Every Friday I will post and feature a book by a BIPOC author that I’ve loved! I’m calling this feature “Epic Epilogue” because it’s the end of the week and an epilogue is found at the end of a book. Epic because I like alliteration and these books are, in fact, epic.

This Friday I will be talking about the amazing book, Starfish, by Akemi Dawn Bowman.

I can’t stop talking and raving about this book.

Trigger Warnings for this book: sexual assault/abuse, emotional abuse and manipulation, suicide attempt

Starfish follows Kiko, a Japanese-American girls with social anxiety. Her home life is not good, what with a mother who makes her feel inferior because of the way she looks, the non-relationships she has with her brothers, and her dad being remarried with new kids. The cherry on top (not) is when she gets rejected from her dream art school. So, she decides to go to California to tour other schools with her childhood best friend, Jamie. While there, she learns to love herself, and realize what she needs to do with her life.

I loved everything about this book, and I wrote a review about it all, which you can find here.

Kiko’s anxiety is something many people with anxiety can relate to. The worrying about other people’s emotions, “Am I annoying them?” “Are they mad at me?” “Did I do something wrong?” Also, the need for someone to be with you so you can do stuff: like how Kiko needed her friend and then later Jamie. How hard it is to talk to people, and envying those who can easily make friends or chat up people.

Living with anxiety (and any mental health issue or illness) is not easy. It can make even the most simple tasks seem daunting. The way this book handed it was superb, and the growth of Kiko’s character was evident and heartwarming. I loved the decisions she made, that even though they were hard, were the best thing for her.

While I am focusing on the mental health aspect of this book, this is not to gloss over another important aspect of this book: the sexual abuse Kiko faced as a child because of her uncle, and how her mother didn’t believe her and continued to invite him into their lives. Having the one person who’s supposed to shield you from harm be the one to wield the sword is not easy.

While mental health is becoming more of a taboo subject, it is still stigmatized. People are brushed off as “crazy” or weird. They’re told to “get over it.” But it’s not that easy. If it was, then no one would subject themselves to it. It’s not easy. It’s not fun. It’s a cage that locks you in, keeps you away from life.

Books dealing with these issues are becoming more popular, but it is still underrepresented. Especially featuring BIPOC characters or written by BIPOC authors. So, I’m glad I got the chance to read this book, and to talk about it with you all today.

Have you read this book? Did you enjoy it? Have you read any of Akemi Dawn Bowman’s books? Let’s talk in the comments!

Thank you for reading, and see you next time ❤