TOUR: Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Hey! This week, I'm participating in the blog tour for Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman. This book comes out on Tuesday, September 26, and it was easily, hands-down one of my favorite books of this year. I hope you'll read it because it really means so much to me; for more reasons, here is a short list I wrote earlier about why I loved this book, and here is my review. (TW's: emotional abuse, parental abuse, anxiety, racism, sexual abuse, and suicide attempt)

SUMMARY:  Kiko Himura has always had a hard time saying exactly what she’s thinking. With a mother who makes her feel unremarkable and a half-Japanese heritage she doesn’t quite understand, Kiko prefers to keep her head down, certain that once she makes it into her dream art school, Prism, her real life will begin.

But then Kiko doesn’t get into Prism, at the same time her abusive uncle moves back in with her family. So when she receives an invitation from her childhood friend to leave her small town and tour art schools on the west coast, Kiko jumps at the opportunity in spite of the anxieties and fears that attempt to hold her back. And now that she is finally free to be her own person outside the constricting walls of her home life, Kiko learns life changing truths about herself, her past, and how to be brave.

From debut author Akemi Dawn Bowman comes a luminous, heartbreaking story of identity, family, and the beauty that emerges when we embrace our true selves.

Now here is my interview with Akemi!


First off, describe your book in as many as two sentences.

Starfish tells the story of biracial teen artist Kiko Himura, who after failing to get into her dream art school, travels to California with her childhood friend in an attempt to break free of her abusive home life. It’s a book about family, identity, and learning to accept yourself in a world that doesn’t always make it easy.


What advice would you give someone who relates to Kiko and/or her situation?

If someone is treating you badly, remember that you don’t owe them anything. You don’t have to keep them in your life just because you’ve known them for a long time or because you share the same DNA. You are worthy of love, happiness, and hope. If someone makes you feel otherwise, then they’re the one who isn’t worthy of you.


Every chapter ends with Kiko's description of one of her sketches. What was your inspiration behind those?

Kiko struggles to say what she’s really thinking because of her anxiety. I wanted to give her a way to express herself—to say what she’s feeling—through her greatest love, which is art.


Do you paint/draw/sketch/take photos yourself?

I do, but not very well! I love making things and being creative, but while I’m happy to share my writing, I’d be horribly embarrassed if anyone ever looked through my sketchbook. I think my drawing ability stalled somewhere around age twelve.


What are your go-to snacks at the Asian supermarket?

HI-CHEWS, always. Apple and strawberry are my favorite flavors. I also really like Japanese rice crackers covered in seaweed (nori maki arare), red bean buns (anpan), just about anything with mochi, and Royal Milk Tea. Oh, and White Rabbit Creamy Candy—I can eat a whole bag of them in one sitting!

Thanks for answering my questions, Akemi! Go preorder Starfish today, and/or enter the giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway