Book review - True Colors

 

Title: True Colors

Author: Abby Cooper

Genre: dystopia

Similar books: The Town With No Mirrors by Christina Collins

                      Falling Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix 

Rating:

 

a little flat

Summary (provided by publisher): In Serenity, Minnesota, everyone looks on the bright side, and that’s on purpose: to live in this town, people have to agree to talk positively and only focus on the good things in life. For twelve-year-old Mackenzie Werner, who has the rare gift of her emotions showing up as a colorful haze around her body, this town seems like the perfect place; she’ll never face the embarrassment of a grumbly grapefruit smog if everyone and everything is set up to be happy. But when a documentary maker comes to town and starts asking questions, Mackenzie, overwhelmed with emotion, can’t hold her haze back—and it explodes onto the whole town. Now everyone has their own haze, revealing their real feelings. As Mackenzie learns that emotions go beyond surface level, the whole town must reckon with what it means now that these true colors are on display.

My opinion: With the set-up here, the average reader will not be surprised at the direction that this plot takes. The messaging about emotional complexity is clear, making it easy for a young reader to grasp. The writing itself isn't especially nuanced. Characters are thin. It's a unique concept but doesn't really extend much beyond that. It doesn't take chances or stretch the reader much.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley