06 Jul / Colorful by Eto Mori, translated by Jocelyne Allen [in Booklist]
“I want to write a novel that will allow young people who are tired of living to have a break from their own lives.” This is the starting point for Eto Mori’s tale, first published in Japan in 1998 and now a classic. Issues challenging Japanese teens then – “Bullying. Dropping out. Suicide.” – continue to find international resonance as, nimbly translated by Jocelyne Allen, the bestseller’s arrival marks Mori’s stateside debut.
An unattached soul has “won the lottery!”: the chance at a do-over after he (his gender for now, anyway) made “a pretty serious mistake.” To avoid removal from the cycle of rebirth, he reanimates 14-year-old Makoto Kobayashi, who died from an overdose of sleeping pills. Guided by angel Prapura, this new Makoto begins a strange “homestay,” relearning relationships with a “painfully self-serving” father, an adulterous mother, and a bullying older brother. But are they really that awful? Makoto’s name couldn’t be more prescient – it means truth – as he discerns what really happened.
An author-described “serious subject with a comical touch,” the novel has spawned films, anime, manga, and more. It’s also saved lives – undoubtedly storytelling’s superpower.
YA/Mature Readers: The 14-year-old protagonist facing school challenges, especially bullying, will resonate with mature teens.
Review: “Fiction,” Booklist, June 1, 2021
Readers: Adult
Published: 1998 (Japan), 2021 (United States)