The Astonishing Color of After

"A hypnotic narrative."--Horn Book * "Pan offers an extraordinary journey that proves real, surreal, and wholly magical."--Shelf Awareness "Through Leigh's emotional, illuminating first person narration, Emily X. R. Pan peels back the layers of her grief to expose the heart at the center. The result is a novel as lyrical as it is earnest."--Tor.com "Emily X.R. Pan beautifully depicts grief in all its complexities: the numbing sadness, the rage, the confusion, and, most hauntingly, the joy."--Bustle.com "The story is centered on a heart-wrenching mystery, yet Pan's prose is as warm and free-flowing as Waipo's oolong tea, making this story a surprisingly uplifting one."--BookPage "In her debut book, Pan communicates what seems many lifetimes of wisdom: the intricacies of grief, how mental illness ripples through families and what it means to find love in the midst of so much loss."--The Daily Beast "I am sure I will return to this book every year, just as I am sure that there will always be something new for me to find in its pages."--BookRiot * "Pan's debut novel is not to be missed."--School Library Journal, starred review "Emily X.R. Pan utterly transported me to a world reminiscent of Isabel Allende. Haunting at every turn, this is a glorious debut."-- Ren�e Ahdieh, bestselling author of The Wrath and the Dawn * "This novel is as elegant as it is mesmerizing."--VOYA, starred review * "Pan's emotionally charged debut is a compelling exploration of grief and the insidiousness of depression."--Publishers Weekly, starred review * "Dynamic, brave Leigh emerges vividly in Pan's deft hand, and her enthralling journey through her grief glows with stunning warmth, strength, and resilience."--Booklist, starred review "In this dazzling debut, author Emily X.R. Pan has created a spellbinding narrative about love, family, and what it means to grieve."--Bustle "An evocative novel that captures the uncertain, unmoored feeling of existing between worlds--culturally, linguistically, ethnically, romantically, and existentially--it is also about seeking hope and finding beauty even in one's darkest hours."--Kirkus Reviews "My heart has never been more pleasantly devastated. A raw and brilliant debut."-- Roshani Chokshi, bestselling author of The Star-Touched Queen "The Astonishing Color of After works a delicate magic. Its portrayal of grief is deeply felt, and so too is its deliciously tricky romance. I loved this book."-- Marie Rutkoski, bestselling author of The Winner's Curse "This beautiful, magical journey through grief made my heart take flight."-- Holly Black, bestselling author of The Cruel Prince and The Darkest Part of the Forest "Emily X.R. Pan's brilliantly crafted, harrowing first novel portrays the vast spectrum of love and grief with heart-wrenching beauty and candor. This is a very special book."--John Green, bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down "An extraordinary debut from a fiercely talented writer."-- Nova Ren Suma, bestselling author of The Walls Around Us "Magic and mourning, love and loss, secrets kept and secrets revealed all illuminate Emily X.R. Pan's inventive and heart-wrenching debut."--Gayle Forman, bestselling author of If I Stay and I Was Here