The Book:
The Colours We See by Kaisa Winter
Published December 6th 2020
Date read: May 26, 2021
The Characters:
Hazel
Liam
Lawson
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The Plot (from Goodreads):
Hazel lands in America with nothing but a backpack, a craving for adventure, and a past she would rather forget. She is eager to live life as she always imagined it – free, wild, unpredictable.
When brilliant but aloof singer-songwriter Liam invites her to join his band as they tour all over the States, she doesn’t have to think twice. Suddenly she’s travelling, performing, and falling hard for this talented, complicated boy. But when things begin to spiral out of control, Hazel realises that no matter how hard she tries, she can’t outrun herself.
THE COLOURS WE SEE is an under-the-skin love story brimming with music, art, parties and heartbreak. How far can we go to escape ourselves before it’s too late to turn back?
The Review:
Congratulations to Kaisa on this beautiful debut novel! The Colours We See made me want to pack a bag and go travel. Hazel shows up in America with a backpack and no plans other than to see the country, and serendipitously befriends a band that invites her to tour with them. I loved this setup as a way for her to see many cities at a low cost.
I loved the bandmates, and how they all became each other’s chosen family. They’re all in some way broken by their past, and they all come together to help each other.
From there, this story gets a little darker. Hazel begins a very toxic relationship with one of the bandmates. She’s immediately jealous of his fans and female friends, and he introduces her to drugs. He expects her to always be there for him, but disappears when she needs him.
Hazel is pretty innocent at the beginning of the book, having grown up in a very sheltered household. I loved watching her grow throughout the story and learn to put Liam in his place. She learns to accept her past and move forward with her life, and I was happy to see her mend an important relationship from her past.
I would have liked to learn more about Hazel’s past and what made her the way she was. We saw a few flashbacks to her childhood, but they stop as the story progresses and miss a large chunk of her history between her leaving school and coming to America. We also never learn how she is affording four months of traveling–no past or present job, no windfall, no mention of having to travel by a shoestring. If she didn’t meet up with the band, what was her plan for getting across the country? Bus tickets aren’t cheap!
If you’re looking for a simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking coming of age story, this one is for you!
Thank you to the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
