it's also great for adults.

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The description of this book made me hesitant to read it, but after my daughter read it she liked it so much that I felt willing to give it a go. And, I'm so glad that I did. I thought it might be too "other-worldly" for me since it seemed to involve spirits, but that aspect of this short book is simply a vehicle for reflection on choices one makes in life. It's a simple and clear read about a 9th grade boy who tried to commit suicide and all of the circumstances of his life, his family, and his schoolmates. Without some knowledge of the Japanese culture it may be a little hard for some readers to understand how very typical this experience could be. It would be a great choice for a teen bookclub or even a classroom read at the YA level. There is a lot to unpack here. As a teacher, it would be an exciting choice for class discussion.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

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Considered a YA book, "Colorful" is instead a story that will touch all ages.

"Congratulations, you've won the lottery!" shouts the angel Prapura to a formless soul."

Prapura informs a random soul that he has been chosen for a 'homestay'. Even though guilty of a grave error in his life, he has won the opportunity to return to the world by borrowing another's body. The trick is as soon as the soul is able to recall his own enormous mistake, the homestay ends he moves on. And that's how the soul came to be Makoto Kobayashi, a ninth grader, who committed suicide. With Prapura as his guide, Makoto slips into his new life and begins to discover its complexities.

This simply written story is a gem. Although there are many references to things Japanese, the story itself has already shown, by having been translated and loved in a number of other languages, that it will resonate with readers everywhere. There's an anime movie with the same name on YouTube if you should care to watch.

Makoto makes assumptions about his parents, his brother, the other students at his school and gets them mostly wrong. His journey leads him to a new understanding of those around him and ultimately, a new beginning. The reader can't help but relate those lessons to their own lives.

Jocelyne Allen did a lovely job of translating "Colorful" for an English speaking audience, but I wondered what it would be like reading it in Japanese.

The story is funny, sad, angry, painful, touching, and colorful. I was moved to tears several times.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This is a book you share with people you love.

A copy of was provided to me by Counterpoint Press /Net Galley for an honest review.

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A person who was disqualified from reincarnation cycle by something they did in their most recent life, gets a second chance to prove their worthy of reincarnation.

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