Akemi Bowman’s new novel Summer Bird Blue is hard to describe. The entire book is filled with such raw, powerful emotion that it immerses you in the story so deeply it is difficult to take a step back and analyze it. It’s a bit like a wave, beautiful and powerful and able to effortlessly pull you under and pummel you until you reach the end. It’s an incredible book, but not one you want to read in public (you WILL ugly cry).
When her sister Lea is killed in a car crash Rumi feels like she is drowning. Not only has she lost her sister and best friend, but her mother has sent Rumi off to Hawaii to spend the summer with her aunt rather than deal with their shared grief. Lost and alone in a strange place Rumi clings to one thing: Summer Bird Blue. It’s the name of the song she and Lea had been writing when Lea died, and Rumi is determined to finish it for both of them.
But how can she when Rumi sees Lea every time she hears a song or strums a guitar? The only place music doesn’t hurt is at their neighbor Mr. Wantanabe’s house, and the only time Rumi feels remotely normal is when she is with her new friend Kai. With her Aunt and her new friend’s help Rumi slowly learns how to live her life without Lea at her side. Summer Bird Blue is a beautiful homeage to heartbreak, healing and the power of friendship.