RMS Review: Blue Sun, Yellow Sky by Jamie Jo Hoang

Title: Blue Sun, Yellow Sky

Author: Jamie Jo Hoang

Published: December  12, 2014

Rating:

Hailed as “One of the best technical painters of our time” by an L.A. Times critic, 27-year-old Aubrey Johnson is finally gaining traction with her work. But as she weaves through what should be a celebration of her art, a single nagging echo of her doctor’s words refuses to stay silent—there is no cure. In less than eight weeks Aubrey is going blind.

Traveling on a one-way ticket around the world with childhood friend Jeff Anderson, Aubrey is in complete denial. But a blindfolded game of tasting foreign foods in China jolts her into confronting the reality of her situation. So begins her quest.

In this adult coming-of-age story, Aubrey struggles to make sense of her crippling diagnosis. But on her journey she finds a deeper understanding of herself and her life—sometimes fragmented and complex, but always with relentless truth.

At first I wasn't sure how I felt about this book. I was reading it, I found it interesting enough, but I didn't feel like it was having any kind of emotional impact on me. I like to read books that have a straightforward, immediately noticeable impact on me, I guess. If it's a romance, then I want to feel that hope that they will get together, If it is a mystery, I enjoy the suspense of not knowing who did it or why. With a thriller, I love the pulse pounding, edge of your seat feeling of not knowing what is going to happen next.
With this book, it all sort of crept up on me. I didn't realize until halfway through the story that I was emotionally attached to the main character. I was really hoping that she would get her answers during her trip. I was really wanting everything to turn out all right for her.

The depth of my emotional response towards the end of the book surprised me. I was leaking tears without even realizing it. My whole world was narrowed down to the book and the story held within it. I never suspected that I cared so much about how the story would end, and whether or not it would be a happy ending or a sad one for Aubrey, until I was already at the end.

I know, it's not much of a review. I am not sure what to say about it. The writing is really good. I loved how descriptive the author is. It felt like I could really visualize the places Aubrey and Jeff visited. I could almost see the colors that Aubrey painted with.

Aubrey is so independent and strong, yet is feeling very vulnerable and fragile through most of the book. It is difficult at times to imagine what she is going through, without having experienced it myself. I feel that I would not handle it as well as she did. I really don't think I could go on as strongly as she does.

This story is a good story. I rarely read this kind of book, as I lean more towards other genres. I am glad I decided to read this one. I would definitely recommend it to everyone, older teen on up, regardless of their favorite genre. If you give it a chance, I don't see how the book wouldn't move you.

Disclosure: I received this book to review. All opinions are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

Review written by Amanda Price, RMS Reviewer